The Washington Capitals and new Georgetown Master of Professional Studies in Sports Industry Management (SIM) program recently partnered to support a fellowship program beginning with the 2008-09 season. The fellowship is designed to blend the progressive franchise culture of the Capitals with the academic and career education initiatives of the Georgetown SIM curriculum. This immersion program will expose fellows to the operations and intricacies of a sports franchise on a daily and game-by-game basis. Fellows will be assigned to front office areas in business operations, marketing and sales, and communications and new media.
This year’s inaugural recipients for 2008-09 are: Rachel Buck (Merrill, WI / Marquette University), Kelly Compton (Bridgeport, WV / Penn State), Chris Cunanan (Bridgeport, WV / West Virginia) and John Gregory (Laurel, MD / Arizona).
“We are extremely pleased to forge a partnership with Georgetown University and create a meaningful, real-life experience for the university’s Sports Industry Management fellowship program,” said Ted Leonsis (GU ’77), Washington Capitals chairman and majority owner. “Georgetown has a tremendous master’s program, and this fellowship opportunity will not only serve the students well but also provide the Capitals with assistance in a variety of front office responsibilities.”
The goal of this unique experience is to gain a real-time competitive insight into the global sports industry. This program will also involve exposure to the dichotomy of wins and losses that make sports unique, and the arenas of strategy and competition that take place at the Verizon Center home ice and the Kettler Capitals IcePlex team headquarters.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our inaugural class of graduate students,” said Matt Winkler, Associate Dean, Master of Professional Studies in Sports Industry Management at Georgetown University. “A partnership like this builds on Georgetown’s strength and commitment in training new leaders and is a natural extension of our program’s mission to help students gain access to key relationships and field experiences. We thank Mr. Leonsis for his continued support.”
Fellows will have a variety of duties and responsibilities within their assigned area, but they will also develop a working project deliverable that will serve as the focus of their experience. The fellowship class will pay particular attention to professional development and organizational goals and will meet weekly with senior-level executives within the Capitals organization. Each of the fellows will also be assigned an organizational mentor who will serve as a valuable resource and provide guidance in the fellow’s transition into the team. Fellows are not guaranteed employment within the organization after the program concludes.
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