Having a profession in the sports industry is no easy achievement. Long hours and extreme competition make for an intimidating career path for an aspiring graduate.

This difficulty can be increased tenfold when the aspiring employee is a woman, a minority of a field that is predominantly man-based. The most important tactic for landing a position in the business is experience. Loads of work experience, a good education and self-confidence can prevail over any obstacle. Brianna Ziegler, junior commercial recreation major, is one of those aspiring employees in the sports industry who recognizes the difficulties involved, yet is currently flourishing in making her dreams a reality.

During high school, Ziegler played football for the boy’s team, the Newton Braves. This led to strongly enforcing her love for the game and creating a foundation for the future. An admiration for athletic related topics, such as sports and fitness, had taken hold of Ziegler, and a passion for the aforementioned subject began to fully develop into what would later become a life-long pursuit. After high school, she recognized that her football playing days would come to an end, and feared losing a way to express her strong passion.

Brianna Ziegler mid-game
Photo courtesy of Brianna Ziegler

As a freshman, Ziegler explored possible ways to become a part of the Athletic Department and eventually suited the roles of team manager for both men’s football and basketball teams of Kean University. These jobs include demanding responsibilities, such as room booking for away games, video coverage of games, equipment setup and more.

In addition to these tasks, Ziegler takes care of office work for the coaches and even assists in the recruiting process for talented new upcoming players out of high school.

Ziegler said, “It’s a lot of work, but when you enjoy something, you don’t consider it work. It’s fun to do and will definitely help with my future career pursuit in the athletics and sports entertainment fields.”

Brianna Ziegler Interned for the New York Jets
Photo courtesy of the NFL

While gaining experience, Ziegler was able to put together a resume packed with an abundance of her involvement. This resume landed her an internship with the New York Jets over the summer going into her junior year of college. Ziegler commented on her excitement, “When I started playing football, everyone on my team watched the Jets. They were the very first team that I was introduced to so it was an honor to work for them.” As an intern, Ziegler helped transfer film footage from different booths as well as assist in various home game commitments. The internship was a dream come true for someone in her position and will no doubt benefit exponentially in the future. Ziegler stated, “It’s all about who you know, networking, making connections and building relationships with people.”

Brianna Ziegler
Photo courtesy of Brianna Ziegler

Ziegler has always known that she wanted to work in the professional sports industry, ideally the National Football League (NFL). While working closely with the Jets, she has realized that with hard work anything is possible.

In regards to pursuing a career path, she commented, “Follow your dreams. It’s not worth it to chase a career in a field that you do not necessarily have a passion for.”

While being involved in athletics, Kean University’s Coaches Rob Kurzinsky, men’s basketball, and Dan Garret, men’s football, have helped and mentored Ziegler in multiple facets of her college career. Ziegler considers Kurzinsky and Garret as role models because of their stellar outlook on life and strong passion towards sports. Ziegler commented, “Just being around the coaches and hearing them speak about their passion definitely motivates you to be the best you possibly can be and to really discover what you enjoy to do. I feel like by having a career that you wake up and relish, you are winning every day regardless of anything else.“

Brianna Ziegler
Photo courtesy of Brianna Ziegler