In this episode, Trine Center for Sports Studies Director, Zander Atwood, talks with Mike Avery, Head Coach of Fort Wayne Football Club. Mike’s career has centered around the advancement and development of soccer players through coaching at many different levels, from collegiate athletes to professional athletes. With over 25 years of coaching experience, Mike’s passion, grit and determination for success have allowed him to hone his skills and provide the best learning experience for many different athletes. Mike discusses his role with Fort Wayne FC, his connection to Trine University, how his coaching philosophy has changed over time, his perspective on recent trends and innovations in player development, and his favorite memories of working in sports.

In this special episode, Trine Center for Sports Studies Director, Zander Atwood, talks with Nikki Maroney, Trine alumna of 2022 and Senior Account Executive of Membership Services at Ilitch Sports & Entertainment as part of the “Trine Trailblazers” series. Nikki’s passion for sports and entertainment has allowed her to grow and excel in her young career, which she credits her education at Trine as a leading factor in her career success. Her education and background have allowed her to achieve greatness and success in her numerous roles in membership services with Ilitch Sports & Entertainment, the ownership group of the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers. Nikki discusses her role with Ilitch Sports & Entertainment, her connection and attachment to Trine University, how her education at Trine has impacted her growth and career advancement, the importance of membership services and building strong relationships with clients and how to measure success effectively in this role, how evolving fan expectations impact the direction an organization will take in fan relationships efforts, and her favorite memories of working in sports.

In this episode, Trine Center for Sports Studies Director, Zander Atwood, talks with Katie Stumpp, Associate Athletic Director of Administration at the University of Pittsburgh Athletics. Katie is an experienced collegiate athletics administrator with over a decade of leadership across sport administration, operations, compliance, and event management at Power Four institutions, such as Marietta College, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Purdue University and the Ohio State University. Her current role at Pitt Athletics has her overseeing multiple sport programs, leading the event management and sports camps departments, and supporting more than 450 student-athletes and staff in achieving excellence on and off the field. Katie discusses her role with Pitt Athletics, the importance of having a well-rounded administrative staff in a highly competitive Power Four conference, how her experience as a DIII graduate played a role in her career success and longevity, the challenges of hosting major external events related to athletics such as College GameDay, challenges her department faces in regards to NIL initiatives and regulations, and her favorite memories of working in sports.