Background:

For professional sports teams, it’s important to be visible to the community both on and off the field. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have discovered this phenomenon and are committed to bringing the best representation to the Tampa Bay communities. They are one of very few professional sports teams and the only NFL team that has a Student Advisory Board.

The Student Advisory Board (SAB) is an important part of the Bucs’ community relations team. They have become an integral part of the team by serving as liaisons between the Bucs and community schools. [1] They serve an important role in bringing the Bucs franchise to the average Tampa Bay public.

The SAB is comprised of 40-45 high school students, ranging from grades 10-12. [2] The group is chosen in the summer for the following school year. “The Buccaneers started the Student Advisory Board as a way to bring intelligent, highly motivated students together to serve as liaisons between the team and the schools,” said Stephanie Waller, the Bucs’ director of community relations. “With the students’ input, we develop community service and marketing projects that they participate in to help develop their leadership skills and strengthen the Tampa Bay community.” [3]

The road to the creation of the SAB has been paved over several decades. It is important to understand that although the SAB functions as an organization in and of itself, and it is also a part of the Tampa Bay franchise as a whole. The history of the Bucs is the history of the SAB and the community relations department.

On January 16, 1995 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were purchased by Palm Beach businessman, Malcolm Glazer. [4] Glazer wanted the Bucs to gain an enhanced image in the community. In 1997, Glazer created the club’s special events department to expand fan activities at home games. Two years later, hT T e also launched the Glazer Family Foundation two years later. The foundation is dedicated to assisting charitable and educational causes in the Tampa Bay community. [5] Glazer’s dedication to the community has prompted the community relations department to pick up steam.

In 1999, the department established the first Student Advisory Board in NFL history. Today, five years later, it remains the solo SAB in the NFL. The board is an important branch of the community relations department and over the years has established many of its own publics.

The most obvious of these publics are the students of Tampa Bay schools. Since the SAB is comprised of high school students from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Pasco and Polk counties [6] it is safe to say that several thousand students of all backgrounds are affected by the SAB.

In Pinellas County, 47,384 students attend high school, [7] Hillsborough County has 69,926 high school students [8] and Polk County shows about 32,000 students attending high school. [9] Out of only three counties participating in the SAB, 150,000 students are exposed to the activities of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Beyond the numbers, the types of students that are reached are very diverse. Florida is a mixing pot of ethnicities and these counties are no exceptions. Looking at Pinellas, Polk and Hillsborough counties, an average of 80.1% of the population is white, 12.5% is black, 13% is Hispanic and 2% is Asian. [10]

Other publics are affected in addition to students and their families. The SAB affects the general happenings of the Buccaneer franchise. This involves the staff and players of the team, the fans who attend the games and the organizations that are affected by the franchise.

Although the SAB does work at the stadium during home games, much of the time spent as a member of the SAB is dedicated to charitable works on behalf of the franchise. Student Advisory Board members participate in many of the community service projects with the team throughout the year.

One of the major projects the SAB participates in is the annual Buccaneers Halloween party at the Children’s Home of Tampa Bay. The SAB members travel with Buccaneer players and staff to crave pumpkins, make trick or treat bags and hold contests for children who have no other way to enjoy the holiday. [11] They also help an organization called Metropolitan Ministries throughout the year. Specifically, they help to gather, organize and pack clothing and food for the annual “Sack Hunger” food drive. [12]

The Student Advisory has become an essential part to the outreach efforts of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Organizational philosophy, Goals and Objectives:

The Student Advisory Board is a hand-picked group. Prospective members must fill out an application and go through a series of interviews with SAB officials. Members are chosen based on their willingness to commit to volunteer work and their love of football.

Board members must be able to attend monthly meetings, attend benefits and parties, help out in the community by volunteering with players and their families and help pass out Buccaneer merchandise at home games and in their schools. [13] The role of the SAB is never the same. The students involved are responsible for stepping in and helping out whenever they are needed.

One of the main goals of the SAB is to create an atmosphere where students can interact with people different than themselves and build friendships with students from other areas. It’s also a great opportunity for members to communicate and meet prominent Buc’s players.

“I got to meet Tony Dungy, had great seats at the games and play football at the Joshua House with Mike Alstott and Dave Moore,” said board member Ricky Harb, 16, a 10th-grader at Berkeley Prep in Tampa. [14]

The SAB views itself as an intricate part of how the Bucs are represented in the community. Glazer desires to have the Bucs be seen in the community as often as possible and uses the SAB as a way to bring the Bucs to projects that players and/or staff members can’t make it to.

The SAB wasn’t created to simply help the Bucs, but to in return have the Bucs help the SAB. The members are given a chance to understand how to work in a team. They are given opportunities to serve other people and to understand how important it is to be a part of a community.

At several meetings, the speakers are individuals from different careers

and departments within the Buccaneer franchise. In addition, members are given helpful hints on how to create a resume and prepare for college.

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