Perhaps the only one of its kind nationwide, the exciting new partnership between Assumption and the Worcester Red Sox expands student-learning opportunities and enhances the institution’s role in contributing to the revitalization of Worcester.
The excitement inside the packed Brian ’83 and Paqui Kelly Atrium in the Tsotsis Family Academic Center reached a World Series apex on October 25 when Assumption announced a partnership with the Worcester Red Sox as the exclusive higher education sponsor and one of the team’s 21 founding partners.
One of the most enthusiastic onlookers was Kailyn Hart ’19. A marketing major and sport management minor, Hart spent last summer interning for the Pawtucket Red Sox. “The internship really opened my eyes to what it means to have a career in sport management,” said Hart, who plans to stay at Assumption a fifth year for the accelerated M.B.A. program in business management. “I loved it. The last day of my internship was especially crazy because that’s when we found out the Pawtucket Red Sox were coming to Worcester.”
When Assistant Professor of Management Libby O’Hara heard the team was considering Worcester as its new home and was searching for an institution of higher learning to act as one of the founding partners, “I knew it had to be us,” she said. “Having a Triple-A baseball team located in our city was a one-in-a-million opportunity for a partnership that could really benefit our students.”
After meeting with President Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D., and other faculty and administrators, Prof. O’Hara sprang into action, speaking at a public forum at Worcester City Hall and engaging with team leadership.
“Assumption was an enthusiastic supporter of our new ballpark from the start,” said Club President Dr. Charles A. Steinberg. “The welcome we received from … Assumption embodies the remarkable reception we received all over the city of Worcester. We look forward to a partnership that rewards their faith in us and that rewards their students handsomely.”
Of course, it helped Assumption’s visibility that Prof. O’Hara had not just one, but two hard-working students who recently interned with the Pawtucket Red Sox. In addition to Hart, Jean-Manuel Martinez ’18, an international business major with a sport management minor, had interned with the team and was hired by their community relations office after graduation.
Speaking at the press conference, Martinez noted that Assumption students are tasked with “fulfilling the institution’s mission of becoming intelligent graduates who will make a difference in our communities.
The Red Sox could not have picked a better partner to work with when it comes to engaging and enhancing community relations across the city.”
A Ball Park and a Classroom
Through this strategic partnership, Polar Park – the 10,000-seat stadium slated for completion in 2021 – will become a classroom for Assumption students. They will have guaranteed access to internships and experiential learning opportunities that complement the institution’s academic programs in business studies, data analytics, human services and rehabilitation studies, the communications track in English, and many more. The partnership will also expand access to higher education for the city’s qualified students through co-branded, matching scholarships from Assumption and the Worcester Red Sox.
The partnership provides Assumption the means to establish a highly visible presence in downtown Worcester where it can make greater contributions to the revitalization of the city.
Once Polar Park is completed, Assumption will offer after-school programs there, as well as English as a Second Language course for city residents and even team members, many of whom were raised in Latin America. And the ballpark won’t just host the Worcester Red Sox; Assumption’s athletic teams will have a chance to play on the field.
In many ways, the partnership between the baseball team and the institution is unique, said President Cesareo. “It revolves around a commitment to experiential learning both on our part and on the part of the Red Sox,” he said, “and allows Assumption an opportunity to make a difference in the city and in the lives of its citizens.”
Larry Lucchino, chairman and principal owner of the Worcester Red Sox, agreed. “It’s a multidimensional educational partnership. I think what we’re doing here is extending the concept of education through professional athletics by opening our doors to you and your doors to us.”
“We love it when we can use baseball to come off the diamond into the community and into the classroom to help inspire people to discover the dreams they didn’t know they could dream,” added Dr. Steinberg, “and perhaps bring the path into focus that will make those dreams come true. If we can open doors for students, open their eyes, and, most importantly, open their hearts and souls to help them identify what they’d love to do if it were only possible, maybe they’ll find their paths take them through Polar Park.”
WHAT’S IN A NAME? Business Students Team Up with Red Sox to Conduct Market Research
This past Election Day, millions of Americans voted in the midterm elections. In Worcester, city residents also cast votes on the new name of the Triple-A affiliate of the World Champion Boston Red Sox. Leaning on their new partners, the team’s front office staff and more than 20 Assumption students collaborated in a citywide market research project.
Assumption business studies students helped club staff manage five ballot locations across the city of Worcester where voters were invited to cast a vote for the team’s new moniker.
“The collaboration between the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and Assumption students was the first of many joint efforts and an example of the firsthand experience students will receive as part of the new partnership,” said Libby O’Hara, assistant professor of management.
Danielle Racicot ’19 was one of the students working the polls. “We’re taught to find the deeper meanings behind specific actions for marketing. In this case, it was nice to hear people explain the reasoning behind why they would or would not like the Worcester Red Sox to be called the WooSox.”
Leslie Roda ’19 agreed. “In our sport marketing class, we talk a lot about how important market research is because you really need to know what your consumer wants and needs,” she said. “We witnessed firsthand how important it is to go into the community to engage with the target market and see what they want, especially when it comes to the name. It may seem like a small thing, but it can go a long way in obtaining a loyal fan base.”
This market research project was a three-week-long initiative by the Triple-A organization to poll Worcester-area residents regarding their opinions and preferences for the team’s name and/or nickname.
