Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship

by Kathleen Hodgkins

Dr. Vincent Mumford was fired up to volunteer for the Olympic Games in Paris, France alongside other sport management educators and students from across the country. This is his first time at the Olympic Games representing Central Michigan University as an ambassador of the sport management program. He was thrilled to be seeing athletes from all over the world compete in world-class sports venues and witnessing the humanitarian and economic impact of sports.

Not only is Dr. Mumford volunteering and watching the various events, but he also had the opportunity to visit cultural and historical sites and landmarks and even caught up with some alumni from the sports administration program, including Ashley Porter, the Manager of Operations for the Olympics Games, and Kelly Skinner, Vice President for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. There is no better case study than the Olympic Games in sport management, as the Olympic Games are considered the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200 teams, representing sovereign states and territories, participating, so seeing alumni like Ashley and Kelly is a point of pride for Dr. Mumford.  

  

Having Ashley and Kelly in such critical roles for the Olympic Games and being an alum of the sport management program is a true testament to what can be accomplished with this degree from CMU. Ashley supports Olympians and Olympic hopefuls in achieving their dreams.  The training center acts as a home away from home. She aims to provide a home-like environment, so athletes are in a comfortable setting to achieve their goals. Being “behind the scenes” allows Ashley to do the small things while making a major difference in the athletes’ day-to-day lives. 

While Ashley is making an impact by helping Olympians achieve their dreams, Kelly leads a team in high-performance leadership, the sciences (nutrition, strength & conditioning, physiology), and coaching in his role. The team helps to enhance the high-performance ecosystem, provides funding and science support to the various sports, and works to promote coach mentorship, well-being, and other coaching initiatives. 

When looking back at their educational and professional careers, Ashley and Kelly both agreed that they never thought their careers would lead to where they are today. Ashley never thought she’d ever be meeting up with mentors while at the Olympics, let alone working at a major sporting event. Now, she has returned from the Paris Olympics and met Olympians (even Snoop Dogg!) whom she has been inspired by for years. Kelly feels the best part of his position is the people he works with including the nation’s best coaches and athletes to represent the United States on the world stage.

When it comes to sports management, Ashley, Kelly, and Dr. Mumford believe that CMU students must be willing to try something new even if that means getting out of their comfort zone because the sports industry is ever-evolving.  Despite this constant change, CMU provided Kelly with a solid foundation in this world as well as hands-on exposure to the athletic department where he found his passion for leadership, on-field promotions, game promotion, facility setup, and fundraising.

Ashley came to CMU as a non-traditional student and found her passion for the sports arena through her classes and mentors, like Dr. Mumford, and stated, “[The sport administration program] changed the trajectory of my professional life!” Since graduating, she has gained experience in Formula 1, which is an international motorsport racing organization. Additionally, she’s worked for the International University Sports Federation serving in a few different roles.

A sport management degree at CMU teaches students about the business side of sports, including how to plan, organize, lead, and evaluate sports events. Not only are students learning in the classroom, but they also have opportunities to be on the field and work in a sports arena to apply their educational base to the real world. Having alumni like Ashley and Kelly who have excelled in their careers while making a worldwide impact is inspiring for all CMU students.