Students Score Minor League Baseball Internships with Elmore Sports Group

Growing Partnership Seeks to Diversify Minor League Baseball Front Office Staff

MEDIA CONTACTS: Damita Chambers (Bowie State), [email protected], 301-832-2628 mobileDG Elmore (Elmore Sports Group), [email protected], 812-337-3176 office(BOWIE, Md.) - Two Bowie State University student interns supporting Minor League Baseball teams, owned by Elmore Sports Group, are part of a growing partnership to diversify the league's front office staff. In the first partnership of its kind for Maryland's oldest historically black university, Bowie State and Elmore Sports Group are working to create a college-to-career pipeline for those interested in the sport management profession.The seniors in Bowie State's sport management program landed paid, nine-month internships with the Elmore Sports Group, which are providing them with valuable hands-on experience in their field. Danielle Lang is a sales/social media intern with the Inland Empire 66ers in San Bernardino, California, while Dionte Johnson is a sales and game-day operations intern with the San Antonio Missions in Texas.

"I want to own a sports facility, so starting at the bottom will teach me how everything operates, and once I know how to operate the building, I'll be able to own the building," says Johnson. "I'll work my way up. Stadium operations is what I want to do. Working here gives me the opportunity to learn."

Elmore Sports Group, a family-owned company that owns several Minor League Baseball teams and other sports clubs, has a track record of hiring collegiate interns as full-time employees. The company anticipates hosting more Bowie State interns who are ready to turn their classroom knowledge into real-world experience.

"I'd like to be able to have jobs set for our graduates in the industry, and the new relationship with Elmore Sports Group is definitely leading us in that direction," said Dr. Joseph Spears, coordinator of the sport management program. "We are looking forward to working with the Elmore Sports Group over the long term in the recruiting, retention and preparation of our students."

All Bowie State sport management students complete a full-semester internship credits during the final semester of their senior year to complete the bachelor's degree program; in fact, about 15 students are working in industry internships each semester. While many of the graduates do find successful careers in sport management, partnerships, like the budding relationship with Elmore Sports Group, will smooth the transition for students looking to enter the field directly after graduation.

"The Elmore Sports Group is proud to partner with a great institution like Bowie State," says DG Elmore, president of Elmore Sports Group. "Bowie State has a history of producing outstanding students who are ready to make an impact in the world of sports management. As MiLB and Elmore Sports Group seek to build diversity into the front office of Minor League teams, we hope that this partnership serves as a model for other clubs."

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