Student Spotlight
Lane Pywell
Lane Pywell
Sport Management Intern
WSU Esports
Overwatch 2 Varsity
What made you decide to study Sport Management at WSU?
I first came to WSU to study Game Design but after two years of doing so, I realized
that it was not for me and so I looked at where my life was headed and realized that
Esports was taking over a large part. After deciding that I wanted to pursue a life
in Esports, the Sport Management program was the next step in completing that goal.
Tell us about any Internships you have done or are currently doing? What do you hope
to learn from your internship experience?
I am currently doing an Internship through WSU鈥檚 Esports program for the duration
of the 2023-2024 school year. I am currently working directly under our Director of
Esports, Travis Yang, and our Assistant Director of Esports, Joeseph Mazzara. I鈥檓
hoping to learn what it takes to run a successful varsity Esports program in a Division-I
school. Event planning, team management, recruiting, and program growth are all areas
that I hope to improve in and gain enough knowledge to properly work in the Esports
industry.
What are your career goals?
My first career goal is to work my way up the corporate ladder in a professional Esports
organization, in the end, hopefully becoming a CEO/Owner of an organization. If that
does not work out, Plan B is to become a Director of Esports at a well-known collegiate
program.
What has been your favorite course that you have taken during your time in Sport Management?
SMGT 461 鈥� Legal Aspects of Sport/Physical Activity is my favorite class so far. It
was a very interesting course that dived into the behind-the-scenes, legal jargon
that people do not normally attribute to sports or just completely uneducated in.
If a friend asked about your time in the program, what would you tell them?
Its been great. It was a completely different experience than the Game Design program.
Everyone is super friendly, we all have a love for sports, and everyone is down-to-earth.
I鈥檓 extremely glad that I chose this program to study in.
What has been your favorite part of the program?
This may be corny, but my favorite part of this program has been the people I have
met in my time here. There has not been anyone that I鈥檝e met that was not friendly
and willing to help me with any issues I have come across, even if I never have taken
their classes yet.
What do you plan to do after you finish the program?
Once I graduate, I plan on going for my Masters in Sport Management. While I work
towards this degree, I still hope to work directly for Travis and Joe in learning
everything I can before I finish the program and use the knowledge I gain to work
on my career in Esports.
What have you learned in this program that you plan on taking with you once you graduate?
The biggest thing I have learned in this program is networking. Networking, what I
have learned, is one of the most important aspects to master in Sport and I will take
this knowledge everywhere I go, no matter where I go.
In five words or less, how would you describe the Sport Management program?
Fun, inviting, different, close, sports