Sports Business Day: FBLA and Business Students First-Hand Experience

Lakeland Regional High School’s FBLA and business students attended Sports Business Day at MetLife Stadium on April 24, 2023 to explore the backstage business aspects of the sports industry.

The trip was sponsored by the New York Jets, who have been hosting the event for a couple years now. Students were given the opportunity to meet with “representatives from various departments,” such as “finance, marketing, data analytics, branding, sales and corporate sponsorships.”

In an interview with Mr. Cole Lankford, a business teacher who attended the trip, he said that the trip enabled students to learn about “the duties and day-to-day operations for different industry executives.” When asked how his students benefited from the experience, he said students “gained insight” that they will be able to utilize in the future to “help them on their journeys to obtain similar job positions.”

Groups interacted with professional executives in sports management and were walked through various business processes behind the scenes of the NFL business. Students were also able to attend an exclusive tour of the stadium, locker rooms, private boxes, and coaches club. Throughout the trip, students were met with guest speakers at each facility and taught about the active roles within the Jets franchise. Speakers discussed “their own paths to the position, …provided career advice, and …discussed current events and anecdotes.”

Ms. Tammy Ozdemir, a business teacher, also gave her input on the trip. She said her students were able to learn about leaders of the organization and “what paths they took to get there.” She also mentioned they were able to see the “importance of relationships” and learn how to “make a good impression.” Overall, the trip had a positive impact on the students and helped to advance their knowledge of business.