Scoring Big — Alumni thrive in pro sports careers

Arnold Lee (’13) grew up in Naperville, Illinois, a 45-minute drive from the United Center, home to the NBA's Chicago Bulls. Lee was 9 years old in 1998 when Bulls’ legend Michael Jordan won his sixth NBA championship in eight years.

Like most kids in the area, Lee’s dream was to play for his home-town team.

"I remember playing basketball in the driveway," he said, "and pretending a Bulls front office person would swing by and say, 'Hey, you've got a good shot.'"

Lee's jump shot was never good enough for the NBA, but his athletic training knowledge was. Eighteen years after Jordan won his final title, Lee began the first of eight years as an athletic trainer with the Bulls organization. He spent one season as head athletic trainer of the franchise's developmental league team, the Windy City Bulls, followed by seven years as assistant athletic trainer with the NBA squad.

"It was so surreal to me," Lee said. "It really was a dream come true to work for the team I grew up watching."

Lee is one of a number of California Baptist University alumni who found their way into professional sports. Most made it to the big leagues as athletic trainers or working in sales and marketing, but each has a unique story.

Take Kaylea Ott ('15), for example. Ott is senior manager for premium service with MLB's Milwaukee Brewers, a team she's worked for since 2018. Ott's passion for baseball started long before that.

Her dad was a writer who covered the San Francisco Giants.

"I have many fond memories of us going to games and him sneaking me into the press box," Ott said. "That mixed with growing up in a really fun era of Bay Area baseball with a new stadium and Barry Bonds — it was an electric time to learn to love the game."

Ott's job with the Brewers is to help spread that passion. She oversees client service for individuals and companies who invest highly in ticket products, such as suites. Part of her role includes contributing to on-field experiences, like throwing out the first pitch or taking part with the famous racing sausages.

Ott also leads strategy for the department, which includes building timelines, planning events and handling budgeting and revenue initiatives.

“Working on the business operations side of a sports franchise is like a lot of corporations,” she said. “We have marketing, legal, accounting, customer service, etc. That said, our product is a lot more fun. I get to spend every day at a ballpark and work in a sport that has brought me joy my entire life.”

While Ott focuses on the business side of a baseball organization, Rachel Purcell (’13) plays a role on the field. Purcell is a minor league athletic trainer for the Oakland Athletics. She is currently based out of Mesa, Arizona, where she works with the team’s Arizona Cactus League, a rookie ball team, and assists the team's rehab coordinator with players currently on the injured list.

This is Purcell’s second year with the team following two years as athletic trainer with the Texas Rangers.

“Oftentimes with athletic training, people assume you are only able to help with physical changes, like strength and mobility, but the mental fortitude and emotional intelligence it takes to be a professional athlete is also a major part of the rehabilitation process,” she said. “I love seeing the light bulb go off when an athlete learns they are more capable than they realized.”

Purcell knew she wanted to be an athletic trainer years ago, but when she decided to pursue a master’s degree in athletic training, she struggled to find a California-based program. At the time, CBU was the only school with that degree on the West Coast, she said.

“I made some incredible friendships, and I really loved all of the internship opportunities we had available to us while going to school,” she said. “After graduation, I recognized how far ahead I was compared to new graduates from other programs. CBU really gave us every opportunity to stand out and be successful.”

Lee had a similar realization, although he admitted he knew nothing of CBU before applying. However, his experience at CBU prepared him for the highs and lows of life as a professional athletic trainer.

When Lee joined the Windy City Bulls during their first season in 2016, the team was still searching for lockers, and Lee's athletic training room doubled as the laundry room.

“I learned how to do everything,” Lee said. “I was doing the strength and conditioning program; I was helping coaches out with drills; I was driving the bus; I was cleaning the bus, doing laundry. No job was too small for me.”

Jacob Gonzalez (’17) knew all about CBU. He routinely visited campus while his older siblings were students. Gonzalez himself enrolled and was part of the first class to graduate from the new photography program. He went on to hold photography roles in the NBA, NFL and MLS.

A photo he took during a game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams was voted as the Photograph of the Year for the 2018 NFL season.

He is currently lead photographer for MLS’ Austin FC. In that role, he captures home and away matches, team training sessions and player portraits, and he provides event coverage.

“I always think of myself first as documenting the club history,” said Gonzalez, who joined the team in 2022. “Years down the road, there will be this visual history of all aspects of Austin FC.”

Gonzalez enjoys having a frontrow seat to that history and capturing it in as many different ways and styles as possible. To do that, he finds himself constantly relying on lessons learned at CBU.

“Learning all about studio lighting really helped me separate myself from other sports photographers,” Gonzalez said. “Most photographers either capture just the action or just studio portraits. But during my time at CBU, I learned how to do both, which is very rare and helped me get some of my team photographer jobs since both styles are used all the time for a team.”

Ott didn’t originally plan to attend CBU. Her hope was to play collegiate volleyball, but when that plan changed, she searched for schools that would give her a sense of community similar to a sports team.

“CBU drew me in with the overall community and experiences … and how well the school seemed to set up the student body to build relationships,” she said.

Those relationships remain pivotal for Ott today. She recommends any CBU student interested in a professional sports career to start establishing relationships today.

“Don't be afraid to ask for informational interviews with people in the industry as a simple place to start,” she said. “The sports world is a lot smaller than people realize, and starting to make connections now and hearing from those in the field will only be a benefit.”

OTHER ALUMNI IN PRO SPORTS:

MARISSA FIGUEROA (’19)Athletic Training, MSAssistant Athletic Trainer for Buffalo Bills

“CBU helped prepare me spiritually to share the gospel with people I meet if I can. But I also learned many valuable skills in my athletic training classes that at the time were ahead of other schools in terms of manual therapy, tactical emergency preparedness and interprofessional skills. I am very grateful for my time at CBU.”

DORCAS WU (’23)Business Administration, BSAccount Executive, Season Tickets for Ontario Reign

“CBU gave me a good network to connect with people in the sports world. The former CBU assistant athletic director for marketing and fan engagement, Vinnie Aven, connected me to the manager here at the Reign. He provided great insight on what the sports sales world entails.”

HEATHER MAU ('13)Athletic Training, MSAssistant Athletic Trainer for Dallas Mavericks

“CBU introduced me to lifetime mentors, expanded and enriched my clinical knowledge by providing opportunities to prepare me to enter the job force right out of my master’s program.”

DANIEL CROSS (’11, ’12)Communications, BA; Sports Management, MSCommunications / Marketing Manager for Southern California PGA

“CBU helped shape my understanding of working in the sports industry early on in my studies. I was also lucky enough to get a job in the Athletics department. After working at two other universities, I returned to CBU to work in the communications department in Athletics, which then helped me land a job at the PGA of America.”

PETER KOO ('20)Master of Business AdministrationGeneral Manager of the Cambodian Premier (Soccer) League

“CBU provided me with the skills I need to succeed in a professional industry. What I studied in my MBA program has been transferable to my career every day, including strategic planning, project management and marketing.”