TAMU-CC Sport Management Students Get Front-Row Seat to Big-Time Sports Careers

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — For many Islanders, a summer day at the ballpark involves sitting in the sun, listening to the crack of the bat, and maybe enjoying a hot dog — or two. But a pair of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi students are spending their summer at the ballpark getting hands-on experience towards a career in the sports world.

These Islanders from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Sport Management program are working with the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Double-A minor league affiliate of the Houston Astros.

“I’m obsessed with baseball,” said Anthony Swanson ’25. “It’s been my passion since I was three.”

Swanson, a senior from Austin, aspires to work in broadcasting or analytics in Major League Baseball. He’s one of a growing number of Islanders pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management, one of the newest degree options available at the Island University. As a child, he came to games at Whataburger Field with his grandfather, and now he’s working as a jack-of-all trades behind the scenes.

“I knew I needed a career that would let me be part of the game every day,” Swanson said. “The Sport Management program was my chance to get a foot in the door and start building toward a future in professional sports.”

Sport Management was introduced as a major at the Island University 2021, and is a perfect path for former athletes, like Swanson, looking to stay part of the action. Previously, students had to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a Sport Management concentration, but faculty found that for many students, kinesiology wasn’t the right fit.

“A lot of our students struggled with the exercise science portion; they’re simply not geared that way,” said Dr. Misty Kesterson ’08, Senior Clinical Professor of Kinesiology. “Since we created the bachelor’s program in Sport Management, we’ve seen GPAs increase and the program grow.”

For Kesterson, who helped launch the Sport Management program, seeing her students find careers in sports is rewarding.

“I have one student who works with the (San Antonio) Spurs, and has been there for many years,” Kesterson said.

Sport Management classes can be taken in-person, online, or in a hybrid setting and the program offers full and part-time options. What sets TAMU-CC’s Sport Management program apart are the two 100-hour practicums required for graduation, in addition to the standard 300-hour internship. These practicums provide students with even more hands-on experience, giving them an advantage after graduation.

“What we’re seeing is that they’re coming out with not just degrees in hands, but also job offers,” Kesterson said.

Kesterson hopes that as the program grows, TAMU-CC will also be able to offer a master’s degree in Sport Management. Topics covered in the degree program include promotions and marketing, facilities operations, as well as social and legal issues.

“There are so many arenas you can go into,” Kesterson said. “University sports, professional sports, even youth sports. Another thing we’re starting to see is sports tourism.”

Sports tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism industry. In the United States, sports-related travel generated an estimated $128 billion in direct spending in 2023, according to the Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA).

In April 2025, a group of ten Islander Sport Management majors got an up close and personal look at sports tourism — as they volunteered at the 2025 NCAA Men’s Final Four in San Antonio. Among them was Tymberlin Criswell ’25, a member of Islanders Women’s Basketball who played all 32 games of her senior year. She’ll graduate this August and has future plans of working in sports marketing and media.

“Throughout the weekend, I learned how important teamwork, communication, and adaptability are when working on an event of this size,” said Criswell, a native of Houston. “Being part of the Final Four gave me not only valuable experience in event coordination and fan engagement but also a deeper appreciation for the behind-the-scenes work that goes into major sporting events.”

The Final Four is consistently one of sports tourism’s biggest draws. Every year, roughly 80,000 to 100,000 people descend onto the host city, and they are welcomed with a wide range of events including a fan fest, music festival, as well as the March Madness semi-finals and championship game. Islander volunteers got a taste of all three as part of their experience.

“Working the Final Four was an unforgettable experience,” said Morgan Baese ’25, who played for Islanders Volleyball from 2021-24. “Being part of this allowed me to contribute to the success of this monumental event and witness firsthand the excitement and unity it brought to San Antonio.”

For more information on the Sport Management degree, visit https://www.tamucc.edu/programs/undergraduate-programs/sport-management-bs.php.