CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — For many Islanders, a summer day at the ballpark involves sitting in the sun, listening to the crack of the bat, and maybe enjoying a hot dog — or two. 但是一对皇冠体育的学生正在棒球场度过他们的夏天，为在体育界的职业生涯积累实践经验。

These Islanders from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Sport Management program are working with the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Double-A minor league affiliate of the Houston Astros.

“I’m obsessed with baseball,” said Anthony Swanson ’25. “It’s been my passion since I was three.”

斯旺森是奥斯汀的一名大四学生，他渴望在美国职业棒球大联盟从事广播或分析工作。 He’s one of a growing number of Islanders pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management, one of the newest degree options available at the Island University. As a child, he came to games at Whataburger Field with his grandfather, and now he’s working as a jack-of-all trades behind the scenes.

“I knew I needed a career that would let me be part of the game every day,” Swanson said. “The Sport Management program was my chance to get a foot in the door and start building toward a future in professional sports.”

2021年，体育管理被作为岛屿大学的一个专业引入，对于像斯旺森这样的前运动员来说，这是一条完美的道路，他们希望留在运动中。 Previously, students had to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a Sport Management concentration, but faculty found that for many students, kinesiology wasn’t the right fit.

“A lot of our students struggled with the exercise science portion; they’re simply not geared that way,” said Dr. Misty Kesterson ’08, Senior Clinical Professor of Kinesiology. “Since we created the bachelor’s program in Sport Management, we’ve seen GPAs increase and the program grow.”

对于帮助启动体育管理项目的凯斯特森来说，看到她的学生在体育领域找到职业是有益的。

“I have one student who works with the (San Antonio) Spurs, and has been there for many years,” Kesterson said.

体育管理课程可以亲自，在线或混合设置，该计划提供全职和兼职选择。 What sets TAMU-CC’s Sport Management program apart are the two 100-hour practicums required for graduation, in addition to the standard 300-hour internship. 这些实习为学生提供了更多的实践经验，为他们毕业后提供了优势。

“What we’re seeing is that they’re coming out with not just degrees in hands, but also job offers,” Kesterson said.

Kesterson hopes that as the program grows, TAMU-CC will also be able to offer a master’s degree in Sport Management. 学位课程涵盖的主题包括促销和营销，设施运营，以及社会和法律问题。

“There are so many arenas you can go into,” Kesterson said. “University sports, professional sports, even youth sports. Another thing we’re starting to see is sports tourism.”

体育旅游是旅游业中发展最快的行业之一。 根据体育赛事与旅游协会（Sports ETA）的数据，在美国，与体育相关的旅游在2023年产生了约1280亿美元的直接支出。

In April 2025, a group of ten Islander Sport Management majors got an up close and personal look at sports tourism — as they volunteered at the 2025 NCAA Men’s Final Four in San Antonio. Among them was Tymberlin Criswell ’25, a member of Islanders Women’s Basketball who played all 32 games of her senior year. She’ll graduate this August and has future plans of working in sports marketing and media.

“Throughout the weekend, I learned how important teamwork, communication, and adaptability are when working on an event of this size,” said Criswell, a native of Houston. “Being part of the Final Four gave me not only valuable experience in event coordination and fan engagement but also a deeper appreciation for the behind-the-scenes work that goes into major sporting events.”

The Final Four is consistently one of sports tourism’s biggest draws. 每年大约有8万到10万人来到主办城市，迎接他们的是各种各样的活动，包括球迷集会、音乐节、“疯狂三月”半决赛和冠军赛。 岛民志愿者品尝了这三种食物，作为他们体验的一部分。

“Working the Final Four was an unforgettable experience,” said Morgan Baese ’25, who played for Islanders Volleyball from 2021-24. “Being part of this allowed me to contribute to the success of this monumental event and witness firsthand the excitement and unity it brought to San Antonio.”

For more information on the Sport Management degree, visit /programs/undergraduate-programs/sport-management-bs.php.