The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga held its inaugural Mocs Football Networking Event last night at Coyote Logistics in Chattanooga. This event was created by head coach Tom Arth, in conjunction with the Mocs Club, with the goal of providing a venue for rising juniors and seniors to utilize and refine the skills necessary for success after graduation.
"Our hope is that they will learn how to market themselves to potential employers by leveraging their unique skills as student-athletes, learning to ask meaningful and intelligent questions and by learning to carry themselves with confidence and class in a professional setting," stated Arth.
A number of local business leaders and entrepreneurs were invited to the event to provide guidance and knowledge from their professional experiences. Among those in attendance included representatives from Wolford Development, State Farm Insurance, Coyote Logistics, UTC, J.
Smith Lanier Insurance, Atlantic Capital Bank, Chattanooga Coca-Cola Bottling Company, 3H Group, Alderman Holding, Chattanooga FC, Chattanooga Lookouts, Ruby Falls, Fletcher Bright Reality, UBS, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Comm Scope.
"We have a fantastic group of leaders in the Chattanooga community who have partnered with our program, knowing that our team is made up of disciplined, hard-working, motivated and competitive young men. They will take their experiences gained at UTC and leverage those into successful careers," added Arth.
A number of the Mocs rising juniors and seniors took advantage of the opportunity to hone their networking skills. Junior longsnapper Jared Nash (Health & Human Performance Major) and junior offensive lineman Malcolm White (Business Major) both had high expectations going into the evening and saw the advantages of meeting with a group of highly successful individuals.
"I feel that it was very beneficial because it gave me an opportunity to gain connections," stated Nash. "It also gave me some experience as to what I may see in the future. I am forever grateful to coach Arth and the people that came for giving me that opportunity."
"I was able to meet with most of the people there," said White. "I got a lot of advice that will definitely be beneficial to me when the time comes to start my career. It also gave me a chance to gain experience in a professional networking setting, which was something I had not been exposed to before."
There were fans, alumni and casual observers all mixed in the group of professionals who attended the event. This gave the student-athletes a variety of areas to draw from. The interaction was also a big hit among the mentors who participated.
Chad Wolford of Wolford Development sent the following text to Coach Arth on the morning after the event: "I just wanted to let you know that I think what you did for the young men on your team yesterday evening was one of the greatest things I have ever seen a coach do for his players. I was humbled to be around them and thank you for having me."
"So much of life and so much of success is about the people you surround yourself with and the people who you allow to associate with you," said Coach Arth. "I am so excited to surround our players with this dynamic group of ultra-successful professionals and leaders in Chattanooga."