Johan Cruyff Institute welcomes American high school students for an immersive academic experience in the sports industry prior to deciding their professional future
Orientation prior to university studies is essential for new generations who are at the point of choosing what they want to become in the future. If this orientation is provided by experts and leaders in the sector they want to discover, is part of a study trip abroad and the chosen city is Barcelona, the experience is unforgettable. Johan Cruyff Institute hosted a group of 24 high school students from various parts of the United States and South America at its international headquarters for a highly exclusive and enriching immersion in the sports industry.
The trip was organized by Putney Student Travel, a company specialized since 1951 in the design of study trips around the world, aimed at introducing its students to the business world from a most inclusive and globalized perspective in different areas of specialization. To get a glimpse of what it means to enter the sports industry, Putney knocked, for the second year in a row, on the door of Johan Cruyff Institute.
Students enjoyed the visits to FC Barcelona Museum, La Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper and La Masía-FCB’s Oriol Tort Training Center.
“I enrolled in the program because I love sport and I wanted to know if being part of this industry is the best for me,” said Alex Jennings, who hails from Los Angeles and is passionate about basketball. “Attending the classes allowed me to get an idea of what this world is like, because we’ve been with a lot of professionals with very diverse profiles. It’s been great and I think after these two weeks, it’s something I want to do, and I would love to go deeper into it when the time comes.”
“Attending the classes allowed me to get an idea of what this world is like, because we’ve been with a lot of professionals with very diverse profiles” – Alex Jennings (student from Los Angeles)
Johan Cruyff Institute designed a very complete two-week program consisting of 40 hours of classes, combined with exclusive visits to emblematic facilities such as the tour of the FC Barcelona Museum, La Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper and La Masía-FCB’s Oriol Tort Training Center, where the students received a talk from the director, Miquel Puig. These visits added a lot of value to two weeks of field learning from sport management professionals.
Two-week study trip with a full program of 40 hours of classes taught by professors and professionals from the sports industry.
In class, the students were given an insight into, among other things: the impact of digital transformation in the world of sport, by the digital product manager of FC Barcelona, José Luis Beltrán; the social work carried out by two exemplary foundations—the Cruyff Foundation, by Albert Sala and José Coronado (who, in addition to being an ambassador of the Foundation, is also director of the TRAM Barcelona Open wheelchair tennis tournament), and Play & Train, by its founder Sylvana Mestre; the fundamentals of strategic management and facility management, by Jordi Viñas, CEO and founder of Itik Consulting Sport & Leisure and academic director of the Master in Sport Marketing and Management at Johan Cruyff Institute; the impact of fan engagement in the marketing and sponsorship plan of sports organizations and clubs, by Lukas Dorda, director of online programs at Johan Cruyff Institute; and the management of sporting events, by Ferrán Giménez, director of operations at Ironman South EMEA.
Rama Al Namee, a student from Vermont and a women’s football player, said: “My expectations were exceeded. I really enjoyed it, each day we touched on different topics, and you could see the relationship between them and how it all came together in the end. I really liked the connection there was with the speakers, you could tell they had prepared for a class like ours. They knew that we were a group of young boys and girls, but they didn’t simplify the content, the information they gave us was of high quality.”
“My expectations were exceeded. Each day we touched on different topics, and you could see the relationship between them and how it all came together in the end” – Rama Al Namee (student from Vermont)
The trip from Mexico was also very worthwhile for Diego Martínez, who is excited to start his professional career with some more information. “It was incredible, a great trip with classmates that I will always remember. I wanted to come here to start choosing a career or to find out where to study. I am convinced that this trip will help me make that decision. There has been a perfect balance between academic experience, cultural visits and tourism. Just the fact of waking up and going to class in Barcelona is something totally different, which adds a lot to the experience of being here,” said Diego.
“There has been a perfect balance between academic experience, cultural visits and tourism. Just the fact of waking up and going to class in Barcelona is something totally different, which adds a lot to the experience of being here” – Diego Martínez (student from Mexico)
To accompany them on that journey outside their environment, to open their eyes and show them a world full of possibilities is the mission of Putney Student Travel. “When it comes to sport, there is no better place than Johan Cruyff Institute,” said Patrick Reyes, the group’s leader. “They never stop talking about sport. They know it’s an industry that’s hard to get into and learning from the people who are in it, in various fields, is very good. I think a lot of them came here with the idea of being agents or sport managers and it’s opening doors to a lot of other possibilities within the industry. It’s great to start as a fan, but if they want to get into this industry, they have to understand that having a passion for sport is great, but it’s also important to know all those other aspects that make the teams what they are.”
“It’s great to start as a fan, but if they want to get into this industry it’s also important to know all those other aspects that make the teams what they are” – Patrick Reyes (group’s leader)
That is the main mission of Johan Cruyff Institute, to professionalize the sports industry through good management, providing the new generations with the necessary tools to make a difference and anticipate the challenges that await them in the future. That airplane back home was full of youngsters with new ambitions and good intentions.
