In this episode of the Sports Business Classroom Audio Experience: Women in Sports series, host Kate Foley sits down with Ashley Cox, Professional Athlete Manager. Ashley graduated from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Media and Cultural Studies. Ashley was a student-athlete, playing Division 1 Volleyball throughout all four years at UCR.
In this episode, Kate and Ashley discuss:
- Interning at the NBA Summer League
- Women supporting women in the sports industry
- How to gain experience early on in your career
Ashley has been immersed in the business of basketball for several years, working as an intern at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and staff member/team manager with the adidas Nations Basketball Camp. Ashley has also worked in other types of sports with different full-service sports agencies such as The Landmark Sports Agency, Independent Sports & Entertainment (ISE), and REP1 Sports. Here she’s gained experience in marketing and client services/management roles while working closely with NBA & NFL athletes.
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SHOW NOTES
- What was Ashley’s introduction to the world of sports? (2:30)
- Did Ashley always know she wanted to work in sports? (3:00)
- How did Ashley get her start? (4:00)
- How did Ashley become involved in interning at Summer League, how was that experience? (4:30)
- What were her biggest takeaways from the Summer League internship program? (7:40)
- What happened next after Ashley interned at the NBA Summer League? (13:20)
- Women supporting women (19:00)
- What advice does Ashley have for young women in a situation where they are being treated differently due to their gender? (22:30)
- What did Ashley’s “yesterday” look like? (29:30)
- What has been a challenge for Ahsley throughout her transition into the industry? (31:40)
- Setting boundaries. Does Ashley think it’s common for someone to dump their workload on a person because they are young and don’t have a family of their own? (36:25)
- Kate’s 3-year rule (39:45)
- What was Ashley’s dream job? (41:15)
- How would Ashley encourage young women to get to where she is today? (43:30)
- The difference between internships and experience (46:00)
- Three things Kate brings with her to a networking event (50:00)
- The “Recycle bins” in the sports industry (51:25)
- What has been one of Ashley’s biggest challenges personally and professionally? (53:40)
- What has been one of Ashley’s all-time highlights and lowlights (57:43)
- Treating people with respect and leading by example (1:02:00)
- Staying present (1:06:30)
- What advice does Ashley have for young men that work with women? (1:07:50)
- What habits does Ashley have that she feels contribute to her success? (1:08:58)
- What is Ashley’s favorite part of her job? (1:12:27)
- What would Ashley do differently when she looks back on her past? (1:18:50)
