Alex Koss, Digital Content
My Story
How Mascotting and Disney World launched my career into the NBA.
Northern Illinois University
A Chicago transplant, I had the great fortune to attend and subsequently graduate Cum Laude from Northern Illinois with a B.S. in Marketing, emphasis in digital marketing in Spring of 2017. As a student, I was very active on campus serving within various student organizations such as Student Government, the Northern Star newspaper (videographer), House Manager of the Delta Chi fraternity, a semester in the Air Force ROTC, and most notably our school mascot.
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Victor E. Huskie
One Spark of Madness
Of all my collegiate pursuits, none impacted my life more than Victor E. Huskie. From a simple email and a couple of summer appearances, I soon found myself rushing the football field with players after big touchdowns, travelling to out-of-state bowl games, professional sports venues, and even a nationwide mascot competition in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This is where I learned about the Disney College Program.
Disney College Program
The Launchpad
During the 3-hour bus ride from the airport to the slopes of Steamboat, my mascot friends couldn't help but share raving reviews about their experiences or ambitions to apply to the Disney College Program. Their excitement clearly rubbed off on me as months later I would awaken to not only a program acceptance email, but confirmation that my character audition held weeks prior was a success. My new really good friends, Goofy and Tigger, would have to deal with my shenanigans for the next four months as I took residence at the most magical place on Earth.
"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them."
Walt Disney
Career Path Dilemma
Fork in the Road
Three days after graduation, I received an offer from the Orlando Magic to participate in a one-year internship on their direct marketing team. At the same time, however, I was a third-round finalist in the running for an assistant mascotting role with the Chicago Blackhawks and had my final interview with them the next day. The offer came up in our conversation and they ~indirectly~ told me I'd be crazy not to take it; but left the decision up to me. After a couple of days mulling it over, I ultimately took the digital marketing route as I believed it was the best option for long-term career success and was a subject I was genuinely interested in learning more about. So, as saddened as I was to move on from performing (or so I thought, more on that later), I was eager to return to Orlando to begin my professional career.
Orlando Magic
Welcome to the Big Leagues
Located ten miles north of the Amway Center was the Orlando Magic's satellite office (RDV Sports Complex) which houses the majority of non-basketball ops employees. This is where I would spend 40 hours/week for next nine months soaking up every bit of information on digital marketing, email, web strategy, and even the teams and players of the NBA. I managed all in-house ad trafficking, liaisoned ad creation, optimized website keywords/SEO, and most notably learned basic HTML and CSS from scratch in order to make new landing pages, web edits and code emails for deployment. Each day always had something new, but I was up for the challenge!
Memphis Grizzlies...
Rookie Season
In March of 2018, I received another phone call that dramatically changed my life: a full-time offer to work for the Memphis Grizzlies. Initially focused on Excel spreadsheets and data collection, my role would evolve significantly over the summer into overseeing the majority of Grizzlies' content distribution, to include our five YouTube accounts, livestreams, Pinterest, website and apps; essentially everywhere online but social media. I liked to say if it was on the internet, I helped put it there. Content ranged from highlights, interviews, news releases, photos, advertisements, PSAs and articles allowing fans to stay up-to-date with the Grizzlies' day-to-day operations. Each day would pose a new opportunity for exposure and growth, a revelation that I found both enlightening and enjoyable.
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...and Memphis Redbirds
Back to What Started It All
Just three minutes from FedExForum stands AutoZone Park, home to the Memphis Redbirds, the AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. When I relocated to Memphis, I was thrilled to discover how close they were to my new workplace. Wasting no time, I reached out to offer my assistance if they ever needed a substitute mascot.
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A few days later, I was invited for a costume fitting and an audition, where I showcased my extensive mascot experience. To my delight, they offered me the role on the spot, minutes after I demonstrated my skills in character animation. I went on to perform at many summer games—both weekdays and evenings—around my Grizzlies schedule, happily continuing my passion until the pandemic halted everything in 2020. I took a year-long break due to social distancing restrictions but returned to perform until my eventual move away.
ESPN
Intersection of Passion & Skills
In October 2021, I embarked on an exciting new chapter in my career, taking on the role of a digital content producer with ESPN. My responsibilities now include developing and producing engaging video content for ESPN's YouTube channels, engaging with viewers through insightful sports coverage, and actively contributing to the fast-evolving world of digital sports media. Working fully remotely, I've had the privilege of moving back to my hometown, Chicago, where I can blend my passion for sports media with the vibrant energy of the city. I’m eager to continue this journey in digital content creation, embracing fresh challenges and opportunities for creativity and growth.
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Feel free to have a look at how I optimized some of our content for the best possible presentation in My Projects below.
