Elon Alum lands job with Burlington Royals
Ryan Keur has been around baseball his entire life, but now he’s more than just a fan.
“My dream was always to work in baseball, and I just tried to say you’re not going to deny me of that dream,” Keur said.
After graduating from Elon in 2012, Keur landed a job as the Assistant General Manager for the Burlington Royals. Keur said it is a great starter job in a field he already knows he loves.
“We have 160 minor league baseball teams in the United States and to be the assistant general manager at 22 is pretty cool,” he said.
Keur held an internship with the Royals for two semesters. But he said it was his first contact that helped him really break into the sports world.
“Baseball really is just a small, knit group, and you seem to know everybody in the industry,” Keur said. “So once you can make that first network, the rest will all come easily.”
Keur believes networking is the key in any career and that it was the main factor in landing his job right out of college.
“Make that first network, go make a phone call, go meet somebody,” he said. “You might be scared to go walk up and introduce yourself, but in the end that person might lead you to a job you never knew was even there.”
Although baseball has now become his job, Keur still finds time to enjoy the game.
“At six o’clock I’m still working, but I’m at the baseball field,” he said. “And when I get here at 11 o’clock and I want to take batting practice I can.”
And it is Keur’s love and passion for baseball that ultimately led him to this career choice.
“Just keep pursuing whatever dream you want to do, and if somebody says no just keep going after that dream because it’s not fun if you’re just going to be working a job that you hate.”
Keur hopes to pursue his dreams farther by moving to a management position for a double or triple A team in the future.
