Meet Leigh Southern, the Team Manager of the newest professional team in Melbourne, the Melbourne Mavericks Super Netball Club. If you’re looking to work in operations in sport, team management, or want to know how people have made career changes into sport, you’re going to love Leigh’s story. Leigh started his career in the tourism industry, but after a while realised it just wasn’t for him. Not one to sit back, he did his research and came across a company called Stage & Screen, and began working on their Cricket Australia account to look after all their travel. This led to roles with the Melbourne Renegades and the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup, before landing at the Mavs. If you think you’d love to travel week in and week out with a professional team, listen to how Leigh made it his career. Lots to look out for including the skills you need to work in a similar role, the behind the scenes of what goes on during a game day, and how to go from being a babysitter for a WBBL club to a team management role.Enjoy this episode!We cover:(00:29) Who is Leigh Southern?(01:48) Hello and welcome to the SportsGrad Community! Here’s what’s going on…(05:15) Welcome to the SportsGrad Podcast Leigh!(06:11) Quick-fire questions(13:43) What does Leigh do as a Team Manager with the Melbourne Mavericks?(15:59) How Leigh manages all of his various responsibilities(20:33) What’s it like being part of a new professional sporting club?(25:53) What does a game day look like versus a regular day?(32:00) Leigh’s experience prior to this role (Flight Centre, Stage & Screen (working with Cricket Australia/Cricket Victoria), WBBL, Melbourne Stars, Indian Women’s Cricket Team, T20 World Cup, and more.(45:50) Challenges Leigh has faced and how he has overcome them(49:15) Top skills needed to work in a team/operations management role, and advice he would give to his younger self(54:43) ASK SPORTSGRAD---Additional episode you may enjoy:#284: Journey to Football Operations Manager at the Sydney Swans with Steph Maiolo---Want a weekly dose of career inspo? Get industry stories, upcoming events, and the latest sports jobs in your inbox each Friday.👉 Subscribe to the SportsGrad NewsletterThe SportsGrad Community connects Members to peers, professionals, events, jobs, and development opportunities. Join as a Rookie or Pro Member.👉 Become a SportsGrad MemberWant our recruitment insights? Hiring Managers, get the SportsGrad Talent newsletter👉 Subscribe to SportsGrad TalentFollow us on Instagram and TikTok!This episode is brought to you by Deakin University, the Official Education Partner of The SportsGrad Podcast. Find out why their Master of Business in Sport Management is not one of, but the best one in Australia ranked at #1 at www.deakin.edu.auThanks for listening! You’re all legends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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