Monmouth College begins program in sports information and media
Monmouth, Ill. (11/17/2021) — On Sept. 29, Minnesota United FC and D.C. United met in a Major League Soccer match at Audi Field in the nation's capital.
When that rematch is held during the 2022 MLS soccer season, two Monmouth College graduates will have more than a rooting interest in its outcome. Andrea Correa '17 is Minnesota's digital content editor, while Kensey Arlt '21 is D.C. United's new video producer.
More Monmouth graduates will soon be set to join Arlt and Correa in the sporting world, thanks to a newly approved minor in sports information and media. The program features a sports media track and a sports information route.
"This grew from a couple places," said communication studies faculty member Chris Goble. "First, it grew from the sports communication class we started a few years ago. The initial thought of that class was to see if this interest in working in sports was a real thing or not, or if it was just a perception. The result was positive, and it got me thinking, 'Maybe we should look at this as a minor in this climate. Why not provide a path where students can do this?'"
Goble said a second origin source was Arlt herself.
"She self-designed some of this," he said.
Goble said that Arlt, who graduated from Monmouth in May, "kind of hodge-podged a major" out of a variety of sources - an independent study with him and "internships all over the place," including with the soccer team Tulsa FC, the Savannah Bananas minor league baseball team, the Orange Bowl and the Rice University athletics department.
In addition to positions similar to those held by Arlt and Correa, Monmouth's sports information and media program is designed to prepare students for careers as a social media manager, special events coordinator, sports information director, public relations director, sports writer and sports announcer.
Through their academic work, Monmouth students in sports information and media will take a deeper look at sports and the role it plays in society. Goble said that the global sports market is "an almost $400 billion business that is projected to grow annually 13%."
Students in Monmouth's new minor seeking real-world experience need look no further than their own campus, as the responsibilities of covering Fighting Scots sports has grown leaps and bounds over the past two decades. The College's sports information office produces webcasts of many home events, and most sports have stat crews staffed by multiple workers.
In their work, Arlt and Correa are frequently tasked with graphic design, photography and shooting video. Correa, who is bilingual, also generates content for her team's Spanish-speaking fans.
"I wish this was a thing when I was at Monmouth," said Correa, who went on to receive a master's degree in 2020 in digital communication and media arts from DePaul University. She began her job with Minnesota United later that year.
Graduating four years apart, Correa and Arlt were never teammates on the Fighting Scots women's soccer team, but they will be linked for their success in the sports industry, blazing a trail they hope many Scots will follow.
Media Attachments
Monmouth College graduate Andrea Correa '17 photographs a Minnesota United FC match earlier this year.
Kensey Arlt, who graduated from Monmouth College in May, is pictured during her time working for Rice University. She is now on the staff of the Major League Soccer team D.C. United.