Ian Obici
The following story was submitted by Connor Starrs, a 2015 fellow of The Perfect Game Foundation.
- Name: Ian Obici
- School: University of Alabama ’14 (B.A. Business Marketing)
- Job or Internship: Ticket Sales Representative, Washington Redskins
How did working with the Perfect Game Foundation help you?
I began speaking with Del in early February when I was searching for careers in the sports industry. His passion for helping young job seekers shined through in our very first phone conversation. He offered me unwavering support without blinking an eye. Del gave me a great amount of insight regarding sports marketing and helped me connect with professionals in my field of interest. His guidance was a huge factor in helping me land a position with my favorite professional football organization. I cannot thank Del and The Perfect Game Foundation enough for helping me get a jumpstart into the sports business.
What advice would you pass on (pay forward!) to others who aspire to work in sports?
Stick with it. It’s hard to stay persistent in such a fast-paced industry, but it’s important to keep the end goal in mind. It’s imperative that you are willing to go the extra mile to achieve your dreams. Take full advantage of your connections and network as much as possible. Make sure you are knowledgeable about current events in the sports industry as well. It will all pay off in the end.
In His Words
"There is no substitute for Excellence – not even success. Success is tricky, perishable and often outside our control; the pursuit of success makes a poor cornerstone, especially for a whole personality. Excellence is dependable, lasting and largely an issue within our own control; pursuit of excellence, in and for itself, is the best of foundations,” The Heart of the Order, by Thomas Boswell (Doubleday, 1989).