Minor League Catcher A.J. Lewis’ Game Plan for a Sports Business Career
A.J. Lewis '22 has a game plan: one that goes beyond his career on the diamond, thanks in part to the Northwestern University Master's in Sports Administration program.
As a promising student-athlete at Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, A.J. occasionally worked out alongside the Chicago White Sox (his classmate’s father worked as the team's strength coach). One day, Kenny Williams, the Sox’s executive vice president, encouraged young A.J. to think about his future, asking him to consider what plans he had beyond professional baseball. “It's such a slim chance that being a pro player will work out. What would you want to be?"
A.J. says Williams’ advice resonated. “I was like, ‘You're right. I don't want to not have anything to fall back on.’” He decided to pursue baseball and lay the groundwork for a future business career at the same time. “I knew that I wanted to continue my learning and stay abreast of everything. That's how you stay successful.”
Laying the groundwork for a sports business career
In 2020, A.J. was signed by the Colorado Rockies as a free agent while taking summer classes at the University of Arkansas. He was drawn to their promise of covering his tuition if he went back to school. “Because it was Covid, we didn't know what was going on. I started looking at things to do and fill my time and I was like, ‘I have this money to go and get my education.’ Once I saw the MA in Sports Administration program at Northwestern University, it was a no-brainer."
Envisioning that he’d move to the sports business sector when his on-field career was over, A.J. was especially enticed by Northwestern’s MA in Sports Administration curriculum. "One of the courses was front office management, so once I saw that, I was like, ‘This is something I would definitely be interested in.’” In the program, he also learned the more granular aspects of sports administration, like analytics, which is essential in a field where new methods of tracking and sharing data are unrolled and constantly scrutinized.
"Sometimes it can be overwhelming, learning how to decide what is actually useful, what we can apply to the game, and what we can use to get better.” A.J. has already found himself using some of the analytics on the diamond. “As far as dissecting pitchers, knowing what stats matter, what analytics, and what pitch design: all those little things give me a competitive edge over my opponent.”
While many people have fantasies of playing pro ball, logging into classes after a day of training was A.J.’s escape. He enjoyed the change of pace of being in the master’s program with other active athletes and non-athletes as well. “It could’ve been easy for me to go in with an attitude of ‘Oh, I'm this professional athlete, I understand how this works,’” A.J. says. “I'm so glad I didn't because it allowed me to really learn and understand people, understand the market, understand what stakeholders are looking for. That was the most impressive piece to me about the program.”
What’s next for A.J. after the Master’s in Sports Administration program
A.J. is continuing his educational path, pursuing an MBA at the University of Michigan in the next off-season. He’d like to eventually launch a business with teammate Ben Sems, who also got his advanced degree. A.J. would like to follow the path of players who made careers for themselves on and off the field, like Tony Clark, Chris Capuano, and Curtis Granderson. “Those players have had a direct impact on me on how I handle my career and how I handle my off seasons as well.”
In a game where the players are vulnerable to injury, weather, labor disagreements, and pandemics, A.J. will be ready for his post-playing career whenever that comes. “Northwestern University did a great job outlining the program and the expectations. I think that helped me tremendously.”
As a catcher, A.J. says, “You have to be one of the more intelligent players on the field, and you also have to be willing to take on the responsibility of things that are outside of your control.” Even with a catcher’s intelligence, he admits that going back to school "definitely took a little more discipline on my behalf and a little more focus. But in the end, getting a degree and learning everything that I learned was 100% worth it.”
Northwestern University School of Professional Studies offers many degree and certificate programs, with evening and online options available. To learn more about how the Northwestern University Master's in Sports Administration program prepares graduates to advance their sports business careers, fill out the form below and we will be in touch with you soon.