Student Spotlight
Collin Munson
Collin Munson Class of 2019
What made you decide to study Sport Management at WSU?
Being a former college wrestler and playing sports throughout my whole life, staying
in sports was important to me because I’ve been around it my whole life. What better
way to do that than study sports at one of the best Sport Management programs in the
country.
Tell us about any Internships you have done or are currently doing? What do you hope
to learn from your internship experience?
I’m currently working in the Department of Sport Management here at WSU and it’s one
of the greatest experiences I could get. They are allowing me to control some social
media content and work with them to complete tasks like COSMA certification and other
things. I’ve also worked the NCAA March Madness and got to see the behind the scenes
of how the event is run.
What are your career goals?
I want to own a professional team. Most likely NBA but any of the power 5 (NBA, NFL,
MLS, NHL, & MLB) would be great. I am very self-driven and a lot of the times, like
to have a big input on projects and stuff and what better way to do that then be the
owner of a team. I don’t want to be a GM because those are replaceable. Being an owner
will also help me give back to the community in many different ways and give to those
in need in this county.
What has been your favorite course that you have taken during your time in Sport Management?
It’s really hard to pick a certain course because many of the courses in Sport Management
I found really entertaining and I could take a lot of value from these classes. Like
Sports Law with Brad Pittman was great to learn the law side of sports and some things
I never knew and I can take going forward. Mike Ross taught PR and that class taught
you so much on how sports and social media are growing more and more together. I can
go on and on about what I’ve taken from each SMGT class and I liked them all.
If a friend asked about your time in the program, what would you tell them?
That it’s very hands on and they are teaching you everything you need to know about
the management side of sports while getting experience at the same time. I’ve worked
many different events because of the department and things that I can and will put
on my resume. I’m sure there are more things to come as well.
What has been your favorite part of the program?
The opportunities presented. They have a lot of connections all around the country
and have a big impact on the sports teams in Wichita. The opportunities are endless
and that’s something not every program has provided to me before coming to WSU.
What do you plan to do after you finish the program?
After I get my Graduate degree, I plan on finding an opportunity in the Boston area
and hopefully starting my career off there. That’s the plan for right now but it could
and probably will change.
What have you learned in this program that you plan on taking with you once you graduate?
That the management side of sports can be a grind meaning that you will work many
hours and it will test your love for sports. I also learned that the entertainment
side can be an option going forward as well.
In five words or less, how would you describe the Sport Management program?
The best in the country.