Our student from Elon University, Noah Zaret, continues to go back and break down some of the best episodes of the CUSP Show, the Columbia University Sports Podcast. This time we talk Olympics, women’s sports and India with Neha Aggarwal, the business of the WNBA, MLS and more with Amy Scheer, and the Savannah Bananas with Jared Orton. More from key episodes to follow…all episodes can be found here as well.
Developing the next generation of Olympians with Neha Aggarwal
We are joined by Neha Aggarwal, 2008 Table Tennis Olympian for India and current Head of Partnerships & Communication at Olympic Gold Quest. Neha is the first three-time guest on the CUSP Show, following her graduation from Columbia Sports Management in 2016. In this episode, Neha speaks about her journey from competing at the Olympic Games to developing future Olympic athletes for her home country. She also addresses the importance of mental health in athletics, the increasing value of women’s sports in India, and the future of Indian athletes on the global stage.
Neha’s goal has been to help and prepare the next generation of Indian, specifically women athletes to compete in the Olympic games
She says that “donating to sport” is one of her passions
She says that she wakes up everyday and does not see what she does as a “job” because she loves it so much and it is a passion that she has been working towards
Neha mentioned that athletes (especially in India w/ lack of education) do not have an idea of what to do with their lives once they are gone from sports because that is all they have ever been accustomed to
She shared that she personally had hardships (depression, anxiety) when she came home after the Olympics
She shared the importance of sports self-psychologists and how athletes, coaches, scouts are understanding the importance of them now as well
Neha says that the perception of women athletes in the Olympics have changed significantly but there is still more work to be done
She says that there has been an increase in woman sports participants not only on the Olympic level, but in all levels (national, district, state levels)
Badminton, Boxing, Wrestling are all sports women have picked up
In terms of the following of US sports in India, Neha says that there is somewhat of a following of the NBA but that is about it
However, she says that there is a significant following of the European soccer leagues in India
Neha says that gambling is still considered as something that is “not nice to do” in India. She says that the country is not totally ready for it as of now.
Business Insights from Professional Sports Teams w/ Amy Scheer
I was joined by Amy Scheer, Vice President of Business Operations at the Connecticut Sun. A veteran in the sports industry, Amy vividly shares experiences and learnings from her illustrious career with esteemed sports properties, including the Brooklyn Nets, Madison Square Garden, New York City Football Club, New York Red Bulls, and now the Connecticut Sun. She discusses the operational differences in the approaches of these organizations while highlighting the common denominator for creating fandom. Amy elaborates on how athletes have evolved over the years, especially pertaining to social justice issues. Now running a WNBA team, she describes how the incredible awareness amongst people has made it easier to sell tickets and foster business partnerships. Working with multiple Hall of Famers, Amy also points out the important leadership lessons she has learned along the way
Amy shares how the evolution of the game of basketball has led athletes to have more of a voice
She shares how now it is much easier to sell sponsorships or tickets…this is mainly due to the independent business that the WNBA has become and all the awareness behind it from the public
Lessons learned from working from NYCFC and NY Red Bulls:
Understanding soccer’s place in global sports and how to think big with soccer dominating the sports world
She got to learn about the youth side of the soccer business because of the Red Bulls youth academy
Amy says that marketing is more about the individual person than the actual sport itself
Business intelligence has changed a lot due to social media – much easier to receive information…an example, the Connecticut Sun sending out emails to buyers after games asking about their in-game experience…Making changes based on responses
Amy shared that throughout all the positions that she has had with different organizations…she has learned and taken something from each spot on how to be a true professional and better person
She shared that even when she worked at MSG, her and he team took an emphasis on being innovative
How Amy stays up to date with relevant information: read newsletters on the daily, stay connected with peers to continue networking and developing relationships
Advice to young people trying to get started in the industry: Volunteer for everything, always ask questions, be curious, don’t complain, but overall make yourself visible by having a learning mindset.
Making Baseball Fun and Entertaining with Jared Orton of the Savannah Bananas
Tom and I connected with Jared Orton, President of The Savannah Bananas. Leading with the “fans first, entertainment always” philosophy, Jared passionately describes the story of The Savannah Bananas. He discusses how they pioneered the “Banana Ball,” an alternate form of baseball that combines traditional baseball with entertainment, making the sport a spectacle for the fans. Jared further elaborates on how the showmanship displayed while playing the sport of baseball has attracted incredible talent and huge crowds from across the country. He also shares insights into their robust digital marketing and media plan, which has allowed them to grow to more than 600K followers on social media and led to deals with media giants like ESPN.
The mission statement behind the Savannah Bananas: “fans first, entertainment always”!
The mindset for the Bananas has always been “what is it going to take to make every single person a fan?”
“How do we make baseball fun for people” was another question in mind in the upbringing of the Savannah Bananas
In 2020, Banana Ball was created (eliminate the dead/boring part of baseball) Time limit (2 hour game), and at the end of two hours, whoever has won the most innings wins the game. If there’s a tie at the end of two hours, there is a “showdown”. There is the batter, pitcher, catcher, and fielder. The hitter has to put the ball in play and circle all the bases and try to score before the fielder goes to retreat the ball and get the batter out
From then on, their attendance skyrocketed (even when they traveled to different ballparks for tournaments)
This form of baseball appeals to the non-traditional baseball fan
Different and unique way to play and consume baseball
Players, coaches have to buy into the “cultural aspect” of Banana Ball
This kind of baseball allows players to not only show off their skills, but their personalities and who they are as a person as well
The ability to tour other venues and markets has really helped the business of the Savannah Bananas…allows people from all over to experience Banana Ball
The media deal the Bananas made with ESPN+ allowed for an extreme amount of social media chatter around the team itself
How Jared and his team stays up to date with all relevant information in the sports business world: Instagram reels, YouTube shorts, social media as a whole
Advice for young people/professionals: Set yourself apart from others, how can you get someone’s attention (theme of Savannah Banana Baseball), and have an edge to yourself. He also said that wherever you go out and work, that place must be a good cultural fit for you.
Enjoy and stay cool!
