Jonathan Leneschmidt
Finding Your "Why"
FC Cincinnati Community Relations | SPTE 450
Over the course of my time in the UofSC Sport and Entertainment Management program, paired with my experiential learning through the Graduation with Leadership Distinction pathway and my internship with FC Cincinnati, I have developed a clear sense of purpose in the sport industry. My academic studies provided the foundation for understanding the business and cultural impact of sports, while my hands-on experiences brought those concepts to life in ways that reshaped my priorities and perspectives. These engagements have led me to my first key insight that defines my “why” in the sport industry. This insight connects classroom learning with real-world application, and that continue to shape how I envision my role in creating meaningful, lasting impact through sport.
The Business of Sport Is Rooted in Purpose
In SPTE 450 - Sales in Business Sport, I learned that financial sustainability is essential for the long-term success of any sport organization. At first, I viewed this primarily through the lens of revenue generation and cost control. However, my sponsorship proposal project for U.S. Speedskating challenged me to think beyond numbers by considering how partnership opportunities could align with the organization’s mission and brand identity. Similarly, my time with FC Cincinnatishowed me how financial decisions must also reflect community values and long-term positioning. For example, investing in free youth programs or outreach initiatives may not generate immediate revenue, but it builds trust, loyalty, and brand strength that ultimately sustain the organization. These combined experiences shifted my perspective, helping me see that sport management is not purely transactional—it is purpose-driven, balancing profitability with meaningful stakeholder relationships and social responsibility.
SPTE 450 - U.S. Speedskating Sponsorship Proposal
The Centrality of Fan Engagement
Through my coursework in the UofSC SPTE program, I developed an understanding of fan engagement as the foundation of sport management success. In class, I studied case examples where emotional connections drive loyalty, brand value, and long-term revenue. My internship as a Soccer in the Community intern with FC Cincinnati deepened this insight by showing me how fan engagement starts well before a match and often outside the stadium. Whether it was running youth soccer clinics or organizing pre-game community events, I saw first-hand that a fan’s relationship with a team is built through personal experiences, not just game-day performance. This reinforced the theory from my coursework while expanding my perspective to include community-level engagement as equally important to organizational success.
