My first day on the job with
India On Track (IOT) was 15th October, 2017. We happened to be in Bengaluru on
that day for Premier League Live and, on the sidelines of that event, I spent
the first morning of my first day on the job presenting the concept of an
industry designed Sports Management program to Premier League Managing
Director, Richard Masters. The objective of the presentation was to speak to
Richard and his team at the Premier League about supporting our future sports
management education institute through various ways, one of them being to host
our group during an annual international study trip to the UK.
India On Track (IOT) was 15th October, 2017. We happened to be in Bengaluru on
that day for Premier League Live and, on the sidelines of that event, I spent
the first morning of my first day on the job presenting the concept of an
industry designed Sports Management program to Premier League Managing
Director, Richard Masters. The objective of the presentation was to speak to
Richard and his team at the Premier League about supporting our future sports
management education institute through various ways, one of them being to host
our group during an annual international study trip to the UK.
Fast forward a year and we have successfully
established and launched the Global Institute of Sports Business (GISB) and the
Premier League has officially agreed to serve as an Affiliate to the program,
something that they have never done with any other post graduate sports
management education institute in the past. After a few meetings and
conversations with the team from the Premier League, we decide to organize the
trip in May of 2018 so that our students can watch one of the last matches of
the season as a bonus activity surrounding their industry meetings.
established and launched the Global Institute of Sports Business (GISB) and the
Premier League has officially agreed to serve as an Affiliate to the program,
something that they have never done with any other post graduate sports
management education institute in the past. After a few meetings and
conversations with the team from the Premier League, we decide to organize the
trip in May of 2018 so that our students can watch one of the last matches of
the season as a bonus activity surrounding their industry meetings.
During the months leading up to the trip, Kate
Hodgkinson who is Head of International for the Premier League spent a few days
with our students in Mumbai to find out what they wanted to get out of their
experience in the UK. This sessions were
critical as it helped Kate and her team understand how to design the 9-day
London intensive in a way that would be interesting and, most importantly,
relevant for the GISB students.
Hodgkinson who is Head of International for the Premier League spent a few days
with our students in Mumbai to find out what they wanted to get out of their
experience in the UK. This sessions were
critical as it helped Kate and her team understand how to design the 9-day
London intensive in a way that would be interesting and, most importantly,
relevant for the GISB students.
 |
| Premier League Head of International Kate Hodgkinson and Head of Youth Neil Saunders helping our students prepare for the study trip while at the GISB campus in Mumbai |
And although my team and I were on regular planning
calls with Kate and her staff throughout the month of March and April working
on the itinerary, I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t slightly concerned
about how the trip would turn out especially given the fact that many of our
students had never travelled outside of India.
With these types of excursions, you can plan everything perfectly and
the unexpected will always happen.
calls with Kate and her staff throughout the month of March and April working
on the itinerary, I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t slightly concerned
about how the trip would turn out especially given the fact that many of our
students had never travelled outside of India.
With these types of excursions, you can plan everything perfectly and
the unexpected will always happen.
I remember when I was 15 my club football team, Orange
Coast United, flew to Paris for an exposure trip. We landed on the night of Bastille Day and
ended up losing a few of my teammates in the crazy Parisian streets only a few
hours after landing. Then, on the following day, our bus was broken into and
many of my teammates’ bags were stolen along with their US passports. This led to a lot of tension and few full
days spent at the police station and the US embassy for all of us, even the
ones who still had their passports.
Needless to say, it was not the best experience and my concern was that
something similar could happen.
Coast United, flew to Paris for an exposure trip. We landed on the night of Bastille Day and
ended up losing a few of my teammates in the crazy Parisian streets only a few
hours after landing. Then, on the following day, our bus was broken into and
many of my teammates’ bags were stolen along with their US passports. This led to a lot of tension and few full
days spent at the police station and the US embassy for all of us, even the
ones who still had their passports.
Needless to say, it was not the best experience and my concern was that
something similar could happen.
My concerns grew stronger when a few of us who had
booked Jet Airways flights to and from Europe had them cancelled a week before
the trip due to Jet Airways severe financial problems. My anxious mind wanted
to see this as a foreboding sign however my positive, optimistic side took over
and I ended up booking another flight and doing my best to quell any
unnecessary concerns about the upcoming trip to London.
booked Jet Airways flights to and from Europe had them cancelled a week before
the trip due to Jet Airways severe financial problems. My anxious mind wanted
to see this as a foreboding sign however my positive, optimistic side took over
and I ended up booking another flight and doing my best to quell any
unnecessary concerns about the upcoming trip to London.
In the end GISB’s first international study trip was a
massive success. Every student and every stakeholder had a positive experience
and it was honestly one of the best professional weeks of my life.
massive success. Every student and every stakeholder had a positive experience
and it was honestly one of the best professional weeks of my life.
As I am a list-monger, I am going to share a list of 5
key personal highlights from the trip as well as 5 key learnings.
key personal highlights from the trip as well as 5 key learnings.
Key Highlights
- Being treated like important guests at the
Premier League office Boardroom and the Premier League Productions studios
while each department gave us an overview of their respective area of business
- The surprise visit of Prince Ali of Jordan at
the AFDP Global visit and watching our student, Poonam Gautam, move the room,
especially the Prince, with the way in which she expressed how football has
made an impact on herself and her community
- The Community Development sessions where we
were able to spend the entire day watching how both QPR and West Ham United
leverage football to contribute to the lives of others
- Our morning meetings at the GISB Clapham Common
‘Mansion’ where there were typically more laughs than anything else – best way
to start the day
- Witnessing our students growing each day
especially through their interactions with the various industry influencers we
were meeting during the trip
- Bonus Personal Highlight: Attending 4 football
matches in 6 days (Champions League Semi-final, Europa Semi-Final, FA Cup Final
(Women), Premier League Match)
Key Learnings
- Building and aligning every detail of the itinerary around the vision and objectives of the trip is critical and produces extraordinary results
- Our students are big people, we just need to
give them the space, faith and the encouragement to step out of their comfort
zones on a daily basis
- As educators, we must focus on education
through exposure versus just exposure
- While marketing, operations and governance are
important, many aspiring sports industry professionals will resonate
with the development space – as its typically closest to home and job opportunities are clearer
- Relationships and attitude are everything!!!
My whole body is smiling right now as I fly from
Madrid to Mumbai on my way back from the study trip and post study trip
meetings. The whole initiative was a
success and, most importantly, our students are not the same people who arrived
into London on 28th April. There really is no substitute for travel and
first-hand experiences.
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