NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk State junior punter Troy Muenzer spent part of his recent spring break by attending the NCAA Sports and Entertainment Summit held March 4-6 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
The summit gave approximately 100 selected student-athletes from across the country the opportunity to explore careers in the sports and entertainment industries, such as film, television, music and/or sports media. The selected athletes – whose airfare, lodging, meals and transportation were paid for by the NCAA – have to be a junior or senior and have a strong interest in pursuing a career in sports media or entertainment.
The event included panel discussions, educational workshops and a community service project. It featured professionals who currently work in entertainment, sports media talent and sports media executives. Such professionals ranged from ESPN and Sport Illustrated columnists, editors and writers to presidents and CEO's of film, media and music companies.
“I got a lot of great insights from some of the professionals at the event, and I realized it's never too early or too late to begin thinking about life after college,” Muenzer said.
Muenzer, an interdisciplinary studies major, said attending a session on sports business marketing was one of the highlights of the event. There, he was able to get insights from executives from Fox Sports West and the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission.
“One of the key things many of the panelists emphasized was the importance of networking and building your own 'brand',” Muenzer said. “That was very enlightening to me. Sports is a $200 billion industry, so there's no shortage of opportunities if you market yourself the right way.”
At the conclusion of the summit, the student-athletes were transported to a community center adjacent to the Los Angeles Coliseum. There, they played games with at-risk youth and built bicycles for them.
“It was very touching to work with kids who came from foster homes and broken backgrounds,” Muenzer said. “To be able to make them laugh and see them happy was a very positive experience.”
Muenzer added: “I highly recommend other student-athletes who are interested in sports and entertainment to apply for this event in the future to get a feel for the business world.”
