Limestone University Professor Dr. Jaime Orejan Featured In Interview With Sports Degree Website

Limestone University Professor Dr. Jaime Orejan was recently featured in an interview on a website dedicated to being the bridge to educational and professional opportunities within the sports industry.

Orejan is an Associate Professor of Sport Management and Limestone’s Program Coordinator of Sport management.

In the interview with SportsDegreesOnline.org, he touches on topics ranging from the life skills and myriad of connections made from his coaching career, how sport management students can set themselves up for success in the future, and value of a Master of Business Administration with a Sport Management concentration.

Regarding the importance of internships and practicums, Orejan said, “As a student myself, I took advantage of every learning opportunity I had outside the classroom. Students gain a better understanding of the sport business industry as a whole, be it a small community event or a major event like the World Cup. I am a firm believer that theory in the classroom is one thing but putting that theory to work is something else.That’s one of the reasons why I put a great deal of emphasis on internships and practicums. I tried to use those experiences to put into practice what I had learned in the classroom, and quickly realized that while similar, the real world is very different than the classroom.

“Internships and practicums are crucial, and I tell the students, even if you’re not getting any credit for it, if there is an opportunity for you to learn something outside of the classroom, please take advantage of it,” he continued. “You never know who you’re going to meet, and you never know where that is going to take you. I remind the students the importance of learning additional skills such as time management, social skills, and many other soft skills that are as important as all technical skills.”

In response to a question concerning areas that students might not think of in the sports industry where there is good career potential, Orejan noted, “Most of the students come to the Sport Management major with the idea that they’re going to work for a professional sport team, be that the Celtics, the Dodgers, the Panthers or LAFC, or whatever. I always try to explain to them that they do not need to be so narrow-minded. At every point in this business world of ours, every industry is touched by sports. The travel industry, the clothing industry, the tourism industry, the hotel industry.

“I tell them to open their eyes and to think outside the box, and I always use the example of Coca-Cola,” he continued. “I ask, ‘how many of you ever think of working for Coca-Cola with a Sport management degree?’ and nobody says, ‘me,’ but I always remind them Coca-Cola is the one of the largest sport sponsors on the planet. They need sport-business minded people to help them plan their sponsorship strategies across the world.”

An MBA with a Sport Management concentration, like the one now being offered at Limestone, can set up students for even greater success in the professional world, Orejan explained.

“Our program at Limestone University is the first program of its kind in the state of South Carolina – to offer an MBA in Sport Management,” he said. “There are other schools that offer a master’s in Sport Management, but not an MBA. We are hoping to attract the professionals who might have an opportunity to get promoted to a higher position, and an MBA in Sport Management may be the way for them to move up. Maybe there is a high school coach who would like to move to athletic administration, from the front office to higher management; that’s basically the kind of people that we are trying to recruit.”

The complete interview can be found HERE.

Orejan earned his Ph.D. in Teaching & Sports Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi. He also received his Master’s in Coaching and Sport Management and his Bachelor’s in International Trade & Finance from Southern Mississippi.

To learn more about Limestone’s MBA with a Sport Management concentration, visit HERE.