Caterina A.J. Parola
The International Business of Sports
Prof. Andy Clark
April 10, 2019
Only the Best Will Get You There
In the words of Winston Churchill: “My tastes are simple: I am easily satisfied with the very best”. I could go on for hours trying to explain why I enjoyed this trip as much as I did: the valuable contacts, the bustling city of London, the informative meetings, the friendships I have made.
However, the reason why I had the time of my life is just one: this program was the absolute best. It truly represented the level of absolute excellence in this field. It is objectively impossible to create a better week-long program than the one we have just had.
No location could work as well as the vibrant city of London. There is no way to secure better speakers in the sports world who are not the ones we talked to two weeks ago. It surely would be difficult to select venues and organizations that are bigger sports leaders than the ones we visited. Lastly, it would be such a hardship to select a better group of students, who not only were genuinely interested and constantly engaged in meetings, but also all got along very well.
As I reflect on the expectations I had for this trip, I can only admit that they were very high. I was determined to get so much out of it, not only because it was my last class before obtaining my Master’s Degree, but also because I knew that it would be the perfect chance to gain contacts in Europe. Being from Italy, I know that one day I will be moving back to Europe, and I would love to do so by obtaining a job in sports across the pond.
Today, a week after the end of the trip, I can honestly say that my expectations were not only met, but exceeded. I did, in fact, gain those incredibly valuable contacts. I did, in fact, take an entire notebook of notes and walked into doors I had only ever dreamed about. I did learn about trends in sports, about leadership, about not being an idiot and being nice (and following all the rules). These are all lessons I will cherish forever.
Did anything surprise me on this trip? Yes, the kindness. The hospitality. The willingness of our hosts to take some time to speak to us, introduce themselves and their organizations.
I was especially surprised by how kind, approachable and available they were, no matter their title and importance in their field. For example, we had the chance to speak to Nigel Melville, the Interim CEO for the Rugby Football Union. At Twickenham stadium, him and a couple of colleagues welcomed us for an hour-long mini panel, covering all things rugby. Nigel patiently walked us through rugby as a whole, starting from the sport itself to their efforts to promote it to the younger crowd and the local communities. He took an hour out of his day to talk to a bunch of Chicago students about his task of leading a major sports organization. Hours later, as I was sitting at a pub with part of the abovementioned bunch of students, we saw Nigel on television, carrying out his duties of CEO. This is what I mean when I say that it would be impossible to create a better business of sports program, or find better contacts to speak to. I should also add that a few days ago, when I sent Nigel a thank you email, he replied by saying that he is happy to keep in touch, and to email him if I ever needed his help in any way. You seriously can’t top that.
There were many unbelievable moments on this trip. Many instants when I stopped and thought “This can’t be real”. For example, standing right in front of the Champions League trophy that my football team, AC Milan, lost against Liverpool in 2005 in a heart-breaking comeback, a nightmare I will never forget. Or walking into Wembley stadium, the most iconic stadium in the world, and seeing 85,000 people cheering on the beautiful game. And lastly, seeing the actual underground rooms from which Winston Churchill directed all war efforts during World War II to defend Britain from the German invasion.
However, the best thing about this trip for me was something entirely different: it made my dream of working in the Olympics seem very real, very possible.
My ultimate dream has always been working for the Olympics. Since I was a little girl I have been obsessed with the Games: my father taught me to wait (impatiently) for the Games, and when they would come, he would watch them with me, teaching me rules to all of the sports so that I could enjoy them even more. My favorite stuffed animal was literally an Olympic torch I got from the Olympic Museum in Lausanne at eight years old. Years later, I attended an Olympic hockey game at Torino 2006, and even though Italy lost 6-0 to Finland, that was a defining moment for me, because I realized that I wanted to get involved with the Games, even if at the time, that idea seemed so far away from my reality.
Today, my dream has remained the same, and this trip literally put me on the right path to make it come true. I was able to meet people who have been part of the Olympics, who have worked on or even headed the Games. Before heading to London, I was lucky enough to hear from Gordon Kane, who worked on the London 2012 bid. Then, in the UK, I got the chance to tour London 2012 venues such as the Olympic Park, the Olympic Stadium, the Aquatics Centre and the Veladrome. I chatted with the Director of Communications of the British Olympic Association and with PR professionals at Hill+Knowlton who have had the Olympics as client. I even talked to the former CFO of the London Olympics Neil Wood about my chances to get involved with the Games.
For the first time in my life, working in the Olympics did not sound like a dream anymore, and I can’t even describe what it means to feel like your dream is getting closer and closer to being a reality.
Now, I am simply crossing my fingers as my hometown of Milan, Italy, is submitting an application to host the 2026 Winter Games (I’m also constantly checking their website for openings, just like Neil Wood suggested!). If that happens, something tells me that this experience was part of the path that will lead me there.
There is no way to sum up in less than 1200 words everything I have learned during this experience. No way to break down Jimmy Worrall’s hour and a half long conversation on making connections and becoming a leader. No way to explain the value of hospitality that Phil at Kempton Park has taught me without even saying anything about it. Every single person, every moment and experience on this program have taught me career and life lessons that I will forever hold onto as I pursue my dreams. That tells you – in exactly 1200 words – why this program was the absolute best.