Using the FIFA World Cup as one of several real-world examples, campers explored careers in sports journalism, broadcasting, public relations, social media, content creation and fan engagement while gaining hands-on experience producing sports content for video, audio and digital platforms.

For many students, the tournament reinforced a lifelong passion for soccer.

"I want to be with soccer my whole career," said Tim Schediwy, a rising senior from Philadelphia. "I know that's not necessarily being on the field. Sports communications allows me to be there, work with players, work with broadcasters, commentators, former players, get that connection, really communicate the game that I love."

Schediwy, who grew up in a German family where soccer was central to the culture, said he recently experienced the excitement of the World Cup firsthand while visiting relatives in Germany.

"It was great up until Germany got eliminated," he said. "Once the World Cup came on, everyone started getting a little more patriotic, loving the country again and uniting. It was really nice to see."

For Arjun Srivastava, a rising sophomore from Boston, the program changed the way he views sports broadcasts.

"When you watch the broadcast, after seeing the kind of work that goes into it, I think of it differently," Srivastava said. "You see how it works differently because you've seen kind of how the sausage is made."

Srivastava said he hopes to pursue a career in sports journalism and broadcasting, using storytelling to help more people understand and connect with soccer.

Led by Nick Pietruszkiewicz, assistant professor of journalism and interim program director of sports communications, the Game Changers program introduced students to the many career paths available throughout the sports industry through hands-on learning, conversations with industry professionals and practical experience.

"There are a lot of soccer fans in here," Pietruszkiewicz said. "I asked them Tuesday morning, 'If I were to give you a ticket to anything in the world, where are you going?' A bunch of them said the World Cup."

With the tournament capturing global attention, Pietruszkiewicz said it provided an ideal opportunity to show students the growing range of careers surrounding the sport.

"I think with the goal of the World Cup, especially in this country, where we care maybe once every four years, this is that platform and the opportunity to tell that story," he said. "There are going to be plenty of media opportunities, PR opportunities, all kinds of opportunities."

Throughout the week, campers learned how communications professionals prepare coverage, build fan engagement and shape the experience surrounding major sporting events. They also explored the wide range of roles that exist beyond reporting.

"The camp itself is sports communications — it's more than just journalism," Pietruszkiewicz said. "It's PR, it's advertising, it's social media, it's game day operations. You want to be the person who helps organize the concert that goes on between halves or the giveaway between periods at a hockey game. Those are jobs in sports communications."

While the World Cup served as one example throughout the week, the program's broader goal was to help students discover the many careers that make sports possible beyond the competition itself.

The program returns for another session July 27–31.