{"id":35953,"date":"2021-08-30T10:03:18","date_gmt":"2021-08-30T14:03:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/?p=35953"},"modified":"2021-10-21T15:35:16","modified_gmt":"2021-10-21T19:35:16","slug":"building-a-career-in-sports-management-the-power-of-education-and-connections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/2021\/08\/building-a-career-in-sports-management-the-power-of-education-and-connections\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a career in sports management: the power of education and connections."},"content":{"rendered":"

From his Venezuelan childhood through his high school days in Broward County, Rafael Cabrera was a passionate sports fan. In college, he turned his passion into a career.<\/p>\n

In locker rooms and press boxes, Cabrera sought out volunteer experiences and engaged with all those he met, building a career in sports management. After earning an MBA at the Universidad Europea – Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid, Cabrera leveraged what he learned into a job as senior manager of communications and content for Inter Miami CF, the Major League Soccer franchise now making its way into the hearts and minds of fans amidst the challenges of the pandemic.<\/p>\n

And while he\u2019s still a fan, Cabrera stressed that it takes more than love of a team to succeed in the competitive business side of sports. Skill development, a passion for networking, high-level education and a knowledge of what you can offer to an organization are all key to a successful career.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fun, but it\u2019s also a business,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have to be able to sit down with a player or coach and explain the business purpose of everything we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Amanda
Amanda Hendrickson and Rafael Cabrera<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cabrera shared his story, as well as his thoughts on how to build a career in sports management, at a virtual talk presented by FIU Business\u2019 Chapman Graduate School of Business, its\u00a0Professional MBA Online in Sports Management program<\/a>\u00a0and the partnership between FIU and Real Madrid Graduate School \u2013 Universidad Europea.<\/p>\n

The Real Madrid sports management graduate program was, in fact, an important stepping stone in Cabrera\u2019s career. As an undergraduate, a volunteer gig at an Orlando City soccer game brought him in contact with the team\u2019s vice president for communications, whom Cabrera later connected with for an internship. He opted for the Real Madrid MBA program to gain a European business perspective, experience Spain\u2019s passion for the sport, and learn directly from team leaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t just sitting down and reading a book about partnerships,\u201d he said \u00a0\u201cIt was learning about how Real Madrid closed a deal, and speaking to the partners who did it \u2013 that real-world, in-the-moment experience.\u201d<\/p>\n