Jeff York
Posted: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 1:02 pm

An ambitious young woman is getting to live her dream of working for a professional sports team as an employee of the NBA’s New York Knicks.

From playing in the gym at Ramer School to now working at the “World’s Most Famous Arena” Madison Square Garden, Julie Hamm is enjoying life in the Big Apple.

Hamm, 26, began her job as Manager of Partnership Activation and Marketing Programs for the Knicks on  Nov. 26. She previously worked in marketing and sales for the Sumitomo Corporation for three years while living in San Francisco, Calif.

“I love my job,” said Hamm. “We do work a lot of hours during the season, normally 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on game days.”

While growing up playing basketball for Ramer and McNairy Central, her goal was to someday work in sports. Hamm got her accounting degree at Tennessee in 2004 and worked in  the Orange Pride as a recruiter/PR representative while a student at UT.

She lives in an apartment in Tribeca with a beautiful view of the Hudson  River. Tribeca is a neighborhood in  Lower Manhattan.

Hamm’s persistence seeking a job with a pro sports team saw her write over 300 e-mails in a year to teams like the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants. Her dedication finally paid off when she was hired by the Knicks.

“I told everyone I knew that I wanted to work for a professional sports team and had a lot of cold ends on jobs,” said Hamm. “I had a lot of people helping me, and then I finally got the job with the Knicks.”

The reality of working for the Knicks hit her when she found herself sitting on the Knicks’ bench prior to a game.

“During a game an executive was trying to find me and told me to sit at the end of the Knicks’ bench so that he could spot me,” she said. “I said ‘bye’ and hung up my cell phone and just thought ‘Oh my gosh, I’m sitting on the bench in Madison Square Garden!’”

Hamm’s job includes working with MSG sponsors JPMorgan Chase, Delta, Coke and Anheuser-Busch to make sure their sponsorship obligations are satisfied. She manages on-going marketing programs, find ways to monetize various social media platforms and in arena assets, and recently was given the task of organizing player events.  

While she is happy with her job, Hamm has her sights set on someday starting her own business. She will be hosting an event in New Orleans the day following the Super Bowl which brings together savvy investors, celebrities and entrepreneurs.

“It won’t be a stuffy event – good food and good people and very laid back, very New Orleans,” she said.

The event is called Whale Tank and is sponsored by the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee. She hopes to make this an annual event by hosting Whale Tank again when the Super Bowl visits New York City in 2014.

She may have grown up in a small town, but the fast paced life in New York City suits her just fine.

“You can pack two days into one because the city never shuts down,” said Hamm. She laughed and said, ‘I’m 100 percent single,’ and admitted that one of her hobbies is people watching in the city.

Hamm is enjoying her life and job in the Big Apple, but she will never forget her family and friends in McNairy County. She is the daughter of Kenny and Jeris Hamm.