GISB International Study Trip: An Unforgettable Experience

May 14, 2019

My first day on the job with India On Track (IOT) was 15th October, 2017. We happened to be in Bengaluru on that day for Premier League Live and, on the sidelines of that event, I spent the first morning of my first day on the job presenting the concept of an industry designed Sports Management program to Premier League Managing Director, Richard Masters. The objective of the presentation was to speak to Richard and his team at the Premier League about supporting our future sports management education institute through various ways, one of them being to host our group during an annual international study trip to the UK.

Fast forward a year and we have successfully established and launched the Global Institute of Sports Business (GISB) and the Premier League has officially agreed to serve as an Affiliate to the program, something that they have never done with any other post graduate sports management education institute in the past. After a few meetings and conversations with the team from the Premier League, we decide to organize the trip in May of 2018 so that our students can watch one of the last matches of the season as a bonus activity surrounding their industry meetings.

During the months leading up to the trip, Kate Hodgkinson who is Head of International for the Premier League spent a few days with our students in Mumbai to find out what they wanted to get out of their experience in the UK. This sessions were critical as it helped Kate and her team understand how to design the 9-day London intensive in a way that would be interesting and, most importantly, relevant for the GISB students.

Premier League Head of International Kate Hodgkinson and Head of Youth Neil Saunders helping our students prepare for the study trip while at the GISB campus in Mumbai

And although my team and I were on regular planning calls with Kate and her staff throughout the month of March and April working on the itinerary, I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t slightly concerned about how the trip would turn out especially given the fact that many of our students had never travelled outside of India. With these types of excursions, you can plan everything perfectly and the unexpected will always happen.

I remember when I was 15 my club football team, Orange Coast United, flew to Paris for an exposure trip. We landed on the night of Bastille Day and ended up losing a few of my teammates in the crazy Parisian streets only a few hours after landing. Then, on the following day, our bus was broken into and many of my teammates’ bags were stolen along with their US passports. This led to a lot of tension and few full days spent at the police station and the US embassy for all of us, even the ones who still had their passports. Needless to say, it was not the best experience and my concern was that something similar could happen.

My concerns grew stronger when a few of us who had booked Jet Airways flights to and from Europe had them cancelled a week before the trip due to Jet Airways severe financial problems. My anxious mind wanted to see this as a foreboding sign however my positive, optimistic side took over and I ended up booking another flight and doing my best to quell any unnecessary concerns about the upcoming trip to London.

In the end GISB’s first international study trip was a massive success. Every student and every stakeholder had a positive experience and it was honestly one of the best professional weeks of my life.

As I am a list-monger, I am going to share a list of 5 key personal highlights from the trip as well as 5 key learnings.

Key Highlights

Being treated like important guests at the Premier League office Boardroom and the Premier League Productions studios while each department gave us an overview of their respective area of business

The surprise visit of Prince Ali of Jordan at the AFDP Global visit and watching our student, Poonam Gautam, move the room, especially the Prince, with the way in which she expressed how football has made an impact on herself and her community

The Community Development sessions where we were able to spend the entire day watching how both QPR and West Ham United leverage football to contribute to the lives of others

Our morning meetings at the GISB Clapham Common ‘Mansion’ where there were typically more laughs than anything else – best way to start the day

Witnessing our students growing each day especially through their interactions with the various industry influencers we were meeting during the trip

Bonus Personal Highlight: Attending 4 football matches in 6 days (Champions League Semi-final, Europa Semi-Final, FA Cup Final (Women), Premier League Match)

Key Learnings

Building and aligning every detail of the itinerary around the vision and objectives of the trip is critical and produces extraordinary results

Our students are big people, we just need to give them the space, faith and the encouragement to step out of their comfort zones on a daily basis

As educators, we must focus on education through exposure versus just exposure

While marketing, operations and governance are important, many aspiring sports industry professionals will resonate with the development space – as its typically closest to home and job opportunities are clearer

Relationships and attitude are everything!!!

My whole body is smiling right now as I fly from Madrid to Mumbai on my way back from the study trip and post study trip meetings. The whole initiative was a success and, most importantly, our students are not the same people who arrived into London on 28th April. There really is no substitute for travel and first-hand experiences.