This Class Added Another Layer to the Foundation

Going into Legal Issues in Sports, I knew legal topics mattered in business, sports, and entertainment, but I also knew I was not really a legal-aspects guy at this level. I had thought about contracts, rights, and protections before, but not with the kind of depth this class brought. By the end of the month, what stood out to me most was how much I did not know compared to what I thought I knew. That was not a bad thing, though. It made the class more valuable because it filled in areas I had not yet fully developed.

One of the biggest takeaways for me is that the law is not separate from the business. It is part of the business. That showed up in everything we covered this month, from contracts and negotiation to liability, intellectual property, right of publicity, sponsorships, and endorsements. Before this class, I looked at a lot of this more from the entertainment and content side. Now I look at it with a much better understanding of the risks, the structure, and the responsibilities that come with building something the right way. It made me realize that having a strong idea is one thing, but protecting that idea and operating it correctly is what helps make it real.

This class connected directly to what I want to build with Breaking Ball Media and Frasier Peaks. Since Breaking Ball Media is built around sports commentary, digital publishing, promotion, and eventually video and other media, the class made me think more seriously about defamation, right of publicity, permissions, image use, and how easily content can create legal risk if not handled correctly. That part brought the business to life for me in a different way. It helped me see more clearly that if I want this to be more than just a passion project, I need to understand the parts beyond the “entertainment” side, too.

The endorsement and sponsorship part also stood out to me because it showed how often companies try to protect themselves by using language that can go way too far. That assignment made me think about deals in a more human way. A deal can sound good on paper, but if it gives too much control, leaves things too vague, or puts all the power on one side, it may not really be a good deal at all. That is something I can carry with me not just in sports, but in entertainment, branding, partnerships, and business overall.

On a more personal level, this class also connected with the foundation I built during my Army career. My time in the Army, along with the leadership roles I held as I progressed, taught me discipline, responsibility, accountability, and the importance of thinking ahead. It may not have prepared me specifically for the legal side of business at this level, but this class felt like it extended that foundation. It gave me another layer to build from. It pushed me to think not just like someone with ideas, but like someone responsible for protecting the mission, and now the mission is the business.

Professionally, I plan to apply what I've learned by being more intentional in how I build Breaking Ball Media. That means stronger editorial standards, clearer agreements, better awareness of permissions and licensing, and more discipline in how content is published and promoted. Personally, this course gave me more confidence because it helped me feel like I am not just thinking creatively, but also thinking responsibly. Overall, this class showed me that protecting the business is part of building it, and that I will carry forward.