Ned Colleti’s London-Based Globalization of Sport Course Meets Students at the Intersection of Sports and Vocation
Textbook: None
Kellie Warren (’20) read the above note at the top of the Globalization of Sport syllabus in 2019. It was her first clue that this particular summer school class at Pepperdine University might be somewhat unconventional. Nevermind that the course was being hosted in London and taught by former Los Angeles Dodgers general manager, Ned Colletti.
By this point in her college career, Warren had studied abroad in Jordan and Switzerland. She’d already taken two courses alongside Colletti and completed an internship with the National Fitness Foundation in Washington, DC. In less than a year, she’d graduate from college and launch into her career.
But first, she had to complete this unusual course, which did not include any of the typical trappings of school. No classroom. No curriculum. No textbook. Yet, now, in retrospect, Warren, a corporate partnerships specialist working for the Los Angeles Rams, considers the experience an integral part of her college education.
“I find a lot of direct parallels between that class and what I do for a living,” she says. “It was my favorite course at Pepperdine, and I reference the knowledge I gained throughout that experience frequently.”
A Competitive Edge
The Globalization of Sport course was introduced at Pepperdine’s London campus in 2019. Colletti, with his 40 years of experience working in Major League Baseball, designed and implemented the class in hopes that it would distinguish the Seaver College sport administration student experience.
Kellie Warren alongside her cohort
Inspired by London’s confluence of culture and sports, Colletti developed a nontraditional course that focused on real-world interaction as opposed to lectures and lessons. For each cohort of students, he arranges a series of meetings with local sport executives. Students, throughout the history of the class, have visited the corporate offices of Wimbledon, St. Andrews, Arsenal FC, Manchester City, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball—to name just a few.
“London is an outstanding headquarters for the Globalization of Sport course,” says Colletti. “Many sports that were developed in North America have found their way to London, and at the same time, many sports that originated in Europe and gone global are based there. It works perfectly with my goals for the class, and I believe that it separates our students from the competition.”
By interacting directly with the major behind the scenes practitioners of sport, students are able to better appreciate that a career in athletics extends beyond the playing surface. They recognize that it takes a team of individuals—be they players, marketing executives, or brand relations experts—to make sports the major cultural touchstone that they are. More than that, with this rare and exclusive view into the world of athletics these undergraduates can begin visualizing just how they might endeavor to make major sports a purposeful vocation.
“This class broadens a student’s knowledge base as to how things work,” explains Colletti. “Sports is a very appealing profession to many. This particular course opens up students to how a series of specific sporting organizations market and grow globally. It gives students a chance to see different viewpoints and strategies on how to expand a business’s reach. The fundamentals of it are universal to how you would grow any type of enterprise.”
The Student Experience
Warren became interested in pursuing a sport administration career while in high school. It started when she witnessed the versatility of Ball Arena in her hometown of Denver, Colorado. Attending different functions with her mother, she watched as the stadium was transformed on a daily basis. One night it could be a hockey rink. The next day it could be used as a basketball arena. On the weekends it might host a concert. No matter what purpose it served, Warren was intrigued by the connective power of this sporting venue, and she wanted to get involved.
Chasing this passion, she landed at Pepperdine University. A student athlete competing in track—Warren chose Seaver College because of its many different and exciting campus locations. She was eager to study abroad, but she also knew that being on a main campus located just outside of Los Angeles would allow her to interact and network with major sporting teams.
The summer before her senior year, Warren flew across the Atlantic Ocean to get the best of both worlds. Studying under Colletti in London offered Warren and her classmates the chance to view how major athletic organizations run their businesses and why. Going through the course, she recognized a vocational calling to work in the major sports market.
“This class and professor Colletti stoked my desire to work in a top sport,” says Warren. “I learned through the experience that I didn’t want to work in a niche sport. I wanted to contribute to an organization with a large fan base.”
Kellie Warren alongside her cohort
For Warren, this fascination with popular athletics begins and ends with community. During her time in London, she witnessed the connection soccer fans forged with one another while rooting for their favorite team. She observed a commitment to tradition, which united generations of golfers, tennis players, and enthusiasts of these sports with ancient origins. And she watched as popular American athletic organizations sought to bridge the oceanic gap that exists between the US and Europe, linking the two together through their respective games.
Observing the transformative impact of sports abroad, Warren was motivated to join in on the fun.
The Payoff
After navigating a series of internships and entry-level positions straight out of college, Warren discovered a professional path that aligned with her goals. She began working in the Los Angeles Rams’ partnerships office in 2022, and since joining the organization, she has been tasked with identifying potential brand partners and helping to create international revenue for the team.
“I have to understand which NFL teams have marketing rights abroad and where the NFL sits from an international lens,” says Warren. “If I didn’t get the chance to live in London and interact with the locals, I would not understand how they viewed the game of professional football.”
Years removed from her class without a textbook, Warren credits the unusual, experiential nature of Ned Colletti’s Globalization of Sport course for much of her success. Beyond motivating and inspiring her to pursue a passion, the chance to interact directly with the organizations and their employees taught the Seaver College alumna that athletics extended beyond players, a coach, a general manager, and a team president. She learned that it takes a community of people to make athletics what they are. Most importantly, Warren recognized she had a role to play in this process.
“Kellie is a wonderful person and her way of managing her profession makes her a great representative of her family and Pepperdine University,” Colletti says, remembering his one-time student. “Now I send students to Kellie so that they can learn from her wisdom and her experience. She has walked the walk and already earned success.”
To learn more about the Globalization of Sport course, visit Pepperdine University’s International Programs website.