Alex Smith event. Photo by JACK HOADLEY| Sports Editor
JACK HOADLEY
Sports Editor
Have you ever wondered what it takes to work in the sport industry?
Well fresh off graduation from Fredonia in May, Alex Smith has already found himself an impressive opportunity at the start of his career.
Beyond goals, touchdowns and homeruns, the sports industry has grown into its own subsector of society, and it isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Smith had a hunger to work in sports since he began at Fredonia, becoming a sports management major and involving himself in any way he could.
This led to him founding a new era of Fredonia’s Sport Management Club, where he began as the Vice President before taking over as president for his senior year.
Smith was very successful as the club’s president last year, as seen in the club’s growth and participation in numerous on-campus events.
A notable project was the coordination of a trip to the NFL draft in Pittsburgh last April, where several students gained valuable experience.
It was an obvious choice for the Sport Management Club to invite Smith back as a presenter, especially after he secured a position with the newest team in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL).
The ECHL’s newest team, the New Mexico Goat Heads, hired Smith as an account executive as the team begins its inaugural campaign in 2026.
Smith’s work is mainly involving ticket sales and, when pitching hockey in New Mexico, that’s easier said than done.
Smith has already been a key part of nearly sold-out season tickets for the Goat Heads; Smith added during his presentation that seeing the community so interested has made it easy.
One of the biggest sentiments echoed by Smith during his time speaking with Fredonia students was the importance of hands-on experience when preparing to work in sports.
Before even graduating from Fredonia, Smith had garnered over ten hours of internship credit between opportunities at three Super Bowls, Fredonia’s hockey team and summers spent at baseball fields.
Smith sites his summer internships with the Batavia Muckdogs and Elmira Pioneers as an “important steppingstone that I cherish quite a bit.”
“It got me the experience I needed for this role, pertaining to sales and ticketing… I’ve learned that’s something I really want to do and make a career out of it.”
Smith recounts how he developed key skills over these summers, including making cold calls and prospecting new leads for groups to sell tickets to.
Smith also made sure he emphasized how important being versatile is when it comes to working in sports.
He has had many roles in game presentation, event coordination, P.A. announcing and light mascot work, wearing many hats.
Smith still uses all of his skills day in and day out, especially since sometimes a new job with a new sport team provides an interesting schedule.
“I had to work Friday and Saturday pretty much all day and well into the evening, building furniture, building bed frames, all that kind of stuff… getting it ready for the players.”
Smith says he loves the job because of the range of tasks he gets to do, especially considering his schedule is far from the same thing every day.
Another key part of the presentation came through Smith’s emphasis on connections and using platforms like LinkedIn and the sports-specific Teamwork Online.
These platforms are a large part of how Smith built a network that got him to where he is right now and how he will continue to build his career in sports.
The final piece of information highlighted by Smith is to be “honest and come off as your genuine self… even if you think you may not be answering questions the best, it’s important to just be who you are.”
This advice from someone who went from Fredonia to New Mexico in just six months is very valuable, and Smith’s return to share this insight with current students makes a major difference.
Smith highlights the life of those working in sports, showing that it goes well beyond the playing surface.
This event was brought on by Fredonia’s Sport Management Club in partnership with the Career Development Office.
Be sure to stay up to date on what else the club brings to campus as they continue to share what it is like to work behind the scenes in sports.