While the Texas Rangers' 50-year history in Arlington was written by many, country music star and legendary icon Charley Pride will remain a piece of this team’s history for years to come. Revered by his colleagues, friends, and fans for paving the way for others, the former Negro Leagues ballplayer hoped to see a world with room for everyone.
With Mr. Pride’s inspiration, the idea for the Charley Pride Fellowship was born.
Getting your foot in the door as a college student looking to work in sports can set your career on a new trajectory. With a finite number of opportunities in the sports world, landing that first internship or full-time role is no small feat.
Entering the sports world is challenging enough, and history has proven the scales aren't always even for job candidates from diverse backgrounds. The Rangers wanted to challenge this standard.
The set-up is simple: Five college students from diverse backgrounds are hired and trained by the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation for a 10-week internship. Each student selects three departments to split his or her time and spends the summer learning the ins and outs of the ballclub.
Even after his passing, Charley Pride continues to be part of the Rangers through a program that breathes new life into this organization and the entire league.
When the fellowship was announced last March on what would have been Mr. Pride's 87th birthday, no one could have imagined the success of this program. The five selected candidates, narrowed down from hundreds of applicants, put in the work, and laid the foundation for the future, forever changing this organization.
Kendall Coleman -- Coleman, a University of North Texas student studying sports entertainment management, selected business partnerships, analytics, and baseball operations for his departmental rotation. Coleman's decision to apply for the fellowship was easy.
“A fellowship focused on recognizing diverse college students looking to become executives in the sports industry was the perfect opportunity for me last summer,” he said.
As a former professional baseball player, Coleman possesses a unique knowledge of the game, which came in handy while assisting the baseball operations team. But this fellowship allowed him to prove that he is more than an athlete.
While on the team, he worked to identify potential partnership opportunities, developed plans to increase efficiency within the guest services department, and assisted on several operations projects for Draft day and player development.
Reflecting on his experience, Coleman said, “The amount of value in this program was immeasurable. The summer included first-hand experiences with executives, the opportunity to grow my network, and increase my confidence by seeing my skills on display in a professional setting.”
After graduation in May, Coleman will begin the next step in his sports career as a full-time scouting and player development apprentice with the Rangers baseball operations department.
“Looking back, I can’t think of one reason why someone wouldn’t want to apply for this fellowship,” he said. “I believe one of the most beneficial things was laying the foundation for a potential career in the organization. The fellowship provided me an opportunity to gain valuable experience while simultaneously showcasing the talents and skills I could bring to the organization if hired full-time.”
Ashley Go -- “The diversity and versatility that the Texas Rangers were able to offer in their front office made me want to apply immediately,” Go said. “Seeing the Rangers' desire to bring more diversity and dedicate this entire fellowship to Mr. Charley Pride was humbling. The chance to learn more about Mr. Pride’s legacy with the Rangers and why the organization was so special to him was a chance I was not going to miss.”
During her summer job search, Go came upon an internship that would eventually send the American University lacrosse player to Arlington, Texas, her new home for the summer. While she wasn’t sure she always wanted a career in sports, Go, described as a curious, determined go-getter, established her place in the industry.
Go selected business partnerships, communications and legal for her rotation, which provided new insight and helped remind her why she wanted to work in sports. Moving to a new city on her own helped her develop a new sense of independence, individuality and confidence.
In her final semester studying communications at American, Go has applied these lessons to her everyday life. For her senior capstone course, Go is researching the significance of the name, image, and likeness rule on female college athletes and how it's enacting more Title IX hurdles. She will surely offer a unique perspective as both a professional in the sports world and a Division I athlete.
After graduation, Go will begin her post-graduate front office internship with the Washington Spirit women's soccer team.
“The Charley Pride Fellowship has most definitely helped me prepare for this role, knowing how to balance the fast-paced sports environment and the commitment needed to bring success,” she said.
Cornysia Island -- The North Texas native spent her summer on familiar turf, but it was far from typical. During Island’s 10 weeks with her hometown team, she rotated through baseball operations, marketing and player relations, picking up new skills along the way.
“I gained an undeniable life-changing experience,” she said. “Because of this program, I am where I am today -- a graduating senior who will soon be receiving a bachelor's degree and continuing my education to receive an MBA in sports administration.”
Beyond gaining incredible work experience in her time as a fellow, Island was honored to represent Charley Pride and fulfill his mission to “bridge the gap” for people from diverse backgrounds looking to pursue careers in Major League Baseball.
Island recounted her time with the Rangers remembering some of her favorite projects such as creating graphics for the first annual TEX Gala and improving the nursery for players’ families. One of the biggest highlights from her experience was the lifelong friendships she formed with her peers.
“The Rangers are not just a team or corporation. It's a family,” she said. “You will be introduced to the entire office, allowing you to gain personal business relationships with members across the organization. The access and knowledge received in this program speaks for itself. This internship will exceed your expectations.”
Island’s focus, self-awareness, confidence and outgoing personality will set her up to succeed as she hopes to transition from a college athlete to one day becoming an athletic director.
Neemekh Mudvari -- Mudvari is currently entering his final year at the University of Texas at Arlington and will graduate ahead of schedule with a degree in broadcasting. After hearing about the fellowship on campus, he took his chances and applied.
Before starting with the Rangers, Mudvari certainly wasn’t the most knowledgeable about baseball, but his grandfather’s passion for the sport always piqued his interest.
During his 10 weeks with the team, Mudvari worked with game-day production, communications, and sales. Through each rotation, he showcased his hard work, brilliant perspective and will to succeed. Oh, and by the way, he’s officially a baseball fan now.
Some of his highlights included diving headfirst into his work with the Rangers' game-day technical director running pregame production, generating leads within the sales department, and finding new avenues for personal, professional and academic growth.
One of his proudest moments came as a member of the communications team. “At the end [of the fellowship], I wrote an article for the Rangers magazine. My grandfather had it framed, and it is hanging in our home in Mexico. He holds it as a symbol of pride, showing that his grandson worked in the Major Leagues,” he shared.
“If you are interested in the worlds of sales, production, communication, or other fields, be it baseball or not, this is the best opportunity to get a mix of multiple pieces within an organization,” he added. “If you do apply and get accepted, you will never forget the connections, the friends, the experiences, and the incredible views at Globe Life Field.”
Jordan Thomas -- The graduate student brought his polished personality into the baseball operations, business partnerships and marketing departments. When his mentor notified him about the Charley Pride Fellowship last spring, Thomas was ready for the opportunity to explore an MLB front office, bringing the former player a new perspective on baseball.
“Each fellow will get out of this internship what they put in, there are no limitations,” he said. “Everyone decides what type of experience they want to have based on their interests. By approaching it this way, you are sure to gain practical experience you cannot learn in the classroom, possible mentors, a generous network, and a job opportunity with the Rangers or another sports organization.”
Beyond gaining knowledge of the industry, for Thomas, one of the biggest takeaways from his experience was getting to know more about the country music star who inspired this program.
“This fellowship embodies who Charley Pride was, a multifaceted legend who trailblazed the way for individuals like me, who aspire to be more than just an athlete,” Thomas said. “His impact in baseball extends past the Rangers into other organizations. Charley made it possible for people who look like us to be in rooms we may not have been in, and he opened the door for us to belong in an MLB front office. Charley serves as a beacon of his last name, Pride.”
Thomas channels this inspiration from Charley Pride in his current role for the MLB Players Trust as the community and player engagement intern while completing his final semester of graduate school.
While none of their journeys were completely the same, this program united the first five Charley Pride Fellows. The hard work these individuals put forth will shape this program moving forward, and their impact will be felt in the front office for years to come.
Each new fellow, following in the footsteps of those first taken by these five students, will earn the opportunity to achieve his or her dreams. Dreams that may not have been possible without Charley Pride.
The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation is accepting applications for the 2022 Charley Pride Fellowship through Friday, April 1. To apply or learn more about this paid 10-week internship opportunity, visit texasrangers.com/charleypridefellowship.