UTampa students try the Gaelic sport, hurling during their last day in Dublin. Photo courtesy of Olivia Sheridan '26
Written
by: Brianna Kwasnik '16 M.A. '23 and Isabella Ferrou '26
|
March 21, 2025
Spartans Learn Leadership in Disney, Sport Management in Ireland
Spring break trips focused on learning and leadership for some Spartans.
Thirty UTampa students embarked on a leadership trip with Leadership and Competency, an office under Career Services, to Walt Disney World over spring break. Photo courtesy of Sofia McGinnis '27
Sofia McGinnis ’27 spent her second spring break at UTampa on a leadership trip to Walt Disney World with Leadership and Competency, in the Office of Career Services.
McGinnis, a theatre and communications double major, attended the trip last year, and was offered a position as a student leader this year, helping to oversee the 30 student participants.
“I found the activities to be fun," she said, "and I found the reflections to be interesting.”
Activities included a team building scavenger hunt at Disney Springs, which took students through the World of Disney store, the LEGO store, the Marketplace fountain, the Coca-Cola Store rooftop and more.
During the trip, the students learned about what it’s like to be a leader at Disney, characteristics of a leader and studied examples of Disney characters as leaders.
For example, Mufasa from “The Lion King” exhibits “visionary leadership,” while Simba has “transformational leadership” style, according to the trip facilitators.
However, the most interesting part of the trip for McGinnis, was getting to know the other students on the trip while waiting in long lines. She met a UTampa international student from Brazil, with whom she shared games common in each of their cultures, talked about how food and dating differ, and other differences between states and countries.
Another activity was called the “Imagineer Challenge,” which challenged students to problem solve like the Disney company. In this activity, students worked in teams to design a new Disney attraction, based on leadership values and incorporating at least three Spartan Ready competencies. They then presented their ideas in the style of “Shark Tank.”
“While we do learn about leadership, it’s very much integrated into the park,” McGinnis said, “So while it felt like I did learn something from this trip, it didn't feel like it was a class,” she said.
Sport Management and Human Performance in Ireland
Also over spring break, the Sport Management and Human Performance majors joined together for a 10-day faculty-led trip to Ireland, which offered numerous cultural and educational experiences.
Students visited the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) Museum and stadium, learned about the GAA’s role in overseeing Gaelic sports, and had the opportunity to play traditional games like hurling and Gaelic football.
Olivia Sheridan ’26, a communications major and sport management minor, had no specific expectations when she enrolled in the course—her main goal was to explore Ireland and experience studying abroad.
“It was so much fun to travel with such a great group of UTampa students and professors who are so nice and supportive,” Sheridan said.
Sport management lecturer Sara Gramata, Associate Professor James Weiner and Associate Professor JC Andersen, director of the athletic training program, guided the UTampa students through the adventure.
For the first half of the trip, students traveled to Donegal in northwest Ireland. There, they learned about the history of the architecture and the region’s culture, exploring historic sites such as Belleek Pottery, Donegal Castle and Sliabh Liag.
The group also got to surf at one of the top sites in the world on Arranmore Island. First-time surfer Sheridan loved the experience.
“It was very exhilarating and exciting, so I would definitely want to surf again,” she said.
For the remainder of the trip, they explored Dublin and visited the Sports Ireland campus, which is the “bleeding heart of Irish sport,” Sheridan said, explaining that Sport Ireland plays a vital, passionate and essential role in the country's sports industry.
While exploring this campus, Sheridan's perspective on sports management and career opportunities shifted, since Sport Ireland serves as the Olympic program's sports complex. Here, she gained insights into working with Olympic athletes and Gaelic sports.
“This trip opened my eyes to what different levels of working in sport look like, different departments and (the) amount of internship opportunities there are for students like me,” Sheridan said.
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