Ever since it’s creation in 1787, the personal alarm clock has controlled the lives of those who program it. Although its style, form and tones have adapted to modern society, its primary purpose – omitting audio wavelengths loud enough to awake a human from sleep - still remain the same.
Through a societal lens, the alarm clock finds itself in the unfortunate category of a despised necessity. As much as it is needed for the school and workforce to function, it is loathed because of its cognitive association with the end of sleep and start of a day filled with duties. In a recent survey, 81 percent of people polled answered that their favourite thing about their alarm clock was, “The Off Button.”
And then there are Sport Management Students.
Without question, one of the greatest benefits of being a Sport Management Graduate student and working in the professional sports industry is that it is so easy to love your job or studies. The root behind this simple equation lays in one critical factor: passion.
Most people who want to work in ‘sports’ do so because they’ve made the wise decision that they want to enjoy their career. In the American workforce, so much time (typically over 50+ hours) is spent at work that it is only logical to amalgamate one’s personal passions with occupation.
Close your eyes and keep them closed. Now, imagine…if WORK could be…fun?! That didn’t hurt too much did it?
The good news is that a personal career and work can be very enjoyable if it revolves around something an individual is passionate about. For those of us who really love sports, it is both logical and possible to enjoy work every single day.
To prove this point, I’ve put together a collection of quotes heard outside the capable and beautiful young professional students of Cohort 27’s classroom….
“Hey, I’ve got to work this weekend. The MLS Championship Game is in Washington, so I have to head out there tomorrow.”
“Girls, have you booked the hotel in Phoenix yet? I am sooo excited to work the Super Bowl on Sunday…”
“Dude, I won’t be able to meet up with you in the city tonight. The Dodgers are in town, and I have to work the game from behind home plate.”
“Come over this weekend for a going away celebration. I just found out I got the internship for the NFLPA and I’ll be moving to D.C for three months.”
“I was working the NCAA tournament in Southern California last weekend and got to watch the teams practice and sit courtside for the game.”
Holding nothing against used-car salesman, I am not confident we would hear the same sound bytes coming from outside their office.
The purpose of this exercise was simply to disprove the feared societal perception that “work” has to be mundane, draining and uninteresting. Conversely, studying a stimulating subject or working in a field that one is passionate about can easily lead to a career that is enjoyable and fun.
As Sport Management Master’s students, we’ve successfully shattered the contemporary myth that school and a career have to be a painful, drudging experience. Each time we step onto the field, into they gym or sit in the press box, we get that fortunate feeling of being passionate about our work and enjoying it too.
Consequently, those who study and work in professional sports represent that unique 19 percent of society who agreed that, “starting the work day” was their favourite thing about their alarm clock.
