FIELD Program creates path to baseball careers

Every year, hundreds of job seekers compete for positions with Minor League and Major League teams during the Professional Baseball Employment Opportunities (PBEO®) Job Fair at the Baseball Winter Meetings™. The 2017 Baseball Winter Meetings will be held in Orlando, Florida, and MiLB has taken the initiative in working to increase the racial and gender diversity among the crowd of job seekers.

"The primary goal of the Fostering Inclusion through Education and Leadership (FIELD) Program is to create a pipeline for women and minorities to land careers in our industry," said Vince Pierson, manager of diversity and inclusion for Minor League Baseball. "We want to create a memorable experience that ultimately leads to a desire to be a part of the fun in Minor League Baseball."
The FIELD Program was created to engage women and minority students who may be interested in pursuing a career in professional baseball. The second annual program was held from Aug. 7-11, at the Minor League Baseball offices in St. Petersburg, Florida. 
The 2017 class of the FIELD Program was comprised of 27 students and recent graduates, representing 18 different colleges and universities from across the country. Building on the success of last year's program, the agenda featured a lineup of activities and presenters offering professional development tips, executive panel discussions, skill-specific instruction, networking sessions and hands-on learning opportunities. Participants were also put into groups and challenged to use market demographics to create an event at a ballpark to engage fan bases that are underrepresented.
"The program was a great experience to broaden my views of baseball," said Tiffany Kukuruda, recent graduate from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and member of the 2017 class of the FIELD Program. "It gave me a well-rounded idea of what it's like to work for a Minor League Baseball team."

After learning about the role of the MiLB office from senior members of the staff, participants received industry knowledge from executives on two separate panels. The Rising Stars Panel provided a perspective on the business of baseball from people who had only recently began their own careers in the industry. During the Baseball Veterans Panel, participants heard from seasoned executives who could provide insight on what it takes to sustain a career in baseball.
"My biggest takeaway was how realistic the job expectations were made for us," said Oliver Smith, senior at Virginia Commonwealth University and member of the 2017 class of the FIELD Program. "When you're put in a situation where you are told what the industry will be like, it's very important for making a career decision."
Professional development was a focus of the program as the group participated in sessions dedicated to diversity and inclusion, resume and interviewing tips, mock interviews and networking lunches throughout the week. The diversity workshop introduced several personal and societal aspects of diversity while challenging the group to become more effective and inclusive leaders. 

After hearing from Atlanta Braves human resources personnel, participants were split into groups and prepared for individual mock interviews. During this session, each attendee had three separate five-minute interviews with human resources and baseball executives. Once the session wrapped, the interviewers offered feedback on performance and what to expect when it comes to job offers.
"It all really helped and I felt so prepared afterwards," said Sydney Glover, recent graduate from Yale University and member of the 2017 class of the FIELD Program. "They were able to tell us what we may have done well and what we need to work on, which is phenomenal to hear because they are the type of people who may be in the hiring position for us in the future."
With sales being such a critical component to careers on the business side of the industry, Greg "Kool Papa" Bell was brought in to deliver his Five Tool Selling Workshop for the group. Throughout the workshop, the group participated in role playing activities and learned the five tools of selling: prospecting, the proposal, the first appointment, closing the deal and the sale after the sale. 
"[The Five Tool Selling Workshop] was extremely helpful and eye-opening," said Roya Burton, senior at Michigan State University and member of the 2017 class of the FIELD Program. [Greg "Kool Papa" Bell] was engaged the entire time and the sales content was something I'll never forget."
On the final day of the program, participants presented their group projects to a panel of judges made up of baseball executives who would critique the presentations, provide feedback and ultimately, determine a winner.
"The group project portion of the program is challenging because we fit a sizable amount of content into the agenda, and each group had to be strategic and intentional about making time to work together," said Pierson. "At the end of the day, it's always impressive to watch a group of strangers come together and create an effective presentation in only a few days."
This year's winning group presented a Pride Night promotion for the New Orleans Baby Cakes. New Orleans is home to the fourth-largest LGBTQ population in the country and the 2016 New Orleans Pride Festival was the largest to ever take place in Louisiana.
"We shared the final presentation with the New Orleans Baby Cakes General Manager," said Pierson. "Whether or not the club chooses to implement the promotion, the research, collaboration and presentation skills put to use for the project made it a valuable experience for the participants."
Justine Siegal served as the keynote speaker for this year's program. Siegal is the founder of Baseball for All, an organization that fosters, encourages and provides opportunities for girls to play youth baseball. Additionally, she broke the gender barrier as the first woman to coach at the Major League level when she was hired by the Oakland A's to serve as a guest instructor in 2015. Siegal shared her journey pursuing a career in baseball as a coach, and the struggles that she has faced as a woman trying to break into an area of the game that hasn't traditionally been available to women.
"I was trying so hard not to get emotional listening to Justine because her experiences opened my eyes to how hard it can be getting into baseball," said Grace MacLaughlin, recent graduate from the University of Central Florida and member of the 2017 class of the FIELD Program. "Her story gave me even more hope for women in baseball."
Minor League Baseball is uniquely positioned to impact the sports landscape due to the reach and scale of the industry.
"Minor League Baseball is looking to bring unity to a hurting society. When you work in sports, it's not curing cancer - it's three hours of entertainment where people can let go of their daily struggles," said Breon Dennis, Frisco RoughRiders vice president of community development. "With 160 teams, Minor League Baseball is able to establish itself as a torch-carrier for diversity."
The week-long experience during the FIELD Program is designed to heighten participants' interest in pursuing a career in baseball and provide a direct pathway into the industry. Each participant will be given an opportunity to attend the 2017 Baseball Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida, and put his or her newly developed skills to use as a job seeker at the PBEO Job Fair.
"I think the Winter Meetings will be further proof that this is what you want to do. It's a three-day, four-day hustle, you're on your feet - it's pretty intense," said Martie Cordaro, Omaha Storm Chasers president and general manager. "From a networking perspective, the Winter Meetings can really help people establish themselves and get ingratiated within the business."
At the 2016 Baseball Winter Meetings, inaugural FIELD Program participants had a total of at least 60 interviews which resulted in 24 job offers. Many participants, including Marcus Momon, were able to find fulfilling starts to their careers in baseball.
"The FIELD Program influenced my enthusiasm by providing the preparation, confidence and opportunity to pursue a career in baseball," said Marcus Momon, Minor League Baseball diversity and inclusion intern and member of the inaugural class of the FIELD Program. "Now, having landed a career in baseball, I'm able to continue developing my skills while doing work that I'm passionate about."