Student spotlight: Marlo Mosley
Hailing from San Jose, California, Marlo Mosley always knew she wanted a career in sports. She felt that a sport management degree would support her dream career of working in the NFL. During the college application process, Mosley applied to reputable sport management programs and chose the School of Kinesiology.
So far in the School’s sport management program, Mosley has enjoyed the faculty and classes. Her favorite course has been Introduction to Sport Management taught by Kevin King, PhD. She felt King passed on a great deal of knowledge, the class was interactive and interesting, and guest speakers from the sports industry provided thoughtful insight about careers in sports. Besides the classes themselves, Mosley also appreciates the support of her major, academic, and career advisors.
“Having these three advisors by my side has made my experience as a sport management major increasingly better. I would not be where I am today without their support and confidence in me.”
Mosley has had numerous experiences outside the classroom as well. After connecting with the Assistant of Football Operations within the University of Minnesota’s football team, Mosley obtained a position in equipment where she spotted the ball for defense during practice, prepared the locker room for games, and was a sideline ball girl. After being in equipment for a season, Mosley talked with the team’s head coach, PJ Fleck, about her interest in coaching. He helped Mosley transition into a student assistant coach. In this role, Mosley breaks down opponent film to ensure efficient game planning, craft and distributes quarterback wristbands, and provides hands-on assistance to the quarterbacks during individual drills.
Besides being involved with Gopher football, Mosley was recently invited to the NFL Women’s Forum during the NFL Combine. There, she was joined by 39 other women who are also interested in pursuing a career in the NFL. Mosley was able to network with NFL owners, general managers, coaches, scouts, and others to support her future career.
“All of these experiences have tremendously helped me prepare for my future career because it is consistently teaching me real life skills needed to be successful working in professional sports.”
Looking to the future, Mosley wants to work in the NFL’s football and team development to help grow the game. “Whether that is working at the NFL league office and designing programming to increase diversity in the league, or working in growing the fast-evolving game of flag football for everyone, I truly believe football is the best sport and everyone (no matter gender, race, sexuality, etc.) deserves to work in the NFL or play football. I want to be a part of that continuous growth and change,” she remarks.
When asked if she had any advice for students going down a similar career path, Mosley encouraged others to start early and be proactive about getting opportunities. She found that there are times where student roles aren’t posted through formal job openings, so taking initiative and asking for a role is important during those instances. Mosley also emphasized the importance of making a great first impression by working hard, having the mentality that no task is too small, believing in yourself, and finding a balance between work and school.
“Be yourself. There is no one else like you so believe in yourself and trust that what you offer is valuable.”
