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FL HOSTS SEVENTH ANNUAL CAREERS IN FOOTBALL FORUM TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HBCU STUDENTS

December 13, 2022 By denise Leave a Comment

More than 50 students from Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs) have been invited to attend the seventh annual 2022 NFL HBCU Careers in Football
Forum. The annual forum, held in Atlanta, Georgia this year, will take place on December 16th.

Since 2016, the Forum has introduced over 300 students and entry-level athletic department
administrators to career opportunities in professional football. Each year, the Forum invites participants
to hear from sports industry professionals and creates networking opportunities for students to learn
more about their desired career paths. This year, attendees will represent 46 institutions.

“The Careers in Football Forum has served as an incredible platform to give diverse candidates an entry
into the NFL and explore careers in the sports industry. We are truly thankful to continue to build
meaningful connections with HBCU students from across the country,” said NFL Senior Vice President of
Football Operations, Arthur McAfee. “The Forum is one of several initiatives that deepen our long-standing relationships with these historical institutions and introduces us to HBCU leaders who will
continue to advocate for forward progress for our league.”

The event will open with a panel discussion entitled Business Operations Inside the League Office
featuring President and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons, Rich McKay President of the Baltimore Ravens,
Sashi Brown, President of the Denver Broncos, Damani Leech. The panel will share insights on their
roles and responsibilities leading the NFL’s business operations at the club level featuring ESPN Reporter
and Analyst, Leticia Harris as moderator. Other discussions will feature representatives from the NCAA
and ESPN, who will cover careers in college athletics and event administration.

New this year, attendees will engage with NFL league medical staff including the NFL Vice President of
Wellness and Clinical Services, Dr. Nyaka NiiLampti, Mount Sinai (OHBM), Dr. Reginald Miller, and NFL
Physicians Society, Amy Weiss. This panel serves as an extension of the NFL’s inaugural Diversity in
Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative aims to increase the pipeline of HBCU students interested in
pursuing careers in sports medicine and help diversify NFL club medical staff. The forum will conclude
with breakout sessions where attendees can engage with NFL HR representatives, club personnel and
NFL Legends in a smaller, open forum setting. In these sessions, participants will receive advice from
personnel on the ins and outs of their fields and guidance on career mobility.

Since the program’s inception, 14 students from the Forum have gone on to secure internships or full-time opportunities with the NFL, NFL clubs, colleges and universities, and other sports entities.
“The HBCU Careers in Football Forum provides participants access to professional skills and connections
to sports professionals across multiple facets,” said Monét Bowen, NFL Rotational Program participant.
“As an HBCU graduate (Howard University), NFL Experienceship Alumni, and current Rotational Program
Participant, I know first-hand how important opportunities such as the Careers in Football Forum are to
students’ success as they navigate the transition from college into their post-graduate endeavors. I’ve
been able to explore various career interests by receiving hands-on experience (within the business of
football) and establish meaningful connections, all thanks to the League’s commitment to advancing the
development of HBCU students through the Forum.”

The Careers in Football Forum is one component of the league’s larger initiative to increase
career development opportunities for students and athletic administrators from HBCUs. Similar
to the Careers in Football Forum, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens host the HBCU
Careers in Sports Combine, an annual event that gives attendees from over 20 HBCUs combined
an opportunity to interview the club’s human resource representatives and participating
partners. Additionally, this year, the Washington Commanders hosted the HBCU Sales
Symposium, an invite-only event at FedEx Field exclusively for seniors at HBCUs to learn about
sales and revenue generation for an NFL franchise, while the Atlanta Falcons announced a five-year sponsorship agreement with Wells Fargo to develop a Fellowship Program aimed at
creating relationships with local HBCUs and career opportunities for their graduates.

“Each year the NFL creates a unique opportunity for our HBCU students to be exposed to invaluable
information, people, and resources that can help them navigate their post-academic studies and pivot
into the workforce and a career in sports,” said the HBCU Conference Commissioners. “Our continued
partnership with the NFL along with their programming has led to thousands of our students
participating over the years. These type of experiences like the Careers in Football Forum is beneficial to
our HBCU students’ growth and development. We thank the NFL’s concerted effort to amplify diversity,
equity, and inclusion on a national level.”

During the 2020 season, the league established an online talent community to serve as a source of
diverse talent for current and future career opportunities accessible by the league office and NFL clubs.
Through the platform, HBCU students can submit an expression of interest that outlines their
professional experience, career goals, and specific interest in working in professional football. Individuals
can also interact with an NFL Talent Specialist to learn about league news, careers, networking
opportunities, and recruitment events after the Forum

4 Essential Skills You Should Teach Your Kids for a Successful Life

October 15, 2022 By denise Leave a Comment

When raising kids, parents often feel like they are in way over their heads. Raising a child is no small feat; most parents don’t know where to start. Schools focus on academics early on, but what else do kids need to succeed? It is easy to forget that kids are little people with big potential. And while academic skills are essential, some non-academic skills will help your child grow up as a well-rounded and successful adult. Let’s take a look at some crucial skills every kid needs…

Cooking

Cooking is a skill that will serve them well at any age, and it gets kids outside the box and thinking in ways beyond academics. Start your child cooking early; it takes patience and practice to get good at it. Parents can start by teaching their kids simple, nutritious recipes like cakes and muffins. As kids age, parents can transition to different skills, like making a simple applesauce recipe to use in other recipes or making their own pizza dough or pastry. You can also use food to encourage other essential skills. Cooking can encourage your child to be creative with their food by trying new combinations and experimenting with different ingredients. Cooking also promotes critical thinking, as kids must follow a recipe and think critically about what they are doing as they work.

Empathy

Empathy is understanding what other people feel and why they feel that way. Empathetic kids have the skills to collaborate, communicate and work towards shared goals. Empathy is a skill that parents can cultivate through everyday interactions and playtime as early as toddlerhood. Start with reading books with your child that highlight different cultures. This sparks curiosity and gets kids thinking about how people around them live and the differences between their lives and their own. You can also try playing age-appropriate board games that encourage your child to think about how their choices affect other players in the game. You can also try getting creative with arts and crafts. Many materials, like colored paper and glue, allow your child to get creative while also thinking about how their creations make other people feel.

Resilience

Kids who are resilient bounce back from failure and challenge themselves. They don’t feel like failures because they don’t give up when they fall. They learn from their mistakes and don’t let them stop them from trying again. Kids can develop a high degree of resilience through active play. When your child is outside playing, they are bound to fall and get hurt. Instead of rushing to their side, encourage your child to get back up and keep playing. Resilience is also cultivated through silly, child-focused activities like dress-up or themed play. These activities encourage kids to engage in imaginative play without feeling like they have to be “perfect,” like in many academic settings.

Time Management

Like cooking, time management becomes increasingly important as your child grows up. Kids who understand managing their time will be more efficient, productive, and successful in school and beyond. Your child will benefit from working their time as early as they can read. Start with simple books that introduce kids to the concept of schedules and to-do lists. As your child gets older, they can start scheduling their own time. Give your child a calendar and encourage them to write down their engagements. This will help them think critically about how they use their time and identify areas where they can become more efficient.

Conclusion

As you can see, many non-cognitive skills are just as important as academic skills. If you start early, you can help your child develop these essential skills and set them up for a successful life! These skills will help your child succeed in life and grow into a well-rounded, successful adult.

The Toy Insider Sweet Suite 2020-The Virtual Event

August 7, 2020 By denise Leave a Comment

The Toy Insider Sweet Suite Main Stage

Every year, for the past decade, I would mark my calendar in July for the Biggest Night of Play. I am talking about Sweet Suite. Sweet Suite is the place were you can see the hottest toys and play trends before they are released for the holiday season. This year due to COVID-19, I wondered what would become of my favorite event of the year. No problem the team at the The Toy Insider, had the answer. We would have the ultimate virtual toy party where members of the media and digital influencers would remotely see all the new toys from over 50 toy brands.

I don’t know what it took to change this event to a virtual one, but they did a great job. When I first logged in it took me a few minutes to get use to the layout but it soon became clear and I got the hang of visiting the booths. You were able to walk up to a booth and had the option to review information or get videos on the toys and also have a zoom meeting with representatives from the brands. During these meetings, you got to watch the toys in action and talk with the representatives just like if I was there in person.

While the event was online, I spent the entire time visiting with all the vendor booths and attending my scheduled meetings. Before the start of the event, I had brands reach out to schedule one on one meetings with me. It was great, I was able to plan my schedule ahead of time. While I miss seeing all my friends and the representatives in person, the Toy Insider did a great job given what is going on in the world.

Sweet Suite is a great event, because you have companies like Crayola, MGA Entertainment, Nintendo, Mattel, Funrise, Spin Master and other attend. There is so much to see and so much information to get. I love see all my favorite brands present their new toys. I have already started to review some of the products. In addition, Sweet Suite send you a big box of swag after the event, so it is even more special.

One of my favorite toys came from Funrise Toys, it is Bright Fairy Friends. It is a blind unboxing toy. The jar and fairy light up. They are twelve different fairies to choose from. This is going to be a hit this holiday season.

Another brand that had things I love was Skyrocket, They had the Chocolate Pen. Who wouldn’t want to be able to create beautiful chocolate masterpieces.

MGA Entertainment has the Rainbow High Fashion Dolls, Sing-Along Lilly and Secret Crush. Also I can’t forge Spin Master that has my Hatchimals and the new The Animal toy.

These are just a few of the highlights. I will review more of the toys in the next couple of weeks so stay tune.

I can’t thank the team enough for what they did. For one day, I got to be a kid again and get lost with toys.