The Applied Physiology and Sport Management (APSM) program, approved in 2009, is fairly new, but is quickly increasing in numbers, and is already shaking hands with major CEOs in Dallas — literally.

“The Sport Management concentration now has 93 majors and 43 minors and we expect that number to increase over the next few years as incoming students become aware of SMU’s program,” director of the sports management program, Michael Lysko, said.

The SMU sports management program took a trip to Frisco last Tuesday evening to not only watch Major League Soccer (MLS) team, FC Dallas take on Toronto, but also had the opportunity to meet with FC Dallas and Pizza Hut Park CEO, Douglas Quinn.

Douglas Quinn, a SMU alum who graduated in 1985, briefed the aspiring sport-managing students on his career path that led him to his success today.

He stressed to the SMU students that connections are everything, the key lessons he learned along the way, and to get involved in as many sports management experiences as possible. He then discussed the positive working environment in the FC Dallas community.

“I hope that the students were inspired by Doug’s enthusiasm and that they realize that there is no substitute for hard work and a positive attitude,” Lysko said.

Prior to FC Dallas, working with teams had been mainly about stats and figures for Quinn. It wasn’t until he began working with one of the oldest MLS teams in the nation that he found heart and true passion in his work.

This off-campus trip isn’t the first for the program.

“We started taking sport management field trips in our first year and do a different one every semester,” Lysko said. “The response from the students for these events – including the FC Dallas Trip, has been extremely favorable. We’ve attended Dallas Stars, Mavericks and Texas Rangers games, and now an FC Dallas game. Not only do the students get VIP treatment at the game, but they enjoy a insightful session with a senior executive, see the facilities firsthand, and get to know some of the people who work at Pizza Hut Park and FC Dallas.”

Before stepping foot into the stadium, the students were urged to sell FC Dallas match tickets as part of their assignment and test of marketing skills. The program succeeded in selling approximately 200 tickets that evening.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Campus after the lecture, Quinn recalled his pony-up days at SMU and perhaps the most important lesson from the Hilltop.

“The most valuable thing SMU provided for me was my English degree,” Quinn said. “I think communicating in writing and oral form is probably the most important tool that you can have in any discipline of any kind, because at some point you have to communicate your ideas, thoughts, interests – or if your negotiating and selling – mastering the language is extremely important.”

According to Lykso, the study of sports management, that has existed since the ‘60s, is making crucial advancements today. SMU carries a strong program for the popular major.

“We have been fortunate enough to recruit top-notch faculty, all of whom have significant experience in the business.”