Connor Shea

“High fly ball, deep left, there it goes, soaring into history, he’s done it, he has done it, 62”

We look at Recreation and Sport Management in so many different ways because it’s

such a broad aspect with so many different ways to go. Take Aaron Judge for example, he’s

worked with so many coaches and people helping manage his game, from on the field to

contracts to volunteering with outside organizations. For someone who was a part of all these

different areas of his career, to look on as professionals in the RSM field at such a historic

moment they contributed to had to be truly amazing and rewarding. This is just one of the more

recent examples, but I feel as if RSM plays a huge role in all historic moments in sports. Almost

every single person behind the scenes has a background in RSM, so when you look at the

significance of the field in society, without RSM majors, all sports would run less smoothly,

nevermind the running of National Parks, such as Yellowstone. RSM majors are a massive part

of society and will continue to be with all the technological advancements coming into our

world.

As an avid sports lover, and someone who has played baseball since the age of 4, when I

was researching college majors and careers after graduating, RSM really jumped out at me. With

the RSM major combining with my Statistics minor I would love to go onto a career in Sports

Analytics, either for a team or MLB Network. I’ve always been good with numbers, so when I

did some research to find the RSM major and Stats minor combined can get you to the analytics

field. Even if the analytics aspect doesn’t pan out, I’ve always had an interest in being some sort

of coach on the collegiate or professional level, preferably a pitching coach. The idea of being

able to go to so many different levels or professions with the RSM degree is what truly made this

major most appealing.

 With the profession being so broad, I think my ability with numbers could have a huge

impact on the analytics aspect if I end up involved with that. Even if I don’t go that route and I

choose to go with a coaching position of some sort, my knowledge I’ve gained over the years

would allow me to help a lot of pitchers. Watching more videos and talking to professionals now,

I’m able to come up with my own philosophies about my own mechanics, but I also understand

that each person’s mechanics and abilities aren’t the same. Playing for the Coastal Carolina

University Club Baseball team, I’m able to watch and study many different pitchers on my own

team, and am able to use my knowledge to help them. It hasn’t been a long time in which I’ve

been helping fix some of my teammates' mechanics, but in that short period they’ve all been able

to throw a little harder and gain accuracy on the mound. I believe, with my knowledge of the

sport, I could help in almost any aspect of the sport side of the major.