Brendan O’Brien graduated from the School of Kinesiology Honors Program this past spring with a dual degree in sport management and journalism. Read more about O’Brien’s academic experience and his future plans below.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I grew up in New Ulm, Minnesota, and I’m the youngest of two siblings. From a young age, I was always drawn to sports because I was naturally competitive and self motivated. I started swimming competitively when I was 10. I then went on to play football starting in sixth grade and continuing that throughout high school. I was really fortunate enough to be a part of a school with a great athletics program. Not only was I able to learn a lot about football, but I was able to gain a lot of valuable life skills. 

What led you to sports management?

After high school and throughout my college career, I have continued to stay in shape and take part in various sports teams. Overall, there have been a lot of people who have made an impact on my life through sports. Because of that, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in sports. At first, I wasn’t quite sure what that was, but after taking an introductory course in sports management, I knew I was in the right place. 

Did you hold any internships/ work positions?

Yes! I’ve held several positions throughout college. I first worked for the Minnesota Twins in their call center. From there, I was able to network and land another job within their sales department as an intern. After that, I worked as a sports reporter for the Minnesota Daily. Finally, last summer, I had an internship with the American Junior Golf Association. In that role I traveled around a region of the country and ran golf tournaments. Through each of these positions, I was able to gain valuable experience to put on my resume, which has been a great asset when applying to jobs. 

What was your experience like as a double major?

One thing I really enjoyed about having a double major was the lack of overlap between my classes. It was nice to learn about two completely different topics and then be able to come back and relate them to one another. In my last semester, I took sports journalism and that was really the only course that I found to overlap with my sports management classes. I really enjoyed having my sports management classes and journalism classes being separate from each other. It was great to have courses that touched on sports, but also be in classes that taught me more about the technical skills behind reporting.

How did your experience in the School of Kinesiology prepare you for post-grad life?

My experience in the School of Kinesiology taught me a lot about effective communication. Whether it’s through my classes or with my advisors, I learned a lot about being able to ask the right questions. I also learned that it’s okay to ask for help. Being a student during COVID was no easy task, especially when working on my honors thesis. Time management can be difficult when working remotely, so I was a bit worried about finding the time to get my thesis done. But staying in open communication with my advisors really helped me. They helped keep me organized. 

Tell us about your honors thesis!

Growing up, I watched a lot of sports news and entertainment shows, not just the games. I noticed that prior to college, I watched the programs on TV. Once I got to college that changed. I no longer had the free time or a TV to watch those shows. So, I resorted to watching 60-second clips on Twitter and Instagram. This is how I came up with the idea behind my thesis. The title of the thesis was “Social Media and Sport: How Sports Television Networks use Instagram.” During a three-day period, I examined different Instagram posts from television programs associated with ESPN and Fox Sports. I was interested in seeing how these sports entertainment and news shows utilized social media to promote their programming. 

Thank you for sharing your college experience with us, Brendan! The School wishes you all the best in your future endeavors.