The world of sports continues to grow and evolve, and as it experiences rapid growth, more young people are searching for careers in the athletic industry.
While African Americans represent the large majority of athletes in major sports such as basketball and football, behind the scenes is a different story. There is great racial disparity when it comes to decision makers and positions of power in sports and athletics.
The Associated Press recently reported the majority of NFL players– 53.5% – are African American. However, many people are working to still get more Black people in leadership roles, from presidents, to general managers, and coaches.
“While increased diversity in executive roles could lead to increased diversity on the sidelines, progress on this front has remained stagnant for years,” said Devan Rawlings, the author of Revelio Labs’ NFL report, according to a 2023 NFL.com report. “The NFL has a significant disparity between the diversity of its players and that of its coaching staff — the largest among men’s major leagues — and this has not changed despite a large pool of diverse former players that could meet a demand for coaching talent.”
Despite six Black coaches entering the 2024 season, many contend more work needs to be done, but programs like Howard University’s Sports Management Camp, which recently completed its second year, has been working to expose minority youth to major opportunities.
The camp is a collaboration between Events DC, Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and Howard University Department of Health, Human Performance and Sports Management. Alois “Ricky” Clemons, a professor in the department came up with the idea.
Clemons has served in several capacities in various sports over the past four decades and wanted to give young people an experience that would help increase their knowledge of the opportunities in sports.
The week-long experience, hosted by Howard University, included tours of venues such as Nationals Park (Washington Nationals), Capital One Arena (Washington Wizards and Capitals), the Entertainment and Sports Arena (Washington Mystics and Go-Go) and Burr Gymnasium at Howard University. The camp was scheduled to visit Audi Field (DC United and The Spirit) but there was a conflict in schedule.
Campers were introduced to the various positions in the industry like groundskeeping, retail, event operations, athletic training, guest services, communications, technology, finance and human resources, and ticket sales.
“It all started with the MLB (Major League Baseball),” stated Clemons, who served as vice president of Communications for the National League at one time. “I was fortunate to be in baseball and to have been a part of an effort to increase the number of African American players through the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.”
His time in the field followed him to the classroom.
“When I started teaching sports management, the idea stuck with me that we needed to do the same thing with respect to getting more young people exposed and introduced to sports management. So I put in a proposal for a DPR grant, which was eventually handed over to Events DC. Lawrence Hamm of Events DC was fantastic in helping us with this effort. I am proud of the partnership.”
Hamm, a former athlete, is the senior director of the Business, Development, Sports and Entertainment Division of Events DC.
“We are proud to have been a part of the camp,” Hamm told The Informer. “It is so important that we give these young people a vision of what takes place behind the scenes, like setting up for an event and the different roles that people play in that process. This gives them an advantage in their pursuits.”
Campers Reflect
With 20 attendees, campers ranged in ages, from as young as 11 up to 19.
Edgar “EJ” Jackson, a senior from South Carolina who plays on his high school basketball team said he gained a lot from his time in the camp.
“There was so much to draw from,” explained EJ, 16. “First there was the National Parks tour and the Capital One Arena tour. It was very impressive to see those facilities. Then I learned during the tours a lot about the number of opportunities outside of playing sports. Listening to the speakers that came in was very impressive, especially the gentleman from the NFL Players Association and the PA announcer.”
The 16-year-old also enjoyed hearing other people’s career trajectories.
“I talked to the manager for the [Howard] football team who worked in the weight room, and he told me that he did not major in sports management or minor in sports marketing. He was a history major, and I found that interesting,” EJ said.
For Amorah Abdul Haqq, the camp proved to be exactly what she needed. A rising senior at Bishop McNamara School, Amorah is interested in athletic training.
“My biggest takeaway was how everyone talked about how crucial establishing connections and networking is to get into sports as a career. Had I not attended the camp, I don’t know if I would be able to be in this position,” she told The Informer.
She particularly connected with stepping into the same space where the Washington Mystics compete.
“I was really inspired by the Entertainment and Sports Arena where the Mystics play. I have always been a fan of women’s basketball, and it was a special experience for me to have seen their facility up close and personal,” Amorah added.
As a result of the camp experience, Amorah was able to network with some top local athletic trainers who have volunteered to provide mentorship..
In addition to the tours, the camp’s speakers forum featured powerful words from various sports managers and leaders. Speakers included: Dexter Santos, vice president of the NFL Players Association; Briana DuBose, author and professor at Georgetown University Graduate program for Sports Management; Devin Hurtado, associate for Sports Programs at Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy; Ted Wright, public address announcer for local high school and college sports; Jamesha Clanton, director of basketball operations for women’s basketball at Georgetown; Jonathan Mcneir, former athlete and chief of staff for At-Large City Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie); Ebony Slade, senior coordinator for Guest Experiences with the DC United; and Daniel G. Marks, chief program strategist for Howard men’s basketball.
For Tariq Bilal Thomas, the session with the speakers helped give him more clarity.
“It’s amazing how everyone seemed to be saying the same thing about sport management,” commented Tariq, a junior at Al Huda School in Prince George’s County. “I was impressed with all the speakers and what they do in their areas. All of them got my attention but I was most impressed with the presentation of Mr. Marks and what he does. I started to think after listening to him and said to myself, ‘that is what I would like to do.'”
Clemons included three Howard sports managers to serve as camp counselors.
One of the counselors, Michela Brown-Mayfield, offered her perspective. Brown-Mayfield, a senior from Suffolk, Virginia, who has worked as a student manager for Howard football operations the past three years, told The Informer that she was a bit envious of the opportunities students received.
“As I worked the camp, at first I had no idea what to expect,” noted Brown-Mayfield, who hopes to be an operations director for an NFL team and ultimately an athletic director. “But as I watched all the things that were being offered, I thought about how I wished I had this kind of opportunity before I came to Howard. It’s amazing that they are getting this kind of information on different career options.”
Even Brown-Mayfield had a favorite part of camp.
“The tour of Nationals Park impressed me the most. I have never been to a live major league baseball game so seeing all the parts of what makes it work was amazing.”
Each year, Clemons hopes the camp will grow. He is considering adding more sessions on game operations for basketball and a workshop on officiating games.
This year’s camp also included a CPR training session, and the campers were awarded with an official certificate.
“I think that at first, they were wondering why CPR is relevant,” noted Clemons. “But once they realized it could save the life of a close relative or close friend, it gave it more meaning to them.”
Great article and impressive work HU and Events DC is doing to enhance our young people’s knowledge. Thank you for this article.
Impressive article and encouragement for today’s youth…
Great article to highlight programs in the community that really contributes to youth being exposed to experiences that are life-changing.