LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – College athletes across the Las Vegas Valley are exploring careers across the Sports Capital of the World through the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
As the Valley continues to welcome new professional sports franchises, leagues and events, the LVCVA launched a mentorship program for student athletes at colleges and universities across Southern Nevada.
“There are thousands of jobs in this industry. We want to make sure that students and student athletes are aware of what they can do, post-graduation,” said Lisa Motley, vice president of Sports and Special Events.
“Everybody who manns Allegiant Stadium, to T-Mobile, all of our venues, all of our sales teams in the hotels, and then us, the LVCVA trying to drive that programming, that’s thousands of people creating jobs, creating economic opportunities for the destination and bringing more tourists to Las Vegas,” Motley said.
Career options range from sales, ticketing, marketing, operations, team operations, laborers and concessions.
The LVCVA can connect students to internships or projects across venues, sports teams or events.
Students like Erica Collins, a UNLV basketball player and LVCVA intern, have an interest in sports operations.
“There’s so many different avenues in sports that you can go, besides being an athlete or being a manager,” Collins said. “I’ve been able to find my niche, and that’s in sporting events and the planning side. That’s just what I hope to do in my future,” she said.
These opportunities help graduates stay and work in the Valley, Motley said, noting that interns have gone on to work for UFC and beyond.
UNLV graduate Spencer Schaff studied business at UNLV but always had a passion for live events and sports. He eventually volunteered 300 hours at sports venues across the Valley and interned for the LVCVA. The agency hired him as a sports and special events coordinator.
“Growing up in a small town, the only jobs in sports were our coaches and our high school athletic director. Coming here to a bigger city and seeing all the different sports teams, and then sports tourism, I got introduced to a lot of new jobs I didn’t know about, the people that produce the events. I didn’t know there’s people that bring events to the city,” Schaff said.
For more information on the mentorship program and opportunities for college students, contact [email protected].
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