20A- Growing Your Social Capital

Will Pantages, Assistant Director of Digital Content for Football:

1. Will handles the communications side of the football program at the University of Florida and has a background with connecting and interacting with Florida Gator fans through social media. He works to engage fans and create buzz around the program as well as many other things. He has worked for the University of Florida for a few years so has a good idea on fans and Florida sports.
2. I am filling him in the expert on my market because he is engaged in the football at Florida which is similar to soccer and involves Gator sports. He knows a lot about the idea and market to give valuable insight.
3. I found Will through working at the UAA and contacted him through a meeting.
4. Will was able to give me information on how to market to Florida fans and create a buzz around the idea regardless of the on field performance. You have to know how to interact with fans in order to get a successful result. All Gator sports work can work cohesively to help each other so a successful soccer program can only help the association as well as allow us to share ideas on fan engagement.
5. He can enhance my opportunity to exploit an opportunity because his past experiences and knowledge can help us start our campaign with insider information on how to approach our market.

Maureen Tartaglione, Cox Sponsorship Regional Contact:

1. Maureen handles approval of sponsorship for Cox cable Communications. She represents the Gainesville/Alachua county region and supports the community through sponsorship. Sponsorship is important because it can provide funds for giveaways, events, etc... to further our ideas.
2. I am putting her in the important supplier because Cox already sponsors football, volleyball, etc... so their partnership is no doubt important to us as we get started and must create a program. 
3. I found Maureen through research on their website and email.
4. Maureen was able to explain the approval process for sponsorship and funding for our organization. Obviously each situation is different but with an involvement to the University of Florida it may make it easier and more viable for them to help. We know what kind of service sponsorship is and thus the return will work both ways.
5. I think we can exploit the opportunity by using the sponsorship to create marketing events to get fans and students into the games like T-shirts, etc... Fans will come out with an extra incentive besides the game itself.

Jamie McCloskey, Senior Associate Athletic Director

1. Jamie oversees Athletics here at the University of Florida and assists Athletic Director Scott Stricklin and Jeremy Foley in approving budgets, sports, etc... He has represented the University of Florida for many years and can offer my insights on the logistics and policies surrounding a Men's Soccer team. 
2. I am putting him in the Domain expert in my industry because of his vast expertise and experience here. 
3. I found Jamie through a class as he was my professor previously and talked to him.
4. Jamie was able to lay out the reasons why a Men's soccer team has not been fielded here and it seems to be because of the Title IX legislation. Few SEC schools even have any sort of soccer program because of this and also budgeting. The information he gave me was eye opening but steps can be taken later to possibly field the team here. 
5. This person will enhance my ability to exploit the opportunity because his knowledge and insight will allow us to take the proper steps to follow protocol and make sure we are not breaking laws. 

This experience definitely shaped how I will participate in future networking events. I believe before I was too narrow minded in who can help me when the truth is almost anyone can help or knows somebody who can aid in steps towards the goal. This experience differed in the sense that I am use to only talking to people in the sports industry when there are people who participate in sponsors, etc... who have just as much knowledge to learn from.