Student Spotlight:
JESSIE COBBLE Program Sport Management M.S. Sport Management B.S. ‘20 Hometown Destin, Florida
Jessie Cobble is a master’s student in FSU’s sport management program. She currently works as an administrative assistant intern for FSU Football. Throughout her time at FSU, Cobble has had a chance to experience the sport industry firsthand. As a sport management student, she’s interned both at Florida State and at various sporting events around the country, including the past three Super Bowls and the 2020 national championship game. These experiences have provided invaluable learning opportunities, a chance to network and a taste of what the industry is like. As an undergraduate, Cobble served as the executive board president of the Sport Management Student Association (SMSA). She organized numerous networking trips in which SMSA students toured venues and met with executives from multiple professional sport organizations. She also organized community service projects for SMSA, including volunteering for the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer and recruiting Special Olympics Unified partners. When did you first discover your passion for sports? Sports were a huge part of my life growing up. I was raised watching sports every night with my dad. He was my soccer coach from ages 4 – 12 and taught me how sports can contribute to your success in life both physically and mentally. My passion for sports and the desire to work in this field grew when I attended a Kansas basketball game in Allen Fieldhouse my senior year of high school. I grew up a Kansas Jayhawks fan because my dad, uncles and cousin all played football for them. The game was a Christmas present for me since KU basketball tickets are hard
to come by. I still remember the exhilarating atmosphere and the noise of the crowd. During the game, I realized I wanted to be behind the scenes and be a part of creating that excitement. During the next seven months leading to my arrival at FSU, every sporting event I watched on TV, I thought of what it would be like to be a part of the process and help make these events take place. I not only love playing and watching sports, but I am devoted to a profession that brings a smile and a feeling of camaraderie and excitement to so many every day. From athlete recruitment, to ticket sales, to event management, you’ve had lots of experience in the sport industry. What has been your favorite experience thus far? I’ve had so many memorable experiences, thanks to FSU. One that stands out was the opportunity to work at the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship in New Orleans. The Department of Sport Management selected eight students to intern for five days with Etzel Agency. We worked at the Championship Tailgate where we did everything from putting banners (also called “scrim”) on every piece of fencing and barricade and created activations for sponsoring companies such as Capital One, Dos Equis and Taco Bell. We also broke down the entire event following its closure at 4:30 p.m. on the day of the National Championship. This event gave me a real behind-the-scenes look at just how important even the small details were in order for the event run smoothly. The Championship Tailgate reported over 20,000 visitors coming to participate in the activities from many tailgate sponsors, such as Dr. Pepper, who gave guests a new product to taste. This event changed my perspective on the magnitude of tasks involved,
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