From rowing to leading: Ty Kelly Martin's journey at KU

When Ty Kelly Martin first arrived at the University of Kansas as an undergraduate, she was focused on her rowing career and undergraduate studies in exercise science. Little did she know that an injury would redirect her path toward a fulfilling career in student-athlete development–and eventually lead her to KU's online master's in sport management* program.

"I came to KU for undergrad. I was a rower here. I got my undergrad in exercise science with a minor in sports management," Kelly Martin explains. "I've kind of always been within the sports realm."

Growing up in Plainfield, Illinois, Kelly Martin had played "almost everything under the sun" before focusing on lacrosse in high school. When an ACL tear during the off-season sidelined her, she discovered rowing during her recovery. What started as rehabilitation turned into a passion that would bring her to KU.

"Being on the water, being in that team setting–when you're in a boat–you all have to be in unison. If one person isn’t in time, it screws with the whole rest of the boat," Kelly Martin reflects. "It pushed me to limits that I had no idea I could push through."

Her rowing career at KU was transformative but not without challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her freshman year, and injuries later forced her to step back from competition. However, these setbacks ultimately opened new doors, encouraging her to look beyond her identity as an athlete while carrying forward key lessons she learned from sports.

“Because I was pushing so hard in sport, I was also pushing so hard in academics," she says. "Things are going to happen. And I can only control what I can control."

This philosophy of adaptability would prove essential as Kelly Martin navigated her transition from student-athlete to athletic administrator. Her journey from the rowing team to KU Leads, where she now mentors current student-athletes while pursuing her master's degree online, demonstrates how unexpected detours can lead to discovering new opportunities you couldn’t have imagined.

When an injury sidelined Kelly Martin from rowing during her junior year, she was forced to contemplate life beyond competitive athletics sooner than expected. Rather than viewing this as a setback, Kelly Martin embraced it as an opportunity for growth and exploration.

"Unfortunately, I got injured, and so, it caused me to kind of look outside of sport a little bit," Kelly Martin explains. "I was able to kind of get into a little bit more with career planning and figuring out what I do want to do next."

This period of reflection pushed Kelly Martin to step outside her comfort zone and explore new opportunities. Following her junior year, she worked with AmeriCorps at the Boys and Girls Club—a significant departure from her previous sport-related jobs in gyms and training camps.

"Being in that setting and working with different age groups and seeing that almost teacher-role was very different for me," she recalls.

This experience was illuminating, helping Kelly Martin understand that while she loved sports, her professional calling might lie elsewhere. She began to question whether she wanted to pursue a career in weightlifting and training as she had originally planned.

"Through talking to other people, I [started to think, just] because I have a love for sport doesn't mean I have a passion to continue [it professionally]," she shares. "Finding different ways to tweak that passion, considering what about that passion makes me want to go into this…that kind of brought out my love for being able to help people and help them choose their path."

Kelly Martin’s experience as a Division 1 athlete gives her firsthand understanding of the intense dedication required and the tunnel vision that can develop when performance becomes all-consuming. Now, she helps other student-athletes broaden their perspectives and prepare for life after competitive sports—something she had to learn through her own journey of pivots.

"I had people helping me figure out my path as well. And so, being able to pay that forward, pay that back, ultimately made me kind of choose where I'm at in student-athlete development and Inclusive Excellence," Kelly Martin explains.

As Kelly Martin settled into her role at KU Leads, she began considering how to further advance her career in student-athlete development. Graduate education seemed like the logical next step, but finding the right program that would complement her work became crucial.

Initially exploring the KU MBA program to strengthen her business acumen, a conversation with a colleague redirected Martin toward KU's Sports Management program. "It was basically everything that I was looking for in MBA, but related to sport," she explains. The program's online format sealed the deal, allowing her to continue working while studying.

This synchronicity between education and employment creates a powerful learning environment. "The best part of it honestly is not only the flexibility that it has, but the way it generally lines up with what I'm currently doing," Kelly Martin enthuses. "The amount of times that I'm talking to my supervisor and we're having these conversations and I say 'oh my gosh, this is literally what I was just talking about in my last class.'"

Her role as a Graduate Assistant for KU Leads—which Kelly Martin describes as "the life skills the student-athletes need throughout their time"—gives her immediate opportunities to apply her coursework. The department operates through four main pillars: career development, leadership development, peak performance, and signature events.

Working across all these areas, Kelly Martin leverages her own experience as a former student-athlete to mentor current Jayhawks. She guides freshmen from the track and softball teams, helps coordinate leadership programs like the Emerging Leaders Retreat, and prepares students for professional success through resume-building workshops and career trips.

"They're learning more about themselves, they're learning about their core values, they're learning their strengths," Martin says of the leadership retreats. "Not only are they understanding, okay, I'm an elite athlete, but I am also an elite person."

Last summer, Kelly Martin took a group of students to the Adidas headquarters, exposing them to career possibilities within the sports industry. She also plays a key role in planning signature events like the Rock Chalk Choice Awards, which celebrates student-athlete accomplishments from the previous year.

Her sport management coursework in marketing, fundraising, and sponsorship provides valuable insights into athletic department operations beyond her immediate responsibilities. Meanwhile, her practical experience enriches classroom discussions, creating a reciprocal relationship between theory and application.

Beyond these core duties, Kelly Martin contributes to KU's Inclusive Excellence initiatives as a secondary advisor to RISE (Redefine. Inspire. Support. Empower.), an affinity group for minority student-athletes, and supports Athlete Ally for LGBTQ student-athletes.

In February, she's working on the 2025 Marian E. Washington Trailblazer Series, honoring significant contributors to Kansas athletics. "That's another thing that we just do to not only bring pride to who we are as Jayhawks, but also what we have done, how far we've grown, and what we can continue to build upon."

For Kelly Martin, KU's online sport management program offers the perfect balance—enhancing her effectiveness at KU Leads while her daily work provides real-world context for her studies.

When asked why prospective students should choose KU for their sport management education, Kelly Martin doesn't hesitate: "The Jayhawk community is unmatched."

This sense of community permeates every aspect of the KU experience, even for online students. Kelly Martin appreciates how the program fosters connections between professionals across the sports industry through thoughtful course design and collaborative opportunities.

"A lot of people who are in [other KU Athletics] departments are also taking the same classes as me," Kelly Martin explains. "We're able to mix and mingle and talk to each other. It is online, so sometimes it's a little bit difficult to have those conversations. But genuinely, it's so welcoming."

The relationships built through the program extend beyond KU Athletics. "You do see [people] over and over within the classes. And so, you start to make that little cohort and like study groups and stuff like that," Kelly Martin says. "Some people [work in athletic departments] at different schools…and so you're able to get so much experience outside of what you're currently working on as well."

This network-building aspect of the program has proven invaluable for Kelly Martin. It allows her to gain insights from professionals working in various sectors of the sports industry while also sharing her own experiences from student-athlete development.

Kelly Martin also highlights the quality of instruction and faculty accessibility. "The professors that I've had, they're so understanding and they're willing to chat with you more," she says. "Before I even started [an internship class], I got to meet Dr. Williams and we had a whole conversation before the class and you learn how close and tight-knit the program is."

How real it is," Kelly Martin responds when asked what surprised her about the program. Unlike undergraduate classes where students might wonder about practical applications, Kelly Martin sees direct connections between her studies and daily work.

She cites a sports facilities class where an assignment on emergency procedures prompted her to reconsider current practices at KU Athletics events. "You understand what's going on here, what can be updated, what can be fixed? Even going to games and stuff like that... you're able to ask, ‘how do they engage with fans? How do they engage with the players?’"

The Jayhawk network extends far beyond campus, creating career opportunities and connections nationwide. "The lifelong network that you build within KU is, I mean, I would put it up against any school because it's unmatched," Kelly Martin states proudly. "You have Jayhawks literally all over the world."

Even as an online student, Kelly Martin feels deeply connected to this community. She emphasizes that the KU spirit transcends delivery format: "Whether it's the online program, you still get that because you're doing discussion boards, you're having online discussions and having to chat with other people."

For professionals considering a master's in sport management, Kelly Martin believes KU offers an unbeatable combination: "Not only are you getting a great education, but you're also getting a community and family out of it."

As Kelly Martin continues her journey through KU's online sport management program, she has developed a clear vision for her future career path; one that builds upon her current role in student-athlete development and Inclusive Excellence while leveraging the business acumen and broader perspective gained through her graduate education.

"I love student-athlete development, if I'm being honest. So if I can stay in this space as long as I can, I definitely will," Kelly Martin shares when discussing her career aspirations. Her experience at KU Leads has solidified her passion for guiding student-athletes through their personal and professional development.

Kelly Martin has also begun exploring related roles that would allow her to continue supporting athletes in different capacities. "I've also kind of looked into player development... kind of that director of [operations] type of role for different sports."

What ties these potential career paths together is Kelly Martin's fundamental desire to guide others through their journeys, particularly athletes who might struggle to envision life beyond competition. Having faced this challenge herself, she understands the value of helping others navigate these transitions.

"A lot of the time we get stuck in the space as student athletes, where you don't know how to separate sport and what you want to do. It's either one or the other," Kelly Martin reflects.

This tunnel vision can make career transitions particularly challenging for athletes. Kelly Martin now sees her purpose as helping the students she works with develop broader perspectives: "Saying, ‘Okay, cool, that's amazing. You can do sport, but also you need to have a backup because at some point it's going to end."

Kelly Martin's own experience with injury and adaptation gives her unique credibility in these conversations. She's passionate about providing the same guidance that helped her find her path. "Being able to guide people and help them in that, that's something that I find so valuable. And I was able to get through other people."

For those considering following in her footsteps through KU's Sport Management program, Kelly Martin offers enthusiastic encouragement. "If there's anybody kind of thinking about sports management, I highly recommend it," she says, noting that she often shares her positive experience with seniors contemplating graduate school.

"Until you take that step, people really don't understand what it all entails," Kelly Martin explains. "And so I just highly recommend anybody who's thinking about sports management to just go ahead, take that leap and do it. Because, it's actually life changing."

As Kelly Martin continues balancing her studies with her professional responsibilities at KU Leads, she embodies the program's promise: transforming a passion for sports into a meaningful career that makes a difference in athletes' lives. Her journey from student-athlete to athletic administrator—and now to graduate student—demonstrates the power of resilience, self-discovery, and continued education in building a fulfilling sports management career.

Ty Kelly Martin's journey from student-athlete to sports management professional exemplifies the transformative power of combining passion with purpose and the right education to support both.

The University of Kansas' online sport management master's* program provides the flexibility, real-world application, and powerful network connections that working professionals like Kelly Martin need to advance in the competitive sports industry. Through comprehensive courses in sport marketing, fundraising, facilities management, and leadership development, students gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills they can immediately apply in their careers.

If you're ready to follow in Kelly Martin's footsteps and transform your passion for sports into a fulfilling career, contact an admissions outreach advisor or visit the program curriculum page to learn more today. Join the unmatched Jayhawk community and discover how KU's online sport management program can help you reach your professional goals.

By taking that leap you'll not only gain valuable credentials but also become part of a supportive community that continues long after graduation. As Kelly Martin puts it, "Not only are you getting a great education, but you're also getting a community and family out of it."

*This program is a Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.) degree in health, sport management, and exercise science with an emphasis in sport management.