San Antonio – The Elmore Sports Group, owners of the San Antonio Missions, have partnered with Bowie State University to diversify the front office staffs of its teams. The partnership is the first of its kind for Maryland’s oldest historically black university and is designed to create a college-to-career pipeline for students with an interest in a career in sport management.
Two seniors in Bowie State’s sport management program landed paid, nine-month internships with the Elmore Sports Group, which are providing them with valuable hands-on experience in their field. Dionte Johnson is a sales and game-day operations intern with the Missions while Danielle Lang has been hired as a sales/social media intern with the Inland Empire 66ers in San Bernardino, California.
“I want to own a sports facility, so starting at the bottom will teach me how everything operates, and once I know how to operate the building, I’ll be able to own the building,” said Johnson. “I’ll work my way up. Stadium operations is what I want to do. Working here gives me the opportunity to learn.”
Elmore Sports Group, a family-owned company that owns several Minor League Baseball teams and other sports clubs, has a track record of hiring collegiate interns as full-time employees. The company anticipates hosting more Bowie State interns who are ready to turn their classroom knowledge into real-world experience.
“I’d like to be able to have jobs set for our graduates in the industry, and the new relationship with Elmore Sports Group is definitely leading us in that direction,” said Dr. Joseph Spears, coordinator of Bowie State’s sport management program. “We are looking forward to working with the Elmore Sports Group over the long term in the recruiting, retention and preparation of our students.”
All Bowie State sport management students complete full-semester internships for credits during the final semester of their senior year to complete the bachelor’s degree program; in fact, about 15 students are working in industry internships each semester. While many of the graduates do find successful careers in sport management, partnerships, like the budding relationship with Elmore Sports Group, will smooth the transition for students looking to enter the field directly after graduation.
“The Elmore Sports Group is proud to partner with a great institution like Bowie State,” said DG Elmore, president of Elmore Sports Group. “Bowie State has a history of producing outstanding students who are ready to make an impact in the world of sports management. As MiLB and Elmore Sports Group seek to build diversity into the front office of Minor League teams, we hope that this partnership serves as a model for other clubs.”
About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.