Day Two of the 2020 Virtual Conference is now in the books! In addition to our day-to-day instructors, students received valuable insights from a variety of professionals in the sports industry.

Click below to each student’s name to read their experiences from the second day of the Sports Business Classroom Virtual Conference:

The second day of SBC reiterated the how media, analytics, and scouting are all intertwined and rely on one another. In order for anyone to understand statistics fully, someone has to accurately explain the numbers in a fashion that everyone can understand. These numbers and formulas will have dramatic influence on player evaluation and scouting. This also relates to the media field in that this helps tell a different story on a player that video or text may not be able to or enhances it. Omid Farhang shared an outstanding perspective coming with a marketing and sponsorship background. Relationships are the foundation for a successful organization or marketing campaign. Neither will prosper unless the individuals within the organization communicate effectively with one another. Company culture, controlling the controllable, and experiential marketing were key talking points during his presentation that all revolved around effective communication. Wes Wilcox, Dave DuFour, and Seth Partnow discussed scouting and player evaluation. The focal point of this discussion was communicating. Organizational language differs from across the industry and plays a vital role in decision making. Again, all presentations focused on a specific topic, but had the overarching theme of the importance of communication and relationships with individuals in the industry regardless of the specific field.

Today we were asked to keep in mind three concepts connected to the idea of “finding your lane” – Differentiation, Hustle & Innovation, and Authenticity.  The first lecture from Professor Fellenzer focused on all three of these principles, emphasizing differentiation and authenticity.  Professor Fellenzer’s detailed resume building agenda outlined an easy to understand step-by-step approach to standing out and showing your authentic self.  He provided numerous examples of doing this effectively – finding common ground as a networking tool, how to introduce your work product as an ice breaker in conversation, and including personal experiences on resumes that highlight your unique background and personality traits.  Further, Professor Fellezner took the time to provide feedback to members of the class in real time about our comments and suggestions.  The content provided will help many students form a solid foundation for creating opportunity in the industry.

Next, Seth Partnow led the introductory analytics course, aided by Dave DuFour.  This in-depth discussion encompassed an overview of analytics followed by a range of information on basic statistics, resources, player valuation, and skillset evaluation.  The concept of innovation really shone through here, particularly the idea of “choosing your weapon”.  The volume of statistical information available is not an obstacle to innovation; it is an opportunity to absorb new ways of thinking and make it your own.  As Mr. Partnow explained, Cleaning the Glass is a site built almost solely from play-by-play data that exists in the public domain.  This lecture provided reinforcement towards my efforts to differentiate myself through adding analytics and programming to my repertoire as a labor attorney.[1]   

Today’s CBA 202 lecture examined the annual cycle of salary cap administration from the team perspective.  The class explored complicated concepts in great detail, such as the difference between simultaneous and non-simultaneous trades and how exceptions to the salary cap operate, to name a couple.  Here, the concept of hustle and innovation was present throughout the whole discussion.  While it takes tremendous effort master the subject, maintaining ownership over this knowledge fosters the ability to innovate and push the envelope.  The CBA course materials are a prime example of where SBC can positively impact in the career development of the student body by “raising the level of competence” as Mr. Coon often states. 

Omid Farhang’s presentation on the advertising industry was tremendously insightful.  I was particularly inspired by the “cheat code” he provided for discovering new ideas, which was to communicate and write about your idea as an article you would want to read in the press.  Mr. Farhang also raised the notion of embracing your role, knowing it well, and starring in it.  These principles are easily incorporated into career development and further promote differentiation as well as authenticity. 

            From Wes Wilcox’s class on Scouting 201, we learned the importance of organizational language in creating front office harmony.  Today’s lesson also provided a rare look inside the team operations manual of former GM.  While organizations each operate differently as regimes change, gaining insight into how a team views the intangibles together with traditional metrics of player evaluation was truly enlightening.  Finally, I was appreciative of how Mr. Wilcox explained his views on the keys to maximizing potential (not only for players, but for the students) – self-awareness, openness to coaching, work rate, and loving what you do.  These factors tie into today’s focus on integration.

            Tonight’s AMA sessions were also full of great information.  Kirk Lacob discussed curiosity as a skill, the vast potential of basketball in Africa, and the growth potential of esports.  Alex Kline educated the group on player evaluation and how to break into the industry.  Nate Duncan engaged the students in a down-to-earth and relatable discussion about his road to success.  The second day of SBC seamlessly added to the positive foundational experience of day one, and I am looking forward to the upcoming practicum and deep dives. 

[1] This discussion also produced my favorite quote of the day in reference to Nikola Jokic’s defense – “being big and in the way matters”.

Once again, today’s classes were a lot of fun and very informative as well. So great to hear different guest speakers talking about their experiences in their respective fields. I’m very appreciative of them for allowing us to ask them anything that was on our minds, despite their busy schedules, giving us advice based on what we are trying to get out of SBC. Just hearing them talk about their careers and telling stories that aren’t made to the public are just so fascinating to hear. I could listen to them all day if I could!  

Two days in this program, there has not been a single minute, let alone a second, where I was bored or uninterested in what was being discussed in the sessions. I love everything about this class! I wish it can go another week because I’m just so obsessed with hoops. Really looking forward to the hands-on activities and working with my teammates in the group sessions in the coming days!

Day 2 of SBC was packed with great speakers and information. Jobs 201 with Jeff Fellenzer was really helpful, as I learned a lot of about how to structure my resume. I’ve never heard to put “life experience” on a resume, but that makes a lot of sense intuitively. It can be hard for recruiters to get a sense of who job candidates are as people, and life experience helps with that. Larry Coon’s session about the CBA was extremely informative, as a lot of those rules can be difficult to grasp. Hearing him talk it through cleared up a lot of my questions. For me the highlight of the day was Omid Farhang, as I think I want to end up on the “business” side of sports. Positioning brands in a positive light is extremely important, and hearing from someone who does it well was very informative. He helped reinforce the idea that great agencies try to tell each brand’s “story”, and that creating experiences for consumers can be a great way to increase fan affinity. Overall, though, the day was very exciting and informative.

Another day in the books.  Another day of excellent insight and analysis.  My favorite aspect of the entire program is how open and informative all of our speakers continue to demonstrate.  There are so many inquisitive students that are eager to soak up everything being said and the speakers kindly answer everything.  The classes continue to provide vital information and Larry Coon’s breaking down of the Salary Cap timeline is a great example.  Working in the business you will need to understand these timeframes and I made sure to stay noted on the importance of each date. 

Omar Farhang’s presentation on Sports Sponsorship was interesting.  He touched on this being the “Player Empowerment Era” and it shows in so much marketing everywhere we turn.  He also spoke on “Company Culture” which basically boils down to how we treat each other.  It cannot be expressed enough how important it is to be a good person.  The message has come through in all stories told and it’s not a coincidence.  Nobody wants to deal with a jerk, especially good people like the folks who have been gracious enough to share themselves with us during a time like this!  Being appreciative, gracious, humble, and a hard worker is key no matter what we are doing.  Omar’s quote of “Don’t be the next Danny Ainge, be the 1st You.”  For some reason Kanye’s line from his classic song Stronger “It’s a Thousand You’s but only 1 of me” popped in my head when Omar said that.  Not sure why, but that’s a great song!  Talent, persistence, perseverance, and luck is the recipe to make is Omar told us.  Admitting luck is part of the equation shows the true honesty our speakers display.  And it is much appreciated.

Albert Hall said “You gotta stumble, fall, and find your passion point.”  That’s so real and I’m a true testament to this.  As a guy that is passionate about sports but spent the last three years working in Post-Production at Sony, I understand you have to keep pushing.  I’ve done several things sports related and not everything has been a homerun.  But now I have a podcast and realize scouting/player evaluating is something I am passionate about.  Now it’s just time to put in the work and let my passions lead me.

  Speaking of scouting, Scouting 201 was a blast and my favorite part of the day!  Wes’ breakdown of how to evaluate players was remarkable to hear from someone that has done so much of this type of work.  Every category he spoke on were all areas I’ve known were valuable, but he confirmed it with his presentation. Hearing how to mediate differing opinions was terrific to here and that’s a factor that I’m sure is very common in front offices.  Sitting down to watch tape together while trying to understand each other’s viewpoint is all part of the process and it was a pleasure to hear Wes speak on.  “Competitive Makeup” is an intriguing topic that I wish we could have climbed into more, but I’ll try to pick his brain this week when he has a moment.

Hearing the stories from Sekou Smith along with Beau were terrific.  This was such an organic conversation of how Sekou grew in the industry and how to make it was special.  When in the gym “Be present.”  That really stuck out to me in his conversation because everyone in a gym has a purpose.  And if you’re in there amongst the crew you better make it count.  Be authentic but be present!  Sekou also mentioned how the business has evolved a ton since he started and being able to create your own lane.  Whether it’s a blog or a podcast we can all contribute to our own future in unique ways that didn’t use to exist.  Paint a picture when writing as well.  He spoke to being creative and using your voice to give readers a “frame of reference.”  That is definitely important because you want readers to enjoy your stories. 

To round out the night we had the pleasure of hearing from Kirk Lacob.  He told us “curiosity is a skill.”  That was interesting to hear because I always felt that being too curious can hamper you.  Thankfully, I was able to hear him speak upon something that I’ve always felt was necessary.  Reading plenty and asking questions when you can is essential.  Of course, asking thoughtful questions is the goal but never be afraid to learn more.  I really appreciated hearing that from someone of his stature.  This was only Day 2 and my excitement just continues to grow each day.  Can’t state enough how incredible of a program this is along with the experience provided!  On to Day 3!

 
Day 2 began much more quickly than day 1. The introductions were largely done with, leaving but the brass tacks. Jeff Fellenzer started with an excellent class on resume building where we broke down the core differences between a sports business resume and a regular one. Seth Partnow and Dave DuFour hosted a relatively informal breakdown of analytics, their use in the sport, the importance of discerning them, when to apply them and how to avoid common strawman arguments against them. Larry Coon’s lecture followed, detailing the specifics of the CBA terms that you’ve all probably heard, but most likely don’t fully understand. 
 
Following the lunch break, was Omid Farhang’s sitdown with Beau Estes discussing effective advertising; not billboards or posters, but branding what companies stood for. Then was Wes Wilcox’s second class on scouting, learning the core fundamentals of what to look for and what to value. And the last formal lecture was Sekou Smith’s explanation of beat journalism, maintaining connections and integrity while still finding the next headline.
 
Networking was a treat, with both the lounge and AMAs occurring. Of personal note to me were the conversations I had with my peers regarding the Pacers and especially fellow attendee Mark Schindler’s experiences covering them. The AMAs I attended and found particularly helpful. First was Jen Todd on her experience with the TBT league and its bubble, the first of the Pandemic. Then I had an immeasurably helpful discussion with Beau Estes and Mark Schindler on pursuing a career in media, followed by almost a group discussion with more of our peers who joined us. Last was Nate Duncan, who is the reason I registered for this course and a podcaster I have listened to for many years now who had excellent advice on my question and for everyone else’s as well.
 
In short, a damn good day. Truly an experience. 

On Day 2 we started off with an enthusiastic welcome from Larry Coon, where he set the tone for an exciting day. We started off with Jobs 201 with Jeff Fellenzer, who had incredible insight about how a good resume is a reflection of an individual as an applicant, so he recommended we include a “Life Experience” section. Next was Analytics 101 with Seth Partnow, who talked about the general idea of the costs and benefits of using analytics, went into discourse of commonly used analytics, and began some in-depth discussion about what exactly go-to statistics cover. In CBA 201, we flipped the page from yesterday and looked at the CBA from the team perspective, which paved the way for our exciting Mock Free Agency Assignment. Today’s Summit was with an esteemed marketing professional, Omid Farhang, who talked about his path, sports marketing as a career option, and the sports job world in general. Scouting 201 began soon after, and we really dove into Wes Wilcox’s best practices in scouting and the idea of the holistic player profile so we can begin evaluating player’s through a professional lense. It was great to hear Sekou Smith talk about his path and how the media builds relationships with team officials and players in Media 101. Then, after the wrap-up of another great day, we had some exciting guest speakers, including Kirk Lacob, Jennifer Todd, and Alex Kline. 

As far as interesting things I could include on my resume, here’s a (hopefully) comprehensive and concise list:
1. SBC Virtual Conference 2020!
2. Golden State Warriors Internship Conference 2020
3. Work with Sports Management Consultant Firm
4. Attended the 2017 March Madness Final Four and 2019 Murray St v. Marquette and Murray St. v. FSU Games
5. Attended Paul Pierce’s Retirement Ceremony
6. Shadowing experience with an MLB scout

Day 2 of SBC brought even more depth to the conversations that occurred on Day 1. Jeff Fellenzer started the day with my favorite discussion of the day, a networking discussion about resumes and how to spice up my resume with personal experiences and other items to make my resume stand out amongst other applicants. Analytics 101 followed from Seth Partnow, which was an interesting conversation about the thought processes behind front offices from the perspective of analytics and the ways that analytics are meant to be thought of, which was then complimented by Larry Coon’s CBA 201 class that looked at the CBA from the side of the team.

Following lunch, Omid Farhang spoke about the interesting marketing opportunities that companies were taking advantage of, followed by the follow-up session with Wes Wilcox on scouting and how to evaluate college and pro prospects on different factors. Finally, Sekou Smith gave an intriguing insight to his perspective from the media side of things and how relationships are crucial to the development of one’s career. After a brief wrap-up from Larry, the networking and office hours sessions were quite informative; it was quite interesting to hear the perspectives of Alex Cline, Jenn Todd, Kirk Lacob, and Nate Duncan, as well as being able to talk directly to Jeff and Seth about specific questions I had about my specific situation as a college student from a non-NBA market that has limited opportunities compared to other people in larger cities.

SBC continued with its second day of great insights and information from a wide variety of incredible guests! The day began with the Professor of sports media at USC Jeff Fellenzer, who taught the students what to include on their resume and how it should be presented. Following Jeff was Seth Partnow of The Athletic, who taught the basics of what analytics are and how they should be used. The Larry Coon, general manager and lead instructor of SBC, took the students through what a full year looks like from a team front office perspective. After that was an interview with award winning Chief Creative Officer Omid Farhang. Omid talked about his journey into the industry, and showed the students the different ways brands tell the story of the meaningful role the play in people’s lives. Next was former Hawks GM Wes Wilcox, who talked about how an organization scout’s players and what goes into the decision-making process of a team. Lastly, Senior Analyst at NBA TV and NBA.com Sekou Smith gave insight on how he works a gym, and the importance of building relationships in the media. To end the day, participants were able to ask questions directly to some amazing guests; Assistant GM and Esports lead of the Golden State Warriors Kirk Lacob, VP of Business Operations and Co-Founder of The Basketball Tournament Jen Todd, New York Knicks Scout Alex Kline, and Podcast Host Nate Duncan.

Day 2 was blur. So much information, so many fantastic speakers.

Highlights included:

  • Professor Jeff breaking down the resume, including the importance of “cool things” you have done to be included on the resume was awesome, especially after being trained for so long about how to keep a resume business focused.
  • Analytics 101 with Seth and Dave was fantastic. So much information, such great discussion and while I realized how much I still have to learn, the presentation got me so hyped to dive in deeper
  • Larry coming in with all the numbers and breaking down the team calendar and all the differences when it comes to exceptions and then breaking down the Cap math continues to shed light on the CBA
  • The summit with Omid was eye opening. Truthfully hadn’t considered the marketing aspect in relation to the NBA but his presentation just drew you in and his personality really came through. Also, Omid provided the two quotes of the day –
    • “Love the process more than the outcome”
    • “Don’t be the next Danny Ainge, be the first you”
  • Wes followed up with an incredibly detailed outline of player evaluation that goes so next level, I already had to go back and re-read parts of his presentation
  • After that came Sekou and man, he was just so real. The advise and the STORIES! I could have listened to him talk for hours
  • And then the night ended with the AMA by Nate Duncan. Nate’s podcast was the first that turned me on to SBC and getting to actually talk to him and ask questions was a perfect cap off to an awesome day.

Excited for Day 3

The day started out with Larry Coon letting everyone know to get ready because things were getting turned up on day 2!
 
Jeff Fellenzer got right to business breaking down resumes and detailing how to stand out amongst the crowd. Jeff gave insights on how express who you are as a person and importance of tailoring the resume to the specific position and organization. Another emphasis of the session was how to tailor your resume if your background isn’t sports related. This is the type of insight that is worth more than the price of admission!  Some of the other key points Jeff stressed were, being interesting, going the extra mile,  the importance accuracy and punctuation , following up with a thank you (hand written if possible) and being honest.
 
Seth Partnow then joined in to discuss Analytics 101. Seth started off by making an important distinction, he necessarily going to teach analytics but more so the process of learning and breaking down analytics. The content was amazing , He touched on concepts (the value of a win/ wins added by player tiers), ran down the basics, gave out resources and even explained what analytics even are and what they are not. We were also informed the information taught would be needed for culmination of the of the program, The Mock Offseason!
 
Larry Coon was up to bat again with CBA 201 –  Unfortunately, I was pulled away during this time and I’ll need to speak with event support about getting video via the On Demand tab 
 

The SBC Summit was up next with a heavy weight in the marketing game Omid Farhang. Omid walked us through his personal journey as a creative and explained how he developed his style. He spoke about branding and different way it can be used to express community values and how to connect those values to a brand. 

 
 
Wes was back with scouting 201 – Unfortunately, I was pulled away during this time and I’ll need to speak with event support about getting video via the On Demand tab 
 
The SBC out did itself once again, bringing in Sekou Smith for Media 201. Sekou was delight to listen to as he shared insight into his own life , gems in his career created by going the extra mile and loving the game, personal experiences with players and how to develop and foster relationships within the industry. 
 
The day wrapped up with several successful and engaging AMA sessions with industry leaders such as , Jen Todd, Kirk Lacob, Alex Kline and Nate Duncan. 
 
Its truly a treat to be immersed basketball and being able to learn from and listen to individuals of this caliber is  simply amazing!

Beginning with day 2, this program continues to impress. The highlight of the day for me was having seemingly unlimited access to incredible speakers and presenters throughout the day learning about the many avenues in the sports business. I loved the initial part of the day helping us students put together a resume that highlights sports business classroom under the education section on the resume and the knowledge we are gaining from this virtual camp. I believe Jeff’s insight on having the resume discuss who each student is as a person and not just work history is so valuable as well as many of us come from different backgrounds and have accomplished many different things along with different life experiences. I truly believe that resume building is an area that is so valuable when attempting to find jobs within the association by learning what employers are looking for and how to stand out from the crowd to obtain such desired positions. As the day progressed, I was glued to the computer listening to both Omid Farhang and Wes Wilcox. For Wes’ take on scouting, I personally never thought I could understand this from a front office level but one of the best highlight moments was hearing him and the strategies of NBA front office personal when it comes to scouting and selecting talent. Hearing him answer questions from students was also incredible when discussing the different challenges and strategies upon scouting and a template, of sorts, to follow when evaluating a player. Finally, as all of us continued to learn more and more about the CBA with eventual programs in groups, I was happy to see that we were able to discuss the many components of the CBA under Larry’s guidance and hopefully be able to utilize all of them with projects as this week continues. It was an awesome day, I look forward to more!

Day 2 of SBC was another busy one, again started off with Larry’s intro section. After that we jumped into another session with Jeff Fellenzer, this one being centered around resume building. We then got our feet wet in the analytics world with Seth Partnow’s Analytics 101 before going deeper into the CBA with Larry Coon’s CBA 201. Day 2’s SBC Summit was with Omid Farhang, who gave us a look into the world of sports marketing. Next, we had an in depth look at how to evaluate players with Wes Wilcox in Scouting 201. In Media201, we were joined by Sekou Smith, who shared his stories of getting into and being in the business. He gave tons of advice on how to work a gym and much more. After the Day 2 Wrap-up, Kirk Lacob, Jenn Todd, Alex Kline and Nate Duncan were all available for AMAs, and many of the day’s instructors were available for office hours.

“In-depth looks at the CBA, Scouting, Media and Analytics may continue to be the backbone of Sports Business Classroom, yet  the utility of conference isn’t just in  the depth of its content, but the chance to converse with personage from every aspect of the realms of basketball, as we saw on Tuesday.

Particularly great discussions I had the chance to participate in included meeting with Kirk Lacob, Assistant General Manager of the Golden State Warriors. He made time to speak on the rise of Esports in popularity and its potential as an entertainment product going forward. He stressed the importance of Esports as a major area for growth, looking at how Esports Athletes interacted with their audience in a much more engaging and personable way than other professional athletes, through streaming platforms such as Twitch. How will the lessons learned here be applied to Basketball, was a question left up to us to decide.”

Everything about Sports Business Classroom felt like it took a significant step forward during the second day of instruction. Instructors who had previously formed a strong foundation on a topic were free to delve deeper into the complexities of their fields. New subjects were introduced, but it felt like the class had a higher capacity to productively grapple with new concepts. Students also felt more comfortable engaging with their peers and came armed with thought-provoking questions for the various speakers and instructors. I can only assume that this will continue into day three.

On Monday, Larry, Albert and the other speakers provided us with the blueprints to begin building out the framework for our future career in the sports industry. Yesterday, we began pouring the foundation by diving deeper into the multiple facets of the sports industry, such as the media, analytics and scouting to name a few. This important information will be critical in rounding out a professional profiles when we begin reaching out to our hopeful future employers. As our rapid building continues, Wednesday will place us onto our teams as we continue this exciting journey into our future working in professional basketball.

As expected Day 2 of the Sports Business Classroom Virtual Conference was another jaw-dropper; It somehow managed to top Day 1 a task not easy to accomplish. Our General Manager Larry Coon started the day off with more encouraging feedback and advice for the upcoming schedule, noting that each day we will dive deeper into the subjects of study.

Jeff Fellenzer started the morning off with a resume building discussion and challenged all students to find what makes them unique in life. He stressed that this uniqueness must be highlighted in our resumes. Seth Partnow then took the reigns explaining the hidden truths behind analytics and how most misinterpret the use of numbers. Larry Coon then took center stage and detailed how the CBA pertains to team behavior, important dates, and basic concepts.

During our SBC Summit Omid Farhang from CAA spoke to us about the many career avenues in sports, stressing that if you can tell your life story in a special way you also can help others do the same. My favorite of the day was Wes Wilcox who focused on the team aspect of scouting. Mistakes that people make and his personal philosophy when evaluating talent. The well known Sekou Smith then helped rounded out the day with a great background on his story and advice to us young professionals as we climb the ranks. To round of the night we networked with a host of intriguing guests from Alex Kline of the New York Knicks and Kirk Lacob of the Golden State Warriors.

I am extremely greatful for this experience SBC has put together and I am looking forward to Day 3!

Alex Kline was one of the main reasons why I wanted to attend the virtual conference. I love his story and something I can relate to with the passing of his Mom. I was so excited for the chance to get to talk to him and he was as genuine as every says he is. I’m glad I was able to ask a question to someone I look up to. That alone made the whole conference worth it!

Day 2 was unmatched, from the people we had come in for Ask Me Anythings to just the overall content that was provided. 

Being able to sit down and be face to face with league leaders like Kirk Lacob of the Warriors and Alex Kline of the Knicks is something you won’t be able to do anywhere else. Being able to learn from them and hear how passionate they were gave me that extra motivation.
The content we got from Jeff Fellenzer has already made an impact. He knows what the industry is looking for in applicants. During his whole session I was making changes to my resume. Wes and Dave showing us what scouts look for in players to help open our eyes. It’s not just about, is this player a great basketball player, but what’s their background? What are they like off the court? And then of course Larry Coon diving more and more into the salary cap. There’s so much more to learn about that and to understand, but after two days, I know more about it than I did in 13 years of following the NBA.

Jeff began the day talking about resume building and I think he really breaks it down in a way that prioritizes what’s important. Before meeting Jeff, I was taught the structure of building a resume but through Jeff’s teaching he really lets us know how to make us more interesting and marketable.
 
Seth Partnow introduced us to the world of analytics. This is an area I’m not the mast familiar with but he broke it down in a way that makes sense for everyone. I’m curious how what we learned will expand in the deep dive this week.
 
Larry’s continued explanation of the CBA through the eyes of the team was one of my favorite sessions. It really gives you a lens into how front offices are arranging their team throughout the year.
 
Omid Farhang’s Summit was another one of my favorite sessions because he shows how there’s so many more avenues in sports than just through a front office. He was very candid and honest with us and it definitely energized me to be open to those kinds of roles as well.
 
Once again, Wes Wilcox kills it with the scouting session! Being a scouting intern for the Professional Basketball Combine this year made me very eager to hear his sessions. His viewpoint of scouting through the eyes of a team gives me a whole new perspective to utilize as I create scouting reports going forward.
 
Sekou Smith is one of my favorite reporters, especially being a Michigan-native. Hearing some of his stories and background was truly interesting and I can see how he has such a good rapport around players and executives. 
 
At the end of the night I tuned in for Kirk Lacob and Alex Kline. Both who had very different paths to the league but have paved their own lanes in unique ways. Kirk had an opportunity through his family but taking on the NBA 2K Team for the Warriors is truly impressive and shows his open mindedness to the role. Alex is a clear example of putting all of your energy into your passion and let it take you as far as it can. He is inspiring on a whole other level.

Differentiating oneself from the crowd can prove difficult for a balding, bearded man sharing a computer screen with Dave DuFour and Seth Partnow. Nevertheless, day two of the Sports Business Classroom focused very much on differentiation. How can you stand out from the crowd? How can you pick out the best prospects? Without clarity, how can you identify what it is that you are actually trying to identify? It was in these questions that the weight of SBC was made evident today. The somewhat cursory introductions of day one had given way to in depth knowledge conveyed by industries leaders and insiders.

Differentiation in this space is not an easy task. Jeff Fellenzer made a compelling case today for life experience as something that will provide distinction. Travel, specific and special experiences, awards and accolades earned can all help build connections with others whether in a job interview, a Las Vegas hotel lobby, or a virtual classroom. Wes Wilcox made it clear that sometimes it is the difficult life experiences that shape people; that when scouting talented prospects on a basketball court taking into account their backgrounds as people can be as important as the mechanics of their jump shot.

Speaking of difficult life experience, my personal history with statistics has been checkered at best. Just review my college transcripts. But as Seth Partnow pointed out, it may be that in my previous experience I didn’t know what I was seeing because I was unclear as to what I wanted to identify. Numbers are only going to be useful to individuals if they know how to apply them properly. The same can be said for a prospective employee in the eyes of an employer. However, unlike with numbers, it is up to the prospective employee to make clear their value. It is up to the individual to differentiate themself from the other prospects. Today, professionals from all backgrounds provided insight on how to stand out. Authenticity, innovation and specialization all were themes. Again, however, two things remained in the undercurrent of the knowledge and advice shared virtually in the SBC and it is reflected in Wilcox’s scouting priorities. When making the final decision on who to select with a draft pick, Wilcox will focus on competitive and internal makeup. More specifically, how hard does a guy work and does he have confidence in himself? If attendees are able to check both of these boxes the other advice shared during this class will see them to a bright future in the industry of their choosing

Tuesday morning Day two of SBC kicked off and with all the information provided on day one the mood was nothing less than invigorating. Uniformly to day one Larry Coon introduced the sessions and speakers of the day.
 
Jeff Fellenzer session Jobs 201 led with resume building and presenting who you are on paper. The courses highlight – life experiences. He illustrated how to show your personality in a resume; which is unordinary to what is taught. 
Analytics 101 led by Seth Partnow & Dave Dufour explained analytics, concepts and provided resources to research. The chemistry between Dave & Seth made it easy to simplify what can be an intimidating topic. 
The midday sessions conducted by Larry Coon detailed CBA 201 within the framework of the teams pov. As usual he expounded in detail important dates in the CBA, and how teams spend/use money.
SBC Summit launched with guest speaker, Omid Farhang (CCO-Momentum Worldwide). He presented a different perspective & avenue of getting into the industry and had great advice to students. 
Wes Wilcox & Dave Dufour led scouting 201 & similarly to day one they laid a deep dive on the team outlook. They provided tools on how organizations scout players. But most importantly how decision making can lean on could vs will.
For Media 201 Sekou Smith (Turner Sports) elaborated on writing & covering teams/ players and the importance of cultivating relationships. Sekou provided building blocks for aspiring journalists that can be applied in any aspect of life.
The evening ended with AMA’s with Jenn Todd, Alex Kline,and Nate Duncan,who all provided great insight in their lines of work. But it was the closing session where the central topic became the team projects teased by Larry & Dave. Students were given the teams assigned & group members they will be working with. Day 2 entailed a lot more information but it reminded me of a Kobe quote “Great things come from hard work & perservance.No excuses.” 

What blast we had on the second day of SBC! Today we expanded on some concepts that were introduced yesterday like the CBA, Resume Building, and scouting. We also were introduced to new concepts like branding and analytics. Guests included Sekou Smith, Seth Partnow, and Omid Farhang.

Larry Coon went deeper into the CBA today with Salary Cap 201. Today he taught us about Cap Math, exceptions, trades, the league year. Some NBA fans have no idea of the machinations and mental gymnastics it requires to pull off trades and free agent signings. The people that work in an NBA front office truly have to be the best in order to be successful.

Moving on to Resume building, Jeff Fellenzer talked to us about the importance of having a great resume. A great resume makes you stand out as a potential candidate for a job and Jeff made sure to hammer that point home. As he did yesterday, Jeff provided us with a list of his advice for us in order to build a great resume. One of the main takeaways of this list was the following quote: “Your resume is fluid and constantly evolving… as you are!”

Making a pleasant return today was Wes Wilcox. The former GM took us through a deep dive of the scouting process. He gave us insights and stories of his days as a scout and later as a GM. The player evaluation process is complex and fascinating. A lot of factors go into determining if a player fits an organization and Wes did an excellent job of conveying that to us.

Omid Farhang took us through his presentation “Sports Sponsorship: The Next great Creative Frontier” and it was a great look into how brands try to tell stories that are part of our lives. Farhang also gave us some very valuable advice, stating “To create famous ideas that land in culture, write your idea as the article you want to read in the press”. His experience in sports marketing proved to be very valuable to me as this is one of the areas I’m very interested in.

Another great guest was Sekou Smith. The NBA TV analyst told us stories of his career and how he got to where he is. Sekou actually gave me a great answer to a question I asked regarding the lack of NBA connections here in Puerto Rico. Sekou told me to “always be in a gym” because that’s where I can cultivate basketball relationships that might be beneficial in the future. I really appreciated Sekou’s answers.

Finally, we have Seth Partnow. Seth, alongside Dave DuFour, gave us a presentation on analytics. He showed us how analytics are used and what they actually are. He clarified common misconceptions and gave us three maxims to live by: 1) Be selective and be succinct, 2) Be accurate rather than precise, 3) be humble in scope, confident in expertise. Seth’s speaking engagement clarified many doubts I had about analytics and as a writer I will benefit from this conference.

And that’s how SBC Day 2 went! I am having the time of my life with this camp!

This second day of SBC made me realize my eyes have been closed to the most obvious way for me to make an impact on this industry. I’ve worked in fields across a few different industries and have always been involved in the marketing aspect. I don’t know why but it never occurred to me to use it as a career path in my dream field. 

I guess my obsession with the scouting in the on-court product blinded me to the different ways I could make an impact in the industry. Omid Farhang was incredibly eye opening and his story and advice made me feel as though my path into this industry is valid, and I can’t quite stress enough how important that was to me. I know I can work my way into this field and now it’s full steam ahead until I accomplish my goals. Maybe being a scout/general manager isn’t for me, but you better believe I will still make an impact.

Day two of SBC was a mix of emotions. Since I was working most of the day I was unable to watch you want to do sessions. However for the sessions I did watch, I learned a great deal. Attending Professor Fellenzer’s lecture on how to effectively network and build a relevant resume showed me great tips on how to leverage my strengths to get my foot in the door. I’m looking forward to Day 3, especially the scouting deep dive and how it relates to analytics.