RaShauna Hamilton enrolled in the Center for Sport Leadership Master’s at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) with a vision of becoming a college basketball coach.
Craving more than the unfulfilling sales role she had landed in after her undergraduate studies, Hamilton knew the programme would give her an opportunity to take a coaching class while gaining experience in a graduate assistant role, which she secured with the VCU women’s basketball team.
However, what she did not realise at the time was how the 12-month Master’s would open her eyes to a range of exciting possibilities across the industry that would ultimately steer her down a different career path and into leadership positions that would allow her creativity to flourish.
“I went into the programme thinking I would get into college coaching, but the programme helped me to clarify that I wanted to go down a different route,” Hamilton says.
“I really enjoyed the classes that gave me a chance to be creative. One that focused on facilities was really fun, and then the final module gave us all the opportunity to host an event, which I did with an adaptive sports organisation in Richmond. That’s when I realised that working in this space would allow my creativity to blossom.
“The coaching class actually taught me lots of things about being a leader, so those skills were transferable into the workplace. Also, while I was unsure how helpful the leadership class would be at that early stage in my career, when I started managing people, I definitely started to lean on what I learned in that class.”
Enticing experience
While the Master’s gives students the opportunity to study at VCU remotely or in person, and many split their studies with a full-time job, Hamilton gave up her sales role to move to Richmond and focus on her Master’s. As a starting point, the setting felt right. “The city is not too big and you don’t feel lost,” she says.
Hamilton was enticed by the hands-on experience available through various modules spanning the sports industry’s numerous pillars. One such module included a memorable trip to European stadiums that gave students a fresh perspective of a truly global sector.
Hamilton adds: “The classes give you the ability to be innovative and come up with solutions that have longevity and are impactful as well as driving revenue. I went on from VCU to a job that gave me a chance to work on some wonderful projects.”
Putting what she had learned about impact, creativity and longevity into action at experiential agency GMR Marketing, Hamilton established a literacy bus for the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats. Nowadays, the ‘Charlotte Hornets Book Bus’, which survived the team’s rebrand, continues to inspire children in North Carolina to develop a love for reading.
Hamilton moved on to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and then spent more than six years with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium before she became vice president of community development at the National Women’s Soccer League’s Washington Spirit in March. However, VCU was never far away.
Inspiring others
When Hamilton signed up for the Master’s in 2011, she could not have imagined returning to the programme nearly a decade later in an adjunct teaching role. However, given the continuing impact of VCU on her blossoming career, the decision was natural.
After graduating, Hamilton joined the programme’s alumni advisory board to “help get new students involved, grow diversity and provide the best resources to students while they are there”.
After participating in a single-module, drop-in leadership class alongside her work, the course leaders, impressed with Hamilton’s knowledge and interactions with the students, invited her back in an adjunct role to teach a class about corporate responsibility through sport.
“It’s super exciting to do it and a really fun class,” she says. “I make sure I am always available to offer the students support and advice.”
Inspiring others to fulfil their potential is part of the ethos at VCU’s Center for Sport Leadership – and Hamilton is committed to passing on her experience and knowledge to sport’s future decision-makers.
“VCU was so integral to shaping my career and I’ve always stayed in touch with my classmates,” Hamilton adds. “The course taught me how to motivate people and make them feel valued, so I am always really proud if I can help others grow in the same way.
“VCU is invested in developing students and is helping to create powerful leaders in sport. I’m excited to have been part of the programme and excited to still be part of it.”