Alumni Spotlight John Terry
B.S., Sport Management, WVU (2012)
M.S., Sport Management, WVU (2014)
Occupation:
Sr. Director of Events, U.S. Soccer (2020-Current)
Hometown:
Atlanta, Ga.
Terry leads U.S. Soccer events from behind the scenes
On his way to two sport management degrees at WVU, John Terry immersed himself in activities while he was in Morgantown. He quickly got involved with the the WVU athletics department with facility management, and later parlayed that into a graduate assistantship in the same department. To further broaden his scope and talents, he worked at the Daily Athenaeum for all six years.
After graduating, Terry headed west and worked at the University of Washington first as the Assistant Director of Events for athletics and then later as the Director of Stadium Operations. He now works as the Senior Director for Events for U.S. Soccer managing events and competitions across the country.
What initially inspired you to pursue your degrees in sport management at West Virginia University?
I always enjoyed the behind-the-scenes nature of sport and was more interested in what happened outside the lines than what happened inside the lines. Interestingly enough, it was video games and computer games when I was young that really got me interested in the business side of sports. I wanted to pursue degrees that would provide me with connections in the industry and also teach me the practical skills outside the lines. I knew I wanted to live in a college town, so WVU and Morgantown was the perfect fit.
How did your experiences at WVU shape your career path?
The experiences I gained at West Virginia were invaluable. I was able to work in the athletics department for my four years of undergrad working with April Messerly and Zack Eckert in the athletic facilities office. I was then lucky enough to continue to be a graduate assistant with them for two years. Combined with six years of experience working at the Daily Athenaeum, my experiences at WVU were crucial to my ability to not only get a job in the sports industry, but also continue to progress through it.
What do you think separates WVU’s program(s) from others?
I really valued many of the relationships I had with professors. I still speak to Dr. Bravo’s class once per year – and it’s one of my favorite things I do each year.
Can you describe your primary responsibilities as the Senior Director of Events at the U.S. Soccer Federation?
I oversee all of our event planning – both on the field and off the field – as well as all event revenue (ticketing). Overseeing several functional areas – ticketing, competitions, operations, production, and special events/hospitality – my main day-to-day is deciding where the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team will play their games. I’m directly responsible for scheduling and venue negotiations to help bring our matches to life. More generally, my team manages every event at U.S. Soccer from inception to conclusion. Unlike many other departments, being responsible for revenues gives us a holistic view of everything. We are in a major growth stage right now ahead of the 2026 World Cup, so the number of events that we are hosting is increasing monthly with more focus on the non-sporting events.
What are some of the key challenges you face when organizing large-scale events, and how do you overcome them?
Because we don’t have a home stadium, we’re playing in 20-25 different venues and markets each year. We have to put a major emphasis on relationships in order to pull off successful events. From the operations staff at the venues to our city partners – relationships are the key to ensuring we have successful events.
We’re akin to a concert tour where we’re in the market for 2-3 days for each match. We roll in with 10-12 pallets of equipment and it’s loaded back up on the truck within 2-3 hours of the conclusion of the match. Then it's on to the next one! The logistical and operational components of what we do are supersized compared to a ‘typical’ team with a home stadium.
What is a memorable event you managed and what made it stand out?
The 2022 World Cup Qualifier between USMNT and Mexico in Cincinnati was a really cool event. The stakes were super high – qualifying for the World Cup – and it’s just such a great rivalry. The crowd in Cincinnati was also great ... And we won 2-0!
What skills do you consider essential for success in event management and the sports industry?
Organization, patience, and the ability to stay calm are the three most important skills. Event management is getting a good plan in place and then being ready to react to something that goes wrong. Something will ALWAYS go wrong, so the ability to react and adapt is the most important skill.
Staying calm in crises and being patient in coming to an outcome is also very important. I’ve had many moments in my career when I had to remind myself that taking an extra minute or two to make a decision won’t matter most of the time and could help make a big difference in making the right decision.
What advice would you give to current students or recent graduates from WVU’s sport management program who aspire to work in the field?
Get experience. Get experience. Get experience.
Adding skills and experiences to your resume is the single most important thing in getting a job. Positions we post will get more than 500 applicants in a couple of days. While you’re in school, spend time networking, volunteering, working and doing whatever you can to get experience on your resumé. Getting straight A’s is not enough.
How do you balance the demands of managing large events with maintaining your personal well-being?
It’s not easy. I’m on the road 100+ days a year, so I spend quite a bit of time away from family. I really enjoy what I do and enjoy being with my coworkers, so that’s a nice consolation.
If I’m being honest, I don’t think I’m good at maintaining a balance – it’s very tough! But I’m aware that it needs to be a priority for me at all times. I’ve gotten a bit better at it, but still a long way to go.
What’s the best thing about being a Mountaineer?
The network. I’m still very close with many friends that I met at WVU – and it’s always fun when I get to run into them. I recently ran into sport management classmate Todd Crimmel in London – which was a fun surprise!