Brewer Pride
A Vassar College basketball player in a white and burgundy uniform stands in a triple-threat position on a hardwood court, holding a Wilson basketball while looking downcourt during a game.
A focused soccer goalkeeper wearing a light blue Vassar uniform and padded gloves stands in a ready stance in front of the net on a sunny grass field, prepared to block an incoming shot.
Stockton Photo, Inc.

For Those Interested in Sports-Oriented Careers—There’s a Club for That

Ever since Shea Fitzgerald ’27, left, and Jacob Raphan ’27, right, arrived on campus in 2023, competing in intercollegiate athletics has been a major part of their Vassar experience. Raphan, a political science major from Oceanside, NY, has been the starting goalkeeper on the men’s soccer team for the past two seasons, and Fitzgerald, an economics major from San Diego, CA, has earned Liberty League Player of the Year and Third Team All-American honors as a guard on the men’s basketball team.

Raphan and Fitzgerald plan to pursue careers in sports in some capacity when they graduate, and they’ve launched a student organization, the Vassar College Sports Business Association (VCSBA), to help others at the College with similar goals do the same. “We’ve been friends since we first arrived on campus, and shared our interest in sports-related careers,” said Raphan, “so we decided to find a way to create those conversations on campus.”

To engage others with similar interests, the VCSBA publishes a biweekly newsletter. A recent issue contained a story on a fledgling women’s basketball league that offers players a financial stake in their teams, and another on NBA star Steph Curry’s decision to dissolve his partnership with the Under Armour sports apparel company.

VCSBA also hosted a forum last fall on career opportunities in sports management. Panelists were Vassar alum Teddy Borgos ’24, a former Vassar soccer player now employed by an investment firm, Cedar Lane Capital; Rachel Walsh, Senior Vice President of Communications at Excel Sports Management, and Sean Gregory, a senior sports correspondent at Time magazine.

“About 30 students showed up for the event, and the panelists talked to them about ways of getting into the business,” Fitzgerald said.

VCSBA’s future plans include working with Vassar’s Career Education office to plan workshops on résumé writing and other topics for students who wish to pursue careers in the sports industry. Fitzgerald said he and Raphan are also working to recruit more student-athletes to join VCSBA. “We want to ensure this effort continues after we graduate next year,” he said. “Other colleges have such organizations, and we think it can really help students here shape their career plans.”—Larry Hertz

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