ST. GEORGE — From virtual preliminaries to a top 16 finish at the in-person National Sports Sales Competition championship, two Utah Tech Recreation and Sports Management program students supplied the demand and secured jobs in sports sales.
Now in its fifth year, the national event is an annual opportunity for students to demonstrate their sports sales skills within a competitive environment while also allowing them to network.
Although a first-time competitor in the competition, Utah Tech is no stranger to sending its students out into the world to hone their skills.
After competing in the online preliminary round, Ryan Gertz and Veronica Robledo didn’t just make the cut — they booked their flights to Atlanta, Georgia, ready to attend the championship at the Hawks’ State Farm Arena Feb. 26-27.
The championship is its own tournament, which combines three categories: ticket sales, speed sales and the quantum quiz.
Gertz competed in the main event in the ticket sales division competition, a role-play scenario in which students sold to a buyer as judges observed. He made it to the Sweet Sixteen.
“I believe my confidence, as well as using an informative slideshow, helped me be successful in the ticket sales competition,” Gertz told St. George News.
Robledo entered the speed sales division competition, a networking-style event where students approach recruiters and elevator pitch themselves.
Next, they teamed up for the third and final event, the quantum quiz race, a bracket-style tournament featuring questions from recruiters crafted for quick and accurate responses. They finished in the top 16.
“We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but we are both so glad we did it,” Robledo said.
Gertz and Robledo are going pro soon, having accepted job offers obtained through networking at the competition.
“Utah Tech and the Recreation and Sports Management program did Veronica and me both a huge favor by getting us to the competition, which landed us jobs,” Gertz said.
Robledo said her strategy for the mock interviews was to show that her interview persona matched her professional demeanor. This strategy was effective, as one company offered her a job on the spot.
“I never thought I would have been walking away with an offer on the table,” Robledo said.
More than 250 students from roughly 70 institutions competed online. The field narrowed to just under 160 students across 48 institutions for the championship.
“Considering the extensive participation in the event, our results reflect positively on the quality of students at Utah Tech,” Dr. Joseph Lovell, program director of RSM, said.
The tournament’s schedule included time for networking and interviewing opportunities, allowing students to form relationships with potential employers. Recruiters observed the students’ knowledge, skills and abilities throughout the competitions. One full day was even dedicated to interviewing.
“This experience gave me an opportunity to expand my knowledge and network with people I never thought I would meet,” Gertz said.
Lovell said the Hawks organization provided a first-class experience at State Farm Arena, including meals, speeches from Hawks CEO Steven Koonin and even luxury suite tickets for a game against the visiting Utah Jazz.
“Honestly, the whole experience felt like a dream,” Robledo said. “While competing in the virtual round, we joked about making it to Atlanta. Over the few days of being there, we kept finding ourselves laughing and saying we couldn’t believe we had made it.”
Students learned from a panel of female sports industry professionals and Eric Kussin from the SameHere Global nonprofit for mental health, whose organization aims to find purpose and balance when working in the sports industry.
“The sports industry is very male-dominated, and while there have been vast improvements in that, it is still intimidating to be a minority,” Robledo said. “It was very encouraging to hear from such amazing women who are vice presidents, directors and managers of various teams and organizations.”
Lovell said the program intends to compete in other competitions next year and hopes for increased participation, as schools are allowed up to four student competitors.
The Recreation and Sports Management program is already warming up for next year’s competitions and will soon introduce a new course taught by Dr. Ahn called Sales and Revenue Generation in Sports. Lovell said the course could be a “proving ground” for aspiring students to cut their teeth in future sales competitions.
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