GIVING IT THEIR BEST SHOT

By Lori Roberts

Talk about sports-related careers, and your brain might automatically land on professional athlete roles. While those are often common boyhood dreams, many Phi Psi brothers have carved out their own contributions in various related sports careers, including sports management, entertainment, or league ticket sales. We reached out to several brothers to find out how their Phi Psi beginnings helped them land careers that might not be on the field but were still a dream come true.

Take Aaron Kahn J.D. Ohio State ’16, assistant general manager for the Detroit Red Wings, for instance. Kahn grew up playing several youth sports, whittling them down as his time and loyalty became more competitive, and started playing club hockey at Ohio State University. This led to an opportunity to walk on to the Division 1 hockey team, which opened his eyes to where he could make a living with the sport he loved.

“When I was riding the bench in college, I realized if I was going to be in the NHL, it was going to be with my brain rather than my body,” Kahn said.

This realization spurred him back to school to earn his law degree at UCLA, opening the door to his current position. But the lessons he learned at Phi Psi have played an important role as well.

“I always found with playing sports that you had to be a team player whether you were a superstar or a support player,” Kahn said. “I think it was the same at Phi Psi. You’re meeting people from different states and different countries. You’re all working toward the group’s collective goal.”

Brent Freed UC Berkeley ’17, head of entertainment booking for the Miami Marlins, is tasked with finding talent to fill the seats at the Miami Marlins loanDepot park outside of the regular baseball season. Freed travels from New York to Nashville and beyond, meeting with different agents to pitch the baseball park as an ideal setting for a show.

Phi Psi was pivotal in putting Freed on a path to an entertainment career. He helped spearhead an American Ido-type singing competition for students, complete with big prizes and local record label personnel as judges.

“We weren’t looking for just the music majors. We were looking for the engineering, business, and non-music majors who like to sing,” Freed says.

He credits Phi Psi with honing his social skills.

“I think we had about 120 brothers, and maybe 60 of us were living in the house. I loved that kind of social element and being fortunate to hang out with your Brothers every single week,” Freed said.

Scott Agness Indiana ’09 used to carry around a classic camcorder to record his three older sisters who played high school sports. Now he’s carrying around the latest technology as he works as an Indiana Pacers reporter, host of the Fieldhouse Files Podcast and fieldhousefiles. com website, and a play-by-play announcer.

He went to IU and became heavily involved in sports reporting, a passion that kept him busy while he lived in the house. His post-college experience encompasses a combination of full-time jobs, contract positions, and self-employment as he focuses on covering the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever. He also does play-by-play announcing for IU Indy’s women’s basketball team. He has to work hard to stay competitive, a skill he learned from his Phi Psi brothers.

“You were constantly pushing each other,” Agness said. “You learned how to lead and how to do the right thing while pleasing the most people.”

Jalen Carter Ohio ’16, director of email marketing and automation at the Miami Heat, says he wasn’t much of an athlete growing up. Sports had a unique appeal to him, however, and he set his sights on a career in the field.

“I think sports are kind of a cultural moment that brings people together and allows us to put our differences aside and form a community,” Carter said.

Carter, whose post-college career began at the Genius Bar of a local Apple Store, worked in marketing for a few years before he answered a job listing for his current position with the Miami Heat. He’s the one sending gameday emails to ticketholders and supporting content management and execution for the Miami Heat app. Leaving Ohio for Miami was a leap of faith, one that was cultivated during his Phi Psi years.

“In 10 to 20 years from now, I just want to be somewhere that reflects that I have continuously challenged myself and continued growing,” Carter said.

Alex Marsh Maryland ’08, senior manager of ticketing for Major League Baseball, is the go-to man for the 30 professional and 120 minor league baseball clubs around the country. He works with the various teams to handle group sales, theme nights, and sales tracking. He grew up playing basketball, tennis, and swimming, but discovered he liked the business side of sports as well. When the MLB job opened, he enthusiastically applied and was hired.

A lot of credit goes to Phi Psi, which gave him leadership opportunities and opportunities to hone his interpersonal relations skills. It taught him to listen first, especially when working as part of a group.

“I think listening is a very valuable tool. I think it’s important to listen to other people and make decisions based on that,” Marsh said.

He’s also open to doing his own listening — and speaking — to the next generation of brothers considering sports-related careers.

“I spoke to a student from Cal Berkeley a couple weeks ago. He reached out and was looking at getting into sports and just wanted to chat,” Marsh said. “People did that for me, and I think it’s absolutely the right thing to do.”

Do you work in a sports-related job? Let us know: marketing@phikappapsi.com

Lori Roberts is a Northwestern University graduate with extensive newspaper and freelance writing experience. When she’s not trying to turn a phrase, you can find her arguing with her Corgi, Daisy, who can only be bribed inside with the promise of a baby carrot.