Recently, NYU SPS Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport 2017 alum Eli Nachmany took a moment to chat with us about his undergraduate experience at the Tisch Institute, his career trajectory, and his experience teaching a seminar at his alma mater.
Nachmany, who is currently a judicial law clerk to Judge Steven J. Menashi at the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City, came to NYU SPS interested in sports broadcasting and journalism. “I had been the public address announcer for my high school's baseball team and I played football in high school,” says Nachmany. “But the NYU SPS Sport Management program opened my eyes to the many ways that a person can become involved in the sports industry—especially as a lawyer. I decided to pursue the sports law track and I haven't looked back.”
Nachmany is as passionate about family as he is about sports. “I enjoy traveling the country with my loved ones and seeing all the amazing things that America has to offer,” he tells us. “I am in the midst of a decade-long journey to see all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums with my younger brother; after this summer, we are up to 12 ballparks. Other passions of mine include getting involved with the game of football—including at the youth level as a referee—and publishing legal scholarship.”
Nachmany's advice to prospective sports management students is that, “You have to be a bit entrepreneurial. The experience will be what you make of it. Studying in the heart of New York City at a world-renowned institution, you have every possible resource available.”
“Apply for internships in the sports industry,” Nachmany urges students. “Be creative about what ‘the sports industry’ is, too—you don't need to start out with a professional team or league to begin building your sports resume. Develop marketable skills—if you understand how to code and analyze sports data, for example, you will be far more hirable. And forge authentic connections with as many of your classmates as you can. Friends and community make these experiences worthwhile, and on a professional level, your peers are going to be tomorrow’s industry leaders.”
This past spring, Nachmany had an opportunity to design and teach his own seminar, The NFL Labor Economy Through the Lens of the NFL Draft, at the Tisch Institute. “I am grateful to Dean [Vince] Gennaro, Dr. [Brianna] Newland, and NYU SPS for giving me the opportunity,” he says. “It was a blast. While writing NFL Draft columns for Sports Illustrated, I got to thinking about how NFL teams value their draft picks and how the yearly college-entry draft shapes the NFL's labor economy. So, I put together a syllabus for a course that explored these subjects in greater depth.”
As a student at the Tisch Institute, Nachmany honed critical thinking skills that prepared him for the professional arena. “The program gave me the tools to reason through complex questions, see all 360 degrees of a problem, and apply my learning in a practical way,” he says. “As a law student and a lawyer, I have used these skills on a daily basis. The NYU Sport Management program does a particularly good job of instilling a strong work ethic, professionalism, and leadership.”
Nachmany will soon make a move to Washington, DC, to join a law firm. “The lessons I learned from my time at the Tisch Institute have helped me approach my career with a seriousness of purpose. I'm so glad I came to NYU SPS.”