For many sports enthusiasts, a trip to the Spurs stadium is the adventure of a lifetime. On Dec. 2, members of the business club DECA got to experience that dream when they attended the Spurs Marketing Day, a program managed by the San Antonio Spurs where students located around the San Antonio area are given a chance to sample the world of sports marketing.

“There are many different opportunities available in the world of sports marketing,” business teacher Erin Mathias said. “I think they did a really good job of showing that diversity.”

Students who attended the marketing day were dismissed after second period, gathered at the bus arrival/departure zone, and driven to the Spurs stadium, with a brief break for lunch along the way. Once they arrived at the arena, the group was shuffled to the second floor where a Q&A session had been set up in order to provide information on a wide range of financial and marketing-related careers. The panel members present in the session were specifically chosen to showcase the many opportunities available. Most of the panel had been with the Spurs for a lengthy period, some for nearly a decade.

“My favorite amongst the panel was the man who managed ticket sales,” senior Sydney Harvey said. “He had some really good insight, particularly the one about being keeping an open mind to any sort of job.”

DECA members were then allowed to witness team practice before the game in courtside seats. For many of the students, this was their favorite part of the excursion.

“It was so cool to see them practicing,” Harvey said. “I never thought I’d be able to see Tim Duncan play from so close up.”

During the game, which ended in a victory for the Spurs, some students used this opportunity to explore the stadium, while others simply hung out and watched the match with their friends.

“I really like the sense of camaraderie we all had during the game,” senior James Dunlap said.

Many students report that the entire trip has had a very beneficial effect. Harvey believes that the experience has made her rethink her career decisions.

“I wasn’t thinking about sports marketing before, but after learning from the panel about how lucrative the career was and all of the different benefits you get, I’m going to have to look into it a lot more,” Harvey said.