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Empowering a Community through Sport: SDSU Sports MBA
"Sport has the power to change the world, the power to inspire, the power to unite people in a way that little else can. It speaks to people in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where there was once despair. It is an instrument for peace, even more powerful than governments. It breaks down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all kinds of discrimination. The heroes sport creates are examples of this power. They are valiant, not only on the playing field but also in the community, spreading hope and inspiration to the world." -Nelson Mandela ''Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth.'' -Roberto Clemente
Sports MBA students traveled to the Dominican Republic for ten days in early July 2009 for the program’s International Business course, which centered on the theme of sport and corporate social responsibility. This academic excursion provided a hands-on learning experience studying the economic and cultural impact of baseball in the D.R. and tasked students with devising business plans to improve the community adjacent to the Padres’ D.R. facility. The trip began in Santo Domingo, the Dominican capital, where students had classes at both the headquarters for Major League Baseball (MLB) and the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) building in the capital’s business district. Representatives from MLB, AMCHAM, Banco BHD, and the television station CDN addressed the students regarding a number of pressing issues in the region. The classroom then shifted to Najayo, a disadvantaged beachside community west of Santo Domingo that is home to the Padres’ state-of-the-art $9 million developmental complex. Sports MBA students had the opportunity to interact with Padres prospects in the classroom, in their shared dormitory, and on the field. Their most important work, however, took place outside the walls of the complex. Working in teams of two, students explored the community, talked with residents, and interviewed potential small business owners to determine where the class will invest in the area. On behalf of SDSU and the Padres, students will be implementing a microfinance initiative in collaboration with the Dominican Development Alliance program of MLB and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Class of 2010 raised $10,000, which will be matched by USAID, resulting in a $20,000 investment to create sustainable small business enterprises in the area. Students presented their business plans to USAID, MLB, and Padres executives, applying what they’ve learned in classroom to a real world setting and impacting long-term, sustainable change in the community. The class shared their consulting expertise with MLB and Padres executives, Dominican corporate leaders, U.S. government and non-governmental organization (NGO) representatives, and learned how political, economic, and cultural barriers impact developmental projects in the country. Although the trip focused on baseball and the D.R., the experience transcended one sport and one country; the skills developed in Najayo are easily transferrable to other segments of the increasingly global sports industry. For updates on the progress of the student business plans and their impact on the people of Najayo, or to learn more about this initiative, please email smbainfo@sdsu.edu.
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