An experience like no other

At La Salle University, Paige Mitchell, '26, captained the water polo team, led the Olney Outlaws, worked for the Philadelphia Phillies, and immersed herself in the campus community. Her time at 20^th and Olney was everything she could have hoped for.

Mitchell has gotten a lot out of both of her majors. The Sports Management Program has allowed her to take classes, like sports law and journalism, that she doesn't think she would have taken otherwise. In her marketing classes, some of which have involved working on marketing campaigns for local businesses, she's enjoyed the interactive, real-world element.

At around eight years old, Paige Mitchell, '26, was invited to a water polo camp by her aunt, who had played the sport throughout high school and college before going into coaching.

"She was like, 'come try this out,' and I was like, 'alright; I'll give it a shot.' I went to this camp and I was the worst one there, and I was like, 'I'm never playing this sport again,'" Mitchell said. "Then 12 years later, here I am, still playing."

Despite an uncertain start with water polo, it quickly became a big part of Mitchell's life, and a big part of her decision about where she would go to college. She wanted to go to a school where she could continue playing, something she said is less common on the East Coast, and stay close to her hometown, Montgomeryville, PA.

"There's two check marks already for La Salle," she said. "And then I went to the School of Business, and I was kind of just blown away by everyone there."

She was also drawn to the Business Scholars Co-op Program, something which she saw as a great opportunity to both learn and meet people who could contribute to her future.

"I knew that, especially because I want to work for a Philly sports team, that the connections La Salle had were going to be very beneficial," she said.

With all those boxes checked, Mitchell made the decision to enroll at La Salle. She began as a marketing major and added a second sport management major when the program began in 2024.

She had always wanted to work in the sports world, initially, she thought, as a trainer. Her dislike of science classes and enjoyment of the planning and organizing that came with being in her high school's student government changed that though.

"I was like I want to be involved with sports, and I don't want to do the science side of it, so I want to help organize," she said. "I went broad with marketing to start, just to see what I ended up liking. Then I was fortunate enough when they added sports management to actually get those experiences too."

Mitchell has gotten a lot out of both of her majors. The Sport Management Program has allowed her to take classes, like sports law and journalism, that she doesn't think she would have taken otherwise. In her marketing classes, some of which have involved working on marketing campaigns for local businesses, she's enjoyed the interactive, real-world element.

"I like to be hands-on and working, and these classes have allowed me to do that, and not just necessarily just sitting there reading a book," she said. "That's definitely what I enjoy about it."

Mitchell describes her academic experience as "awesome," both in the classroom and outside. She interned with the Philadelphia Flyers and worked with the Phillies for her co-op.

"I don't think if I went anywhere else, I would have had the same experience. It literally got me into the organizations that I've wanted to work for since I was little," she said. "It was everything that way that I could have hoped for."

Mitchell worked at the Phillies from April to December of 2025 doing ticket sales. In her role there, she helped people with any questions they had, as well as with special requests like birthday packages. It also allowed her to work with many of the other departments within the organization, for example premium services and the suite guests and the communications department in the post season.

"I was able to sit in the press box for all the games, it was awesome," she said, adding that she also got to hand out press credentials and be a part of the post-game press conferences.

The experience she gained, learning she did, and professional development was invaluable, Mitchell said, and she's already showcasing the skills and knowledge she picked up in job interviews.

On top of her academic journey, Mitchell has also been a committed member of the water polo team throughout her four years at 20^th and Olney.

While coaching changes meant that her experience was different from what she was expecting, Mitchell noted that this was just another area for her to grow in.

"It was different, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It was just learning to adjust to a different coach," she said. "I've learned to develop very differently to adjust to the different coaches, different teammates, all of that."

Having had the same coach since she started playing water polo, though, Mitchell expected that would happen. And while she did make the necessary changes, that same coach, Jason Grubb, joined La Salle's water polo staff as an assistant coach in 2023, and was promoted to head coach in 2025.

In her junior year, Mitchell began her two-year tenure as team captain, a responsibility that "really helped me develop as a person," she said.

Her two years as captain have been different, she said. Last year she was the sole captain, and a junior when there were seniors on the team. This year, she is co-captain with two other teammates, something that's been especially helpful as she's spent her last year at La Salle as a commuter student.

Despite having to balance her sport and academics, the real demand has come from balancing those two things with her extracurriculars, Mitchell said. In her final year, she's president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a member of the Business of Sports Club, and the founder and president of the Olney Outlaws.

"For me the biggest balancing part has been all the clubs I'm involved in and making sure I'm getting that done while also doing my practice and doing what I need to do," she said.

Mitchell founded the Olney Outlaws, La Salle's student section, mid-way through her sophomore year after the Athletics Department asked her to help find a way to get Explorers more involved with games. She got to work setting up the group and recruiting other students.

"I got, I want to say four people to come do it with me, and we just built it and then it kicked off," she said. "There's a lot of room for improvements and a lot of growth for the group, but it was really cool."

The Olney Outlaws membership has, at one time, risen to 10 people, and Mitchell hopes that the momentum continues after she graduates. As she and the other seniors involved come to the end of their time at La Salle, they're excited to see that there are new students interested in joining.

"We're just trying to get people involved now because I don't want to see it go, but I also do have to graduate," she said. "It just brings good energy, and I think with the new team, and hopefully new players, it will be a good season and we can go from there."

In her time with the group, Mitchell has helped facilitate t-shirts and other merchandise for the Olney Outlaws, as well as running challenges and competitions for Explorer game attendees. They've even caught the attention of the Philadelphia Inquirer who profiled Mitchell and her involvement, as well as including the Olney Outlaws in a piece about the rollout tradition, a part of the fan experience that Mitchell really enjoys.

"There was just a lot that went into it, and it's really cool to see it all coming together. Right now, we don't have anybody that's fully set to take over, so I'm hoping we can find that, because I'd love to see where it can go from here."

The connections Mitchell made leading the Olney Outlaws, as well as in all the other aspects of her campus life, are one of her favorite things about her time at La Salle. They've helped her "tremendously" as she looks to the future, she said, and are one of the things that she'll take with her as she enters the professional world.

"There's a lot of people and a lot of relationships," she said. "I think that's what my big takeaway is and what I wanted out of my college career was to meet people and build on that."

She also credits the confidence she gained during her four years as an Explorer with helping her build those relationships.

"I probably would not have walked up to some of the people that I had conversations with here on my first year or first day," she said. "I just remember being so shy and scared on the initial move-in day and then I've just grown since."

Mitchell is hoping to utilize the confidence and connections that she's developed after she graduates. As well as coaching a water polo team in her hometown, she's interviewing for jobs in the sales and service departments of professional sports teams.

Right now, her ultimate job goal is to work in group sales for a Philadelphia sports team. While that department might change, she said, wanting a career that helps bring people and sports together won't.

"I just really love helping to build the experience of sports and have people have a good time at a sporting event. I've been an athlete my whole life so I can't imagine myself not around sports. And I want to make it so people can have those experiences," Mitchell said. "So, I don't know exactly where I'll end up being, I just know that's part of whatever I want to do."

-Naomi Thomas