The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers · Brian Clapp - Work in Sports

Developing Your Sports Industry Leadership Skills

·35 min·2 clips

Casey’s original goal was to become the youngest Division I athletic director in the country.

1. The Work in Sports Podcast episode “Developing Your Sports Industry Leadership Skills” centers on leadership in sports careers and the Future Legends Complex in Windsor, Colorado. 2. Brian Clapp hosts the show and introduces Casey Katowski as executive director of operations for Future Legends and co-owner of the Northern Colorado Owls, the Grand Junction Jackalopes, and the Northern Colorado Hailstorm. 3. The episode asks what leadership looks like when a sports executive is building a new facility, leading a large staff, and trying to raise his ceiling in the industry. 4. Brian opens with Troy Polamalu, describing him as a former Steelers safety and Hall of Famer who led without being the loudest voice in the room. 5. Brian says Polamalu was still at optional OTA practices in 2012 and stood up for teammate James Harrison when Roger Goodell’s power was being challenged. 6. Brian argues that leadership is not directly proportional to experience and that interns can lead while 30-year veterans can fail at it. 7. Casey says his own goal is to “create a different way of thinking in the sports world” and to run his staff with authenticity. 8. He says he wants to “talk to the CEO of Apple the same way you would the janitor of McDonald’s” and to focus on bringing value to other people each day. 9. Casey says recognition does not motivate him, while supporting his team, his family, and shared goals does. 10. He says his leadership style was shaped by internships, mentors, and asking what he wants to be remembered for and who would want to sit next to him at work. 11. Casey says he leads by example and by strengths and weaknesses, including mindset rather than only skill set. 12. He says he is “not good at a lot of stuff,” that he cannot do everything himself, and that delegation is required when a project grows. 13. Casey says the organization started with himself, his father, and co-founder Ryan Spielberg, then expanded to almost 200 employees. 14. He says his original motivation was to become the youngest Division I athletic director in the country because he wanted to touch multiple sports and affect the student-athlete model. 15. He names Theo Epstein as his business idol and points to Epstein’s hiring by the Boston Red Sox at 28 as proof that young executives can be trusted. 16. Casey connects Epstein’s Red Sox and Cubs work to his own belief that people should try new approaches instead of repeating “this is what everybody else does.” 17. Casey describes Future Legends as a 118-acre complex in Windsor with professional stadiums, hotels, restaurants, dormitory space, and outdoor fields. 18. He says the site is only about 40% open and that the remaining work will continue through this summer and next summer. 19. This episode will appeal to sports students, young operators, and anyone building a team. 20. Listeners wanting game-day nostalgia or casual fan talk may skip it.

As heard by us

A practical, personal look at sports leadership and ambition.

This discussion centers on sports leadership and career ambition, with Brian Clapp and his guest weighing why someone would pursue the athletic director role and what that path is supposed to achieve.

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Hear how sports leadership gets built from ambition, examples, and perspective from inside athletics.

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