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Sports were an integral part of Makayla Riley’s life growing up in Landover, Md. Her father coached the youth football and basketball teams, and for her part, Riley participated in gymnastics and dance growing up. She also was the team manager for both the football and boy’s lacrosse teams.

It was primarily through the success of West Virginia University’s football and basketball teams that she became aware of the school she would eventually attend.

Sam Gambill's memories of going to baseball games are set mostly against the backdrop of Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. The venue, which sparked a renaissance in the aesthetics and design for Major League Baseball facilities, is now the backdrop for Gambill's learning experience as a member of the grounds crew for the Orioles.

"The first time walking out there and being on the field and being able to pick out every seat I had sat in over the years was a really special moment for me and something that I will cherish forever," Gambill said.

Sport management senior Rocco Agostino became the most recent student from West Virginia University to get real-world experience working at the Super Bowl in Phoenix on Feb. 12. Follow his nine-day trip through the journal below that starts with boarding the flight in Pittsburgh and ends with confetti on the ground at State Farm Stadium to get a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s largest sporting events.

A new internship program, hosted by WVU Sports Medicine, continues a long history of collaboration between CPASS and WVU Athletics. In the arrangement, Health and Well-being students serve as sports medicine student managers who observe the ‘day in the life’ of master’s level students. The arrangement supports the HWB undergrads as they look to the future and explore career options.

Zach Kirschner says he chose the College’s sport management degree path because it stood out from the rest of the programs he considered. “I was looking for a school that had the certain major as well as a sports team I could be a part of, which WVU had,” he said. 

Betsy Robbins, CPASS Office of Student Success, has supported Kirschner’s progress through helping him develop marketable skills and connections. “I love meeting with students like Zach who are passionate about the field of sport management and are proactively seeking real-world experiences that will help them reach their professional goals,” Robbins said. “It is exciting to see my students find these unique opportunities that perfectly align with their interests. Zach told me he played in the tournament he will now be overseeing. Go get ‘em, Zach!”

An introductory soccer program has provided real life training for 10 College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences coaching and performance sciences students. Raymond Kryzak, director, Mountaineer United Soccer Club, organized and led sessions for the Fundamentals soccer program, an eight-week introductory soccer clinic designed for three- and four-year-old children.

“Last year, we officially partnered with the Fundamentals program and plan to make the same connection in the spring of 2022. CPASS did their part by arranging the use of the facility to host the first coaching and training class in the Morgantown area,” Kryzak said.

Throughout his career, Jonathan Gibson, WVU Sports Management Master’s degree, has served in marketing leadership roles across a variety of industries in and out of sports. Gibson says that most of the companies are globally recognized for their brand health, innovation, reputation and performance.

Gibson has always had a zeal for marketing and brand building. “Seeing it through this lens was a passion of mine throughout my college and graduate school experiences. Coming to WVU was a great decision as it allowed me to gain real work knowledge while I was in school and build relationships that I have kept throughout my career,” he said.

Madison Reeser, from Sykesville, Md., is majoring in Sport Management, with a minor in Advertising. She knew that sports needed to be a part of her academic program and career path. Ultimately, Reeser selected the CPASS Sport Management program for its experienced faculty and successful alumni network. It was a perfect choice, especially once she discovered the many experiential learning opportunities that would allow her to build a resume and discover the career path to meet her passion for sports.

I attended community college for two years and received my AA degree in general studies at Howard Community College, Columbia, Md. I have been a student athlete my entire life and knew that sports needed to remain in it even though I was no longer an athlete myself. Sport Management appeared to be the perfect choice, with its involvement within the sports world and the background behind it. I knew the WVU CPASS program would help me explore options to find my specific niche in the future, plus I discovered that the WVU sport management program was high on the list of successful programs. Since my older brother also attended WVU I was exposed to the university at a young age and fell in love with the school’s overall atmosphere. The combination of these two things allowed me to feel confident that WVU CPASS and sport management were the right steps to take to ensure I had a positive and successful career.

Michael Stokes was the first member of his family to earn a bachelor's degree from a major university. Growing up in a small town, Stokes worked hard to succeed. Through perseverance, the Norvelt, Pa. native says has realized his early career dreams. 

Stokes, B.S. sport management (2020), secured a position following graduation as an assistant equipment manager for the WVU baseball and basketball teams. “Landing my dream job right out of college at the age of 26 is truly a blessing. I still can’t believe I get to wake every day and do what I do,” Stokes said.

Brooke Pataky, athletic training major with a minor in sport and exercise psychology, strength and conditioning, and nutrition, plans to graduate with her bachelor’s degree in 2023. After earning her degree, she wants to help athletes perform at their best in a Div. 1 college or professional sports setting.

As a high school student, Pataky discovered a passion for treating athletes and helping them return to the field or court. Pataky, from Fredericksburg, Va., says she chose athletic training as a major after enrolling in a sport medicine class taught by the school’s athletic trainer.