Our previous articles have focused on the timely and relevant research of our faculty and its real-world implications in the sport industry. This month, as the McCormack Department of Sport Management’s Director of Internships, I want to focus on our experiential learning approach that ensures our students are prepared to make their own impact on the sports and entertainment industry.

Experiential learning is the process of “learning by doing.” The process starts with foundational knowledge, followed by an applied activity that mimics a real-world setting, and culminates with reflections so the students can analyze results and synthesize the knowledge to create a lasting lesson. These activities enable participants to gain a better understanding of the course material, appreciate the role of community, gain further insight into their own passions and skills, collaborate in diverse settings, practice professional skills and gain self-confidence.

Our department has always valued this approach. Case studies, industry partnerships and guest speakers are the norm in our classrooms. This Fall semester I welcomed the following industry partners in various undergraduate classrooms: UMass Athletics, the Boston Glory, the Springfield Thunderbirds, and Westover Municipal Golf Course. While each partnership involved working with industry professionals on current business problems, it must be noted that in the classroom the teacher serves as a “project manager” and the grade serves as an incentive for the student performance. For a true experiential opportunity, we need to take the teacher out of the equation and get the students outside of the classroom, and for over a decade the Pioneer Valley Tip-Off has done just that.

The Pioneer Valley Tip-Off (PVTO) was started by students in 2011 and it continues to be entirely student-run. The McCormack Student Leaders Club drafts a team of over 80 students to pull off the two-day event and provide experience in every aspect of our industry: event and facility management, marketing, sponsorship and sales, philanthropy, public relations, community outreach, athletic administration, social media, graphic design, game presentation, videography, public address announcing, website development, statistics, analytics, athletic training, and other duties as assigned.

Throughout the event’s 12-year history the student staff have overcome real-life obstacles, adapted to changes, and made improvements. In the early years the students took the event from showcase status to an MIAA regulation game, by navigating the rules and ensuring compliance with those regulations. In 2021 students were challenged to bring the event back after the pandemic nixed it in 2020. The last group that ran the event had graduated over a year earlier, and the usual event space, the Curry Hicks gymnasium (aka The Cage) would no longer be available.

The event was at a pivotal moment: do we step up to these challenges or look to start something new? Undeterred, the students decided to make the big leap to the Mullins Center and took on the fiscal and logistical responsibilities that came with it. The 2022 event concluded with inclement weather and the students had to make the difficult decision to cancel the last game and properly communicate that with all parties involved. The 2023 event is proudly presented by the Oak View Group and will feature new fan activities in partnership with Hooplandia.

Any profits from the event are used to support the creation of new student-led initiatives, subsidize field trips, and plan networking events. Last year the proceeds were used to start Service Through Sport, a non-profit initiative that makes it easy for students to find sport related volunteer activities, log hours and get rewarded. It also makes it easy for local sport organizations like Amherst Baseball, Massachusetts State Policy Unity Basketball League, and the Special Olympics of Massachusetts to post opportunities. Proceeds were also used to purchase Turbo Stats, a software that provides advanced analytics to each team and adds a valuable technical resource for our students to use year-round. This creates a virtuous cycle of experiential learning opportunities, all student-run.

While the student team changes each year, the spirit of the event and real-life lessons learned remain. The students put in late nights and early mornings, never satisfied with the status quo. There is a shared understanding that this event is bigger than the sum of its parts… and you can’t teach that.

This weekend (Friday and Saturday), while 22 local boys and girls basketball teams will be competing on the court, 80-plus McCormack Sport Management students will be “learning by doing” beyond the court. All are invited to come and see our class in session! For more information, including the full slate of games, go online (www.pioneervalleytip-off.com).

Emily Must is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Internships at the McCormack Department of Sport Management. She is also the faculty advisor to the McCormack Student Leaders Club and Pioneer Valley Tip Off Classic.