Sikeston Native New GM of River City Rascals Minor League Baseball Team

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Dan Dial

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (08/15/2012)(readMedia)-- Southeast Missouri State University sport management alumnus Dan Dial of Sikeston, Mo., is living his dream of managing a professional athletic team as the executive vice president and general manager of the River City Rascals minor league baseball team of O'Fallon, Mo.

In his position, he runs day-to-day operations such as planning and executing budgets, hiring and training staff, and working with the city on stadium renovation. He also supervises a staff of about 15 full-time employees and interns during the season as well as a staffing company of about 40 employees. He works with companies on corporate partnerships, including everything from development to contract agreements, and guides and directs his staff on developing programs and policies on and off the field.

"Much of my job is setting a vision and giving my directors the trust to execute it," he says. "I am grateful to be working with motivated and intelligent people; I've learned so much of a person's success can rely on how they manage relationships. Building a network is the most important thing you can do in your career."

Since beginning his new role on March 1, Dial and the River City Rascals have already experienced success. Ticket sales have increased by 35 percent, and the quality and affordability of food at the games have been improved, according to Dial.

Further, "we've strengthened our relationship with the community and re-introduced our product to St. Louis. We have a strong plan now for how to effectively reach our customers through marketing, social media and partnership activation. Our new staff has been able to accomplish feats that we thought would take years to achieve. We have a big turn-around job ahead of us, but we've managed to right the ship and lay the foundation for a strong 2013 and beyond," he says.

Dial first realized he wanted to work in sports when he was the sports editor for his high school newspaper.

"I liked the idea of building a team from the ground up and watching a season unfold ... being the architect, so to speak," he says. "I knew it was a very long shot that I would ever come close to achieving that level of success, but I wouldn't let anyone talk me out of trying."

Dial says the most exciting aspect of working in athletics is the opportunity to be a part of great sports moments, which he has already been able to experience in his career.

"When I worked for the Memphis Grizzlies, we went to Game 7 of the Western Conference Semi-finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In Game 4 in Memphis, we played into triple overtime. The game lasted until 1 a.m., and it was an 'instant classic.' If I had chosen any other profession, I wouldn't have gotten to experience that moment," he says.

Dial's first professional experience in sports came from his time at Southeast, during an internship with the Sikeston Bulls, a former college wood bat league.

"It was a great learning experience, because I took on many of the responsibilities of a general manager on a much smaller scale," he says. "I learned about budgeting, concessions, ticket sales, promotions and all the other things that go into running a minor league baseball team."

Dial says he values his time at Southeast, which gave him opportunities to grow.

"I was given direction but never pushed too hard. I learned about what it took to be a responsible adult and what it would take to separate myself from the pack. I made life-long friends, who I'm able to stay in contact with, so I know people all over the country when I relocate," he says.

In his spare time, Dial spends time with his college friends. He moved away after graduation and says it was difficult then to stay in touch. Now that he lives in St. Peters, Mo., however, he is much closer to these friends and is able to visit them more often. He says he tries to make a trip to Cape Girardeau at least once every couple of months, which is fun for him, because his favorite activity is traveling.

"I've always been a big dreamer when it comes to seeing the world," he says, adding that the place he most looks forward to visiting one day is Italy.

"I've wanted to make that trip for 10 years. I have friends who have been, and I haven't heard anything but 'amazing.' I have a friend in New York City whose family is from Bologna, so I'm hoping I can hop a ride with them in the next few years and get a first-hand tour," he says.

During some of his shorter trips, Dial has explored Dallas, Memphis and St. Louis; he says he often takes weekend trips to historic sites and tourist destinations. He says that of all the places he has visited, however, he most enjoys Cape Girardeau.

"Many of my friends still live there, and it's always a good weekend getaway at less than two hours from St. Peters," he says.

Dial encourages current Southeast students to actively meet people in order to learn about life.

"Develop social skills above all else. Get out and make friends! I'm not telling you not to study for the midterm, but don't forsake all else in the name of academia," he says.

Dial also encourages students to dream big.

"If you truly want to succeed in life, you will have to take some big risks. Some will work out, others won't," he says, but "don't give up on your dreams. Even when people tell you how impossibly difficult it will be to achieve them, just look them in the face and smile."