Keiton Hall, a sport management, accounting and finance triple major, chats about how he’s able to balance life as a student-athlete and academics. 

“I saw you’re studying in Manchester’s new Master of Accountancy Program. Can you tell me more about that?” 

“I came [to MU] as a sport management major, but my sophomore year Professor Twomey encouraged me to pick up accounting as a second major. Then Manchester announced that they’re offering the Master of Accountancy Program, and I would be able to earn my bachelor’s and a master’s degree in four years! Since I was already planning to come back for a fifth year to complete my accounting degree, I decided that I wanted to pursue the master’s degree. I’ll be taking 18 credit hours each semester and then a four-credit-hour January session class. It’ll be hard work, but I know these professors and I know they’re going to help me succeed.” 

“You don’t just study accounting – you’re a triple major! What kind of career do you want after graduation?” 

“Hopefully, anything I want! This summer, I’ll be interning at RSM in Indianapolis and I’m hoping that experience will lead to an entry level position after college. I’d like to stay in public accounting for awhile; but down the road, I’d like to pair up my sport management knowledge with whatever career I choose to pursue. That could be working my way into a front office position for a sports organization or a sports clothing brand – both are definitely something I could see myself doing one day!”

“What’s your dream sports organization?” 

“­Something in the NBA because I’ve always been a big basketball fan. Something in Atlanta would be awesome because there are some big market teams down there. But really, just wherever the best opportunity presents itself. Being the Intramural Intern has given me fantastic experience with people and sport management, and has allowed me to bring new events and experiences to students- like the first ever Jan Term Games. Ultimately, I want to work some place where I can leave my mark. I don’t want to live and not be remembered for anything. I know it sounds kind of cliché, but it’s just something I want to do to make people’s lives around me better, and so that when I leave someplace they think, ‘oh yeah! He was here and it was great.’ It may sound like a cliché, but clichés actually turn out to be good if you go out and actually do them.”­­­­           

“How do you juggle being a student-athlete with everything else you do?” 

“Very carefully! A lot of it has to do with time management. Since my first year here, I’ve had to learn how to be disciplined with my time in terms of getting all my classwork done and still committing the amount of time that I want to basketball. Typically on Sundays, I look at everything I have coming up for the week and what assignments I have to get done. So doing four years of it has been a time for me to grow, which is awesome, but it’s been testing as well, because it is a lot, and there are only 24 hours in a day. It’s been a lot, and there are times where I wish I could sleep more! But everything great requires some sacrifice, so I can see this as something I’ll sacrifice now in order to set myself up for great things later.” 

“What advice would you give to high school athletes on their way to Manchester?” 

“Make sure you love your sport! There have been times when if I didn’t love [basketball] and didn’t have goals, I would have quit. It’s a grind completely different from high school because you’re on your own and you don’t have anyone to hold you accountable. So definitely make sure you love the sport you’re going into and set goals for yourself so you’re constantly being pushed and pulled toward an achievement, but also find time to get involved with other things on campus. There are a lot of great things on this campus; for example, this past year I was the vice president for the College of Business Club, so that really stretched me in terms of what I was involved in and who I got to interact with. I built so many great connections here through both basketball and being involved with the College of Business, as well. So be committed but don’t have blinders on. You’ll definitely want to put your education first, that’s why it’s called a student-athlete and not athlete-student. Just remember to plan your work, and then work your plan. If you do that, everything will take care of itself!”