Jason Petro '17, a current Sport Management and Economics double major at Rice University, landed a supreme summer internship when it comes to the sport of baseball. Living in New York and working in the Ticketing Analytics department, Petro was able to intern with Major League Baseball and the Commissioner's Office.
"Our department focused specifically on tickets and attendance, and one of my major responsibilities was to prepare a daily report of the League's attendance," Petro explained. "We would also receive requests from several of MLB's Clubs asking us to give them help or recommendations about the ticketing strategies and pricing."
Petro described his time throughout the internship as "fantastic," and he found the exposure to MLB Clubs’ ticketing/attendance performance and practices as the most interesting aspect of his work.
“One of my favorite things about MLB’s internship program was that they scheduled several opportunities for the interns to hear from the league executives, including the new Commissioner Rob Manfred,” Petro said.
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Petro has obtained other internships to work toward this goal. In addition to working with the MLB, Petro has also completed internships with the Houston Astros in Strategic Marketing and the Houston Rockets in Marketing Analytics. When asked how his time with the MLB differed from his previous experiences, Petro concluded that the analytics and skill sets used were very similar.
"I think the main difference is that in a franchise's office, everything is much more focused on the on-field product," responded Petro. "But in terms of the type of work I was doing, there wasn't much difference."
Petro alluded to his genuine passion for sports, and he hopes to work in analytics on the business side of the industry. This internship with the MLB helped him obtain the quantitative and analytical skills necessary to pursue more opportunities in his desired field.
"My internship at MLB increased my interest in working in the business side of sports and will hopefully help me find a career in the industry once I graduate," stated Petro.
Since returning to Rice, Petro has begun searching for future possible internships and job opportunities. With such an impressive internship already mastered, Petro is on his way to many more opportunities in the sports world.
“I chose Sport Management because our program’s students have been very successful, and it’s always been my dream to work in sports one day,” Petro said. “My goal is to work in the business side for a pro sports team.”
As evidenced by Petro's work with many different teams, the Department of Sport Management is ripe with internship opportunities that benefit each and every student in his or her professional goals.
“I feel that the Sport Management Department has opened countless doors for me, including my internship with MLB,” Petro said. “I couldn't be happier about where I am and what I'm doing!”