Don Wright
Professional golfer

Obstacles: One of the major challenges is sponsorship, support, and backing. We have the talent to get there, we just don’t have the financial backing. It’s very expensive. It’s a hundred thousand dollars a year to play on the PGA tour.

Opportunities:There are jobs out there that pay between 60 to 300 hundred thousand dollars a year. [From] head professional golfer, professional golfer, director of golf, sales, superintendent of golfers, tournament golfer, etc. 

Advice: I would say [they] need to be dedicated and diligent about what he’s looking for. Have that vision in mind [of] what [he] wants to do as a professional and just stay focus, put aside all distractions.

Von A. Dubose
Attorney at Law; Bondurant,
Mixson & Elmore, LLP

Obstacles: The number one challenge is access to capital to begin their career in sports especially for those individuals who are not a part of a larger organization. Access to capital is very important because it’s a very capital driven industry.

Opportunities: I’ve always leaned towards creating opportunities and I … encourage [others] to create their own opportunities such [that] they have a lot of control over their career plan. Opportunities are only limited by your imagination. If you have a passion for a particular area, I would encourage you to follow your passion.

Advise: Get started early, when you’re an undergraduate, [and] don’t be afraid. Reach out to people who are established and ask them for help. I get a lot of inquiries from young people who are interested in sports and what I try to do is impart knowledge that I’ve gained from experience.

Marshawn Evans
President/CEO; Edge3M

Obstacles: I think that traditionally African Americans haven’t had a role off the court or off the field — not in positions of authority or ... power or influence. As a young black female who represents primarily male athletes, there’s an additional challenge of being taken seriously.

Opportunities: There are far more opportunities in the management side, and the professional side of sports than there are [actually] playing. There [are] a variety of different internships and ... ways to get experience but ... first you have to plant the seed so that their skill set can be utilized in a sports arena.

Advice: The number one thing is sincerity. People think that sports entertainment is glamorous ... You have to be willing to work hard [and] ... understand why you want something and communicate that passion.

Michael Stovall
Attorney at Law

Obstacles: Black people are just [recently becoming] business professionals off the field. Our counterparts have known for years what we are now learning. So, the hardest parts are [getting] the knowledge base and [finding] someone as a mentor.

Opportunities: There are a lot of avenues that you can [take.] I’ll take a person, then develop their idea into a foundation [so] they can give back to their community. We’re now making money, real money, that we can pass onto our grandkids to be able to grow and give back to the community [that] we came from.

Advise: Learn. Go online. Go online and type in what you want to do. See if it’s really what you want to do, because you may get into a position that you really don’t want to be in and its hard to get out.  Also, start early. Don’t wait until your thirty to start. Go ahead and start when you’re 18 [and] find a mentor.

Chianti Phillips
Executive Assistant to the Sr. V.P.
of Operations; Los Angeles Lakers

Obstacles: In my company there [are] not too many African Americans. I think  [there are] about 3 of us [in] a company of about 250, working [on] the administrative side. There would be a challenge because there are so few of us there, but it is a diverse [environment].

Opportunities: The structure of a small sports team is a little different than a regular company. [As I said], we have about 250 employees, [so] it’s a bit of a challenge to get into a position and move up. Sometimes you have to get that entry level position, leave the company, and than come back in order to elevate to that director position — just because of the way that it is structured.

Advice: Don’t [limit] yourself [to] just one area of sports — there’s a community relations side, there’s a sponsorship side, there’s a business operations side, there’s a human relations side.  Just try any position that you can, [and] don’t be afraid to research.

Don West Jr.
Attorney at Law,
Charter Legacy and Trust

Obstacles: One of the biggest obstacles is perception. Everyone [has] an opportunity to change the perception.

Opportunities: I think there [are] unlimited opportunities. You have globalization so you have increased markets and then you have increased delivery channels. The internet is changing the way media is delivered, so the opportunities really are limited by the imagination at this point, because you almost have a level playing field due to technology.

Advice: [You] have to really focus on their objectives and once they have a clear understanding of what their trying to accomplish, [they] have creativity and persistence in seeking their goal. As long as they have a clear goal and objective they can work towards it.

Wm. David Cornwell, Sr.
President; DNK Cornwell law firm

Obstacles: Certainly the progress is significant, [but] there are many areas that we still need to make improvement in. I think those that are coming behind us should have a great degree of confidence and a high degree of expectations [in] their ability to break in.

Opportunities: I think that law is a great area for someone to [seek] to take their experience in the law and use it to challenge the business of sports. We have seen sports grow in to multibillion dollar industry in America. It’s our primary source of entertainment in America. 
 
Advice: Believe in yourself and I will tell you right now that if David Cornwall can find a way to be successful in the sports industry, than everybody who reads or listens to this should have a high degree of confidence in their ability to do so as well. It is not that difficult as long as you believe in yourself. You set a goal, a target, and work your way towards it.

Lisle Dorsey
Assistant box office manager;
Live Nation at Lakewood Amphitheater

Obstacles: You have to start out at the bottom. That’s just the way it is [whether] you’re on the field, on the court, or on the ice. Another obstacle is the advancement. Once we get in there, it’s a slow advancement to move on up the ladder. Part of it is the industry, [but] we sometimes ... get complacent.

Opportunities: [There are] opportunities in security, marketing, accounting, sales, administrative, even switchboard.

Advice: Don’t come out [expecting] that you’re going to make a whole lot of money. You’re going into sports because you love the industry. That’s the perspective you have to [start] with. If you love what you do, then your going to do the best at it.