Sport Management Students Shine with Second-Place Finish at National Leadership Conference
Two students in the Springfield College Sport Management program, Karlee Battista and Sebastián Pérez Jiménez (both Class of 2026), had the opportunity to demonstrate the skills and knowledge they gained in the classroom at a leadership conference. Battista and Pérez Jiménez earned runner-up honors in the Case Study Competition at the 5th Annual Equity in Sport Leadership Conference, held at the University of Massachusetts Boston on Monday, April 27, 2026.
The competition challenged participants to develop an equity-minded strategy for Boston Legacy FC, a new professional women’s soccer team. Presentations were evaluated by Boston Legacy FC’s staff. The students were highly commended for their innovative, Humanics-driven approach to inclusive community engagement, as well as for their idea to utilize the team's home venue, White Stadium.
“This experiential learning opportunity allowed the students to apply what they learned in the classroom to real-world sports business challenges, while building meaningful connections with industry professionals for their career development,” said Daigo Yazawa, PhD, assistant professor of Sport Management and program director.
