The series, hosted by the school of health, physical education and sport sciences (HPESS), invites speakers from different areas of the sports world to talk about current events, said Dale Sheptak, associate professor and the creator of Conversations in Sports. The series is open to BW students as well as the surrounding community.
“We try to keep it as focused on current events as we can, to enhance the educational mission of the sports management program, as well as the HPESS programs,” said Sheptak.
Previous speakers have included Kelly Pierce — the founder of The Pierce Plan — as well as the Concussion Legacy Foundation and David West, formerly of the Golden State Warriors.
Feb. 12 will conclude the second year of the series, with Hernandez Brito being the final speaker.
“We’ll walk away from his conversation with some crucial information about the personal branding that has to happen on your road to success in that part of the sports industry,” said Sheptak.
Hernandez Brito is currently the Spanish broadcaster for the Cleveland Browns and the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has also broadcast for the World Series, the Super Bowl, and the World Cup.
“He graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and then became one of the most prominent broadcasters in the U.S.,” said Sheptak.
Sheptak said that Hernandez Brito was chosen due to his accessibility and his unique background.
“He’s had to go through this amazing journey where he has branded and recreated himself in order to make the climb to be the prominent broadcaster that he is,” said Sheptak.
The series typically averages 60-70 attendees per conversation, but Sheptak is expecting over 100 for the final installment featuring Hernandez Brito.
A change that was made for this year’s Conversations in Sports series was the addition of two student workers. Seniors Sam Russell and Zach Poudrier, both sports management majors, joined Sheptak in the planning and execution of this year’s series. Sheptak said they have been crucial when it comes to setting up the event and bringing people to campus to speak and attend.
“The Conversation in Sports series really helps kids, and even the public, to see what sports management really is and gives us a much broader sense of what we are able to do with our degree,” said Russell.
Both Poudrier and Russell both said that they are currently looking to the future as they prepare to graduate and working with the project has helped them to network and get a better sense of what they want to do.
“In the end, it’s just a great way involved in the industry and meet professionals from different aspects of the industry.” said Russell. “Someone might even see something they want to do in the future.”
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the conversation will begin at 7 p.m. at the Center for Innovation and Growth (CIG). The speech will be followed by a Q&A portion with Hernandez Brito. The event is free, but attendees are required to register in advance. Registration details can be found online at https://www.bw.edu/events/2019/02-12-conversations-in-sport.