East Texas A&M Student Gains Valuable Experience with WNBA’s Dallas Wings

Ruby Blaylock, a junior and Honors College student at East Texas A&M University, majoring in sport and recreation management with a minor in general business, spent her summer interning with the WNBA's Dallas Wings and the Dallas Wings Community Foundation.

The foundation works to positively impact the community, particularly women and girls, through initiatives focused on health and wellness, education, youth sports and other areas. Ruby assisted with game-day operations, special event coordination and community outreach, gaining hands-on experience in the fast-paced world of professional sports.

Her role included inviting nonprofit groups to games, creating event newsletters and researching new ways to engage with the community. On game days, she helped with the 50/50 raffle, which splits proceeds between a winner and the foundation or a selected cause. One raffle raised money for flood relief efforts in Central Texas.

Ruby said the most meaningful part of her internship was helping organize a special trip for a young Wings fan.

“From putting together a gift basket in [the fan’s] hotel room to arranging for her to sit in on a team practice, we built out a full itinerary for her and her mother, who had traveled all the way from Florida,” she said. “What stood out to me was not just the planning, but seeing how the entire Wings organization, players, coaches and staff, came together to make her dream a reality.”

The experience confirmed Blaylock's career ambitions in the sports industry.

“This experience was a reality check, and really proved to myself that this is something I am passionate about and could see myself doing in the future,” she said.

ETAMU's Sport and Recreation Management program prepares students for careers in sports business, event coordination, community engagement and facility management. Students complete coursework in areas such as marketing, sponsorship and administration, and finish with a required internship to gain professional experience.

Ruby said the lessons she learned will stay with her, stating that: “No matter what my future career is, I always want to stay active and involved in giving back to my community in some way.”