27 nerve-wracking experience, it allowed Newman to meet and work with students he hadn’t met before, which grew into friendships that he hopes to maintain as they go into their varying careers in the Sport Industry. When only a freshman at KU, Newman spent the first half of his freshman year in-person, but after Spring Break his classes were online due to the COVID-19 shutdown. Newman expressed that “it taught everyone to adapt to new circumstances and be willing to make changes when needed.” It also gave Newman a reality check regarding his future in Sport Management. “I realized how vulnerable the Sport Industry is to change because a lot of people were laid off from their jobs at that time,” Newman explained. However, his commitment to the industry didn’t waver, “I still knew that I wanted to be in Sport Management and realized that I’ve got to make the most of it.” Newman used this time that would otherwise be occupied by baseball games and other outings, to refine his computer skills by practicing graphic design, Word, Excel, and other programs. The role Newman is most proud of is serving as a Student Ambassador for the Sport Management Department. “It allows me to share my experience, the culmination of my hard work and what I’m passionate about with potential students while representing the department,” he explained. He is also the recruitment chair for the National Residence Hall Honorary Chapter, which has helped him to become more outgoing and communicative as a naturally introverted person. As witness to Newman’s growth in assertiveness, while on vacation making use of a family outing, he reached out to Jake McKinley, who was, at the time, Director of Player Development for the Milwaukee Brewers. McKinley was very receptive towards Newman, giving him advice in the field and inviting him to reach out again. When asked how he possesses the motivation for all these roles Newman said, “I think sticking through it when I have a lot on my plate is crucial because if I were to leave, it would look bad on me and would greatly affect others,” Newman explained. “Sometimes it’s a little too much,” he admitted, “but if you do it right, you start to manage your time better and it’s not too bad.” Newman is currently looking for a position in his field “probably baseball—that was always my favorite sport,” he stated. It is a bit of a challenge as the season is already underway by May graduation, but Newman has built connections in the profession. As a backup plan, he has considered completing a second internship over the summer that will hopefully lead to a full-time position. “I think KU Sport Management did a good job with preparing me,” Newman relayed, and “at the end of the day, the piece of paper that I get when I walk across the stage is the same as everybody else in my major. It is the experiences I had that made it all the more enjoyable.” Newman collaborated with Adam Rosales on other occasions, including a research proposal for Newman’s capstone project as an honor student. The task entailed gaining analytical data for Rosales’ Mindful Player Program and comparing high school baseball players who would be introduced to the Mindful Player skills, with players who have not, to better understand the tangible benefits of the technique. According to Newman, the Mindful Player technique is used to help develop skills through a process mindset as opposed to a results mindset. “I’ve been working with Adam on this for the better part of two years now,” Newman relayed, “and I am scheduled to hopefully present our findings at a conference here in late April.” Newman stated that analytics is a developing field that has surged in the last ten years, and he has found it beneficial to develop his own skill set in analytics, while also helping players become better at their sport. Another role Newman gained was membership in the invite-only KU Sport Business Institute (KUSBI). One of his most memorable experiences came from being part of the group back in February of 2022 when KUSBI was invited to Huston, TX to take part in the Case Competition Cup. Contestants were given the topic prompt of creating social change and then asked to design a fifteenminute presentation. “We spent the better part of a month putting together a presentation and practicing for it,” Newman recalled, “then we flew down to present it live to some powerful people within the industry.” Although it was a
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