By: Lindsey Gray, BS’17

The day has finally come where I am able to study abroad for a second time in my college years. I traveled to London and Paris last year, and on Saturday I will be boarding a plane heading to Spain where I’ll explore Madrid and Barcelona. Words cannot describe my different emotions running through my head. Of course, the excitement of being able to travel to another country and being able to experience an entirely different culture. But then you have the language barrier and stepping outside of your comfort zone not knowing what to expect. Let’s just hope that Spain is ready for our Kelley takeover.

Now the whole reason for this trip is just not being able to go to Spain, even though it is a big plus, but to learn about the Business of Sport. It’s to learn how sports in Spain — the atmosphere, the structure, the athletes — are different than the sports here in the States.

Before leaving, we traveled to IMS (Indianapolis Motor Speedway just in case you didn’t know what that was) where we listened to a variety of speakers covering almost every aspect of the racing experience. We also had a slew of guest speakers who came in and shared their different experiences in the sports industry. First up was Dave Neff, who worked with the Pacers and ExactTarget along with serving on the Super Bowl Bid Committee and Men’s Final Four Organizing Committee. One of my favorite speakers was Tom Abernethy (right), who is the owner of the Indiana Basketball Academy and played in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden States Warriors, and Indiana Pacers. Now we look to compare their experiences here to those in Spain.

A few of our activities include going to a real fùtbol match featuring Real Madrid and Valencia. We are also going to visit the Adidas Training Facility where the Spanish National Soccer team trains. We also are able to see the heart and soul of the Spanish culture — flamenco dancing. It’s safe to say we have an exciting itinerary for the week.

Well, here we go. It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. It’s the moment that will be done and over with in a blink of an eye. It’s the moment that is a once in a lifetime experience. Make sure you stay tuned for my next blog post where I share all of our experiences. Wish us luck!