As the world tries to find its way through the uncertainties that a pandemic brings, many of us search for answers about our future. For me, the question has been whether or not it's a good time to proceed with graduate studies. And of course, just like all other questions, it leads to many other queries. Will the quality of education be dampened by the pandemic? Would the availability of on-campus resources be limited? Will networking opportunities even be available? These are just some of the questions one has to consider when thinking about whether or not it's the right time to go back to school and get an education in your chosen field. It's even harder if you have to leave a job by choice, during a time when a number of people are losing the benefit of a regular paying check. Not in a hundred years, literally, have we seen a pandemic take over our lives as COVID-19 has. It has changed and is changing the landscape of just about every industry. The world of sports, despite the discipline and resilience that sport itself stands for, is not spared. So, the question for me was, "Is this a good time to pursue higher studies in the field of sports management?"
These are the questions that bedeviled my mind in the past months. I always knew I wanted to go back to school to learn about the industry that caught my heart's deepest desires. However, I never took the dream seriously enough to complete a graduate school application. Nevertheless, just as the timing of a cut and a pass makes for a perfect play, a lockdown paired with the energy of an athlete is a recipe to explore untapped opportunities. Thus, I began my graduate school application process. My thoughts at the time were, "I have nothing to lose in turning these requirements in. And since I have the time to write the gazillion essays, answer standardized tests over the internet, and bug former institutions for transcripts, why not give it a shot and see if this is indeed for me?" To prove to myself that a successful application means it's meant to be, I applied to just one school. So yes, it had to be an Ivy League institution and a sports management program that is ranked within the top 10 in the world by reputable sources in the industry.
Just as the timing of a cut and a pass makes for a perfect play, a lockdown paired with the energy of an athlete is a recipe to explore untapped opportunities."
June came, and we were still stuck in our homes. Questions started to kick-in. Was the situation ever going to get better? Are we ever going to be called back to report "in" the office? Or are we doing things remotely from home forever? Will sports ever come back? What's going to happen to our lives? Even with the quarantine, time went by faster than Usain Bolt could cross the finish line. It was suddenly July and I'd forgotten I even applied. Then one day as I checked my mail, there it was: "Important update in your application." Without thinking twice, I clicked on the link and e-confetti is all over my screen, "Congratulations! You have been admitted as a full-time student in the Masters of Science in Sports Management program at Columbia University..." The moment was so surreal that it gave me a natural high. I didn't even think about the logistical considerations of moving to NYC, the hot spot of the pandemic in America. Nor did I give a care about the expenses graduate school entailed, but a few days later, these realities started to penetrate my brain. It was like winning a championship--the celebration is always immediately followed by the heavy burden of thinking about how to defend successfully. It never stops with the championship; neither does it stop at the point of being admitted.
One of the reasons why the program is top-rated in the world is the location of the campus. Sitting in the heart of New York City, the campus gives you access to at least two professional teams for most sports. You have the Knicks, the Nets and the Liberty for professional basketball, the Yankees and the Mets for baseball, the Rangers and Islanders for ice hockey, and the Jets and Giants for American football. The list goes on. The city is a Mecca for the sporting world, home to many professional league offices. This is also why Columbia has access to professors who are the best in what they do, as they are based in NYC. The internship and networking opportunities are unimaginable. The rich culture of an Ivy League institution is another attractive factor of the program. Just the thought of interacting with an elite mix of individuals all over the world that went through a fine-tuned admission process makes the program stand out. Yes, you will learn from the line-up of professors, but my guess is the quality of education jumps a hundredfold when considering the people you will be matriculating with. The interaction with the student body is of course larger than just the students of the program itself, as you will be bumping into individuals across programs and schools within the University.
It's a no brainer to go ahead with it, in a pre-COVID world that is. With all the changes COVID-19 brings, education is one of the industries that had to adapt quickly. Businesses around the world may close down or have a momentary pause in their operations, but the business of educating cannot afford to do so. The day the world stops learning will be the day it ends. And so, schools continue to operate, but learning is somewhat twisted -- in degrading fashion according to many. Across all levels of schooling, many have entertained the thought of deferring their education for another year or so. It was no different for me. Why pay and invest time for an education with uncertain deliverables? Why expose myself to the uncertainty this pandemic brings when I can very well just ride through it? So I thought about it, and like any other gritty human being, I thought hard. I went through every single detail, every single twist and turn that could happen, and every risk I would be exposing myself to. And that's when it came to me. That this indeed may not be such a good time to go; but only because it is the best time to go.
The competitiveness that sports nurtured in me came rushing through. The challenges that COVID-19 brought was just another hurdle in the track that I've been trying to run. There is no better time to learn from the American sports industry than when it is in a crisis, for that is when its true strengths and weaknesses are revealed."
The competitiveness that sports nurtured in me came rushing through. The challenges that COVID-19 brought was just another hurdle in the track that I've been trying to run. If there is anything I've learned about sports in relation to its participants, it is that hardships reveal one's real colors. There is no better time to learn from the American sports industry than when it is in a crisis, for that is when its true strengths and weaknesses are revealed. During the pandemic, there is no hype to hide behind. This is something we are seeing now in all levels of sports. A united NBA in a successful bubble; collegiate programs downsizing teams but not their budgets (making you wonder if Title IX contracted the virus and is now a goner); the "early" return of spectators in soccer as if to cement its claim as the world's number one sport; the potential unionization of college athletes just a couple of years after it was determined they could be compensated (moving closer and closer to establishing themselves as 'employees' rather than student-athletes); the balancing of safety issues and income losses; and the second boom of digital sports businesses. The point is, there is so much going on in the sporting world today and therefore so much to learn. As one of my professors claim, research and development in the industry that usually takes five years is now being done in five months. In the time of the pandemic, innovative juices flow like a waterfall.
How athletes are using their platforms to showcase their stance on today's most crushing issues is a thesis in itself. Regardless of whether or not you favor using sports as a platform to stand up for what you believe in, it's a great time to open the debate. Re-examining and elevating the role of sports in society is a conversation that must take place, and the academy is a great venue for this dialogue. This is where you want to be when it happens. The power of sports to lift human spirits will once again be highlighted for the world and shall play a vital role in how we bounce back from this pandemic.
The return of the NBA alone has given the world much hope amidst the despair, and more importantly, has shown that crucial deals can be closed despite hesitations. We aren't just talking about moving moments here, or symbolic occurrences like Rudy Gobert (the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19) scoring the first bucket of the restart. The economy is also at play. In the Philippines for example, the NBA failed to close a deal with any local network for the 2019-20 season. Just before the restart, however, they were able to etch a deal with a local network. A classic strong finish from a "hesi," if you will.
The industry is rolling, and we know the bubble money is worth it because they have already announced that they are looking at no less than a full 82 game season ahead. TV ratings and league subscriptions are up. And that isn't even the coolest thing you can say about the NBA today. The best part is the fact that the league funded a Yale University study on an alternative COVID-19 test, which is now gaining momentum in America. This could be key to finally getting the upper hand in the fight against the virus.
What about being the first class to navigate through case studies involving the pandemic? Imagine the opportunity to dissect, criticize, evaluate and offer solutions for innovations in the world of sports that are being tested for the first time ever this year."
What about being the first class to navigate through case studies involving the pandemic? Imagine the opportunity to dissect, criticize, evaluate and offer solutions for innovations in the world of sports that are being tested for the first time ever this year. From tournament models to organizational revamps, event protocols to video game enhancements, safe play rules to stay at home fan engagements. There isn't an idea today that is too crazy to try. When you're bound to lose everything, you try just about anything. For a student of the industry, it isn't only fun to see this happen. It's mesmerizingly gratifying for the brain. Every dime you spend on your education suddenly becomes worth it.
Victor Hugo said, "The future has many names. For the weak it is impossible; for the fainthearted, it is unknown; for the valiant, it is ideal." The sportsman is not weak, nor is he fainthearted. He is valiant indeed and looks to the future with bright wide eyes. It's a great time to be alive when you're in this industry. There will be hard decisions, and there will be a lot of disappointments, as it should be in every great sports story. Ask any great competitor: we want things shaken up from time to time. The moment you find yourself cruising on top too long, you end up leaving the game as the desire grows cold.
As much as the pandemic has killed thousands and continues to affect the lives of many for the worse, I find myself lucky enough to be blessed with the opportunity to go back to school. There will be challenges along the way. That's something I know for sure and actually look forward to. You have to remember, it's not the trophy but the chase that counts the most. That is what it is all about. So here I am, leaving my comfort zone and chasing my dream of continuing in a risk-laden industry. The irony of it all is that during this pandemic, when I am about to begin school, I can truly say that the world is my oyster.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any other person or entity.
