Many Kent State University students are interested in knowing what a career in sports administration is like. Cleveland Guardians Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Bob DiBiasio had answers.
DiBiasio has worked for the Cleveland Guardians for 45 years and is the president of the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame.
On Wednesday, Feb. 15, DiBiasio spoke with sports administration (SPAD) and hospitality and event management students from an array of classes in conjunction with the school's sports administration student organization, and Sport and Entertainment Association.
The MACC Annex was silent as students listened attentively to DiBiasio share his experiences and wisdom.
“If there is any personality trait that you need to learn more than anything in life, in my opinion, it's self-awareness,” DiBiasio said. “Just don’t be a dinosaur, because you know what happened to the dinosaurs. If you don’t adapt, you’re not going to last.”
John Troph, a senior sports administration major and the Sports and Entertainment Association president, set up this event.
“Mr. DiBiasio brings a remarkable perspective on working in the sports industry and through all of his knowledge and expertise, students were able to understand the work it takes to have a successful career,” Troph said.
As a seasoned professional, DiBiasio enlightened students on what a career in sports public relations is really like.
“My father taught me one important thing, you can either work to live or live your work,” DiBiasio said. “Professional sports is living your work. It’s 24/7."
“From a student perspective, Mr. DiBiasio was able to provide some guidance about how to stand out in the professional world,” Troph said. “One of my main takeaways was that Mr. DiBiasio expressed how the world of sports is ever-changing. But being able to change with the times and be successful in these changes is what keeps you in the industry. You can only be flexible if you have self-awareness about yourself and your work.”
The School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration hosted the event.
To learn more about sports administration at Kent State, visit https://www.kent.edu/ehhs/spad.