主页的罗林斯体育商业管理项目庆祝与罗林斯体育用品的10年合作伙伴关系

If a strong partnership is defined as including the exchange of meaningful knowledge, shared goals and a strong element of mutual benefit, then the Rawlings Sport Business Management program is a prime example. In 2008, 主页(Maryville University)的体育商业管理项目是作为约翰. Simon School of Business. But in 2013, 该项目做出了一项改变，将对当前和未来的学生产生重大影响 Rawlings Sport Business Management (RSBM) program, the first corporately named sport business management program in the country.

The partnership between the program and Rawlings wasn’t born overnight. Years before anything became official, Jason Williams, EdD, program director and assistant dean of the John E. Simon School of Business, 将该项目教给学生的东西付诸实践:建立联系，抓住机会. Williams met with a senior vice president at Rawlings and asked, “作为一个组织，主页的学生可以帮助你做什么，而你没有时间或资源?”

This question paved the way for a strong, multi-layered partnership with Rawlings. 当时，这家体育用品公司正在涉足足球头盔业务. 于是，威廉姆斯寄来了一份他认识的足球教练名单，并开始为他们进行研究. From there, the relationship grew. 罗林斯是大学橄榄球全明星赛的官方实习提供者, 他们要求体育商业管理项目为他们提供这次活动的实习生, marking the beginning of many similar opportunities to come.

In 2013, 玛丽维尔和罗林斯让事情变得正式:这个项目成为了罗林斯体育商业管理项目. The partnership was celebrated with a ceremony at Busch Stadium, with St. Louis Cardinals President William DeWitt III in attendance. “主页很高兴看到主页的两个伟大的合作伙伴联手培养下一代体育商业领袖,” DeWitt said of the partnership.

威廉姆斯说:“主页一开始只是通过做一些对彼此的生意有帮助的事情来合作. “A decade later, 主页仍在为罗林斯、志愿者和实习生提供高质量的研究援助, 他们继续与主页的学生密切合作，帮助他们发展就业技能和专业精神.”

Today, 这种合作关系比以往任何时候都更加牢固:罗林斯的一些高管是该项目的兼职教授, and others are guest speakers for classes. They offer career development opportunities, including internships specifically developed for Maryville students. 他们还为大学的垒球和棒球项目提供装备和设备. 但这种伙伴关系不仅对玛丽维尔及其RSBM学生有利，而且对双方都有利. In addition to research projects and internships, 每年，四年级学生都会向罗林斯商学院的高管们展示营销项目，并就如何提高他们在市场上的品牌知名度提出建议. Countless Maryville students have interned with Rawlings over the past 10 years, with many hired full time after graduation. “Rawlings has benefited from our strong partnership with Maryville in myriad ways, 从获得专业水平的产品和品牌研究和行业活动的宝贵支持，到直接接触最有才华的学生实习和全职职位,” said Ron Ostrowski, president of Rawlings.

A Name with Impact
For prospective students, 在研究学校和体育商业项目时，该项目已经发挥了作用. “There were other sport business programs I was looking into, but having the Rawlings name attached to Maryville’s program made it stand out,” said Russell Susuki, ’18. “了解到他们在合作伙伴关系和为学生提供机会方面的密切合作，真的让这个项目对我有了更高的吸引力.” Susuki’s first introduction to the program came via the Rawlings Sport Business Management Summer Institute. 为期一周的暑期项目让未来的学生深入了解该项目和玛丽维尔. Participants spend a day each with program partners like Rawlings, the Missouri Valley Conference, the St. Louis Sports Commission and the St. Louis Cardinals. “这对我来说是一个很好的机会，可以了解并进入体育商业行业, the program and Maryville in general,” Susuki said. “Seeing their partnerships was impressive to me, and the idea of interning or possibly working for Rawlings was exciting.”

If you ask program alum Lucas Winkelmann, ’18, if the Rawlings partnership made an impact on his decision to enroll in the program, the answer is a resounding yes. “我不认为像罗林斯这样的公司会把自己的名字放在一个不值得的项目上,” he said. “It adds a lot of credibility to the program.” For Winkelmann, 罗林斯的合作关系对他的教育和职业道路都有很大的影响. He began as an intern at Rawlings during his time as a student in the program. 现在，温克尔曼是罗林斯电子商务部门的副全国客户经理. “作为一名实习生，我对他们的文化和日常工作学到了很多，”他说. “当我申请罗林斯的全职职位时，我能够与那些能够代表我发言的员工建立联系.” During his time as a student, 温克尔曼有机会向未来的高中生介绍RSBM项目. “我可以从他们和他们父母的脸上看出，被赞助的项目很有分量.”

Connections Beyond the Classroom
The RSBM program prides itself on its connections. In addition to the strong partnership with its namesake, 威廉姆斯和项目教师已经与体育产业的其他组织建立了关系，比如密苏里山谷会议, the St. Louis Cardinals, Peak Sports, Anheuser-Busch and many other industry organizations.

“The sport business industry is our classroom,” Williams said. Through these partnerships, 在获得学位的同时，还有无数的志愿者和实习机会. 仅今年一年，rsrbm的学生就有50多个体育行业的志愿者机会.

对于15岁的校友谢尔比·希尔德(Shelby Hild)来说，她通过RSBM项目获得的经验是无价的. “As a 19-year-old, I had so much experience in the industry,” she said. “我觉得自己比其他在毕业时没有这种经验的求职者有优势.” Fourth-year student Donnie Fox, who has had five different internships throughout his time in the program, agrees. “From the volunteer opportunities provided through the program, you build your resume up and become a really attractive intern candidate,” he said. “It makes you competitive.”

The program has gained a solid industry reputation, and not just among prospective or current students. “全国各地的组织都知道这个项目，以及它的学生和毕业生的高质量,” Susuki said. “他们知道，主页的毕业生将准备在体育产业工作，并将成为全面发展的专业人士.”

A Bright Future
威廉姆斯未来的目标是随着行业的变化而不断变化，这样学生毕业时就能掌握与行业相关的技能. “主页希望为主页的学生创造更多的机会和联系，帮助他们培养这些技能,” he said. In reflecting on the first 10 years of the Rawlings partnership, 威廉姆斯最自豪的是在三个特殊实体之间建立了一个东西:主页, Rawlings and the sport business management program. Through their partnership, each is better than they are on their own. “It’s truly a partnership where both organizations benefit, and most importantly, so do our students,” said Williams. Ostrowski added, “We’ve accomplished so much together over the past 10 years, 主页期待着该项目在未来几年继续发展和成功.”