HOUSTON, Oct. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 150 high school juniors and seniors from five area high schools today learned about careers in sports management through the Business of Sports program presented by BBVA Compass, Junior Achievement, the Houston Dynamo and Dynamo Charities.

A team of bank executives, sports management experts, Dynamo forwards Brian Ching and Calen Carr, and former Dynamo player Eddie Robinson gathered for the event at BBVA Compass Stadium and explained how students can turn their passion for sports into promising careers.

"Sports management is a growing field in Texas as many students are eager to combine their love of sports with business," said BBVA Compass Houston City President Mark Montgomery. "This program gives students a behind-the-scenes look at the business of sports, and allows them the opportunity to interact and network face to face with experts in the industry."

Speakers at the event, now in its second year, covered different aspects of pursuing a career in the sports management and financial services industries — from managing a professional stadium to managing professional athletes' money.

"I am pleased to be a part of this program and have the opportunity to share my years of experiences in sports management with the students," said Dynamo President Chris Canetti. "This is a great initiative and another example of what our partnership with BBVA Compass Stadium can produce."

The program also focused on financial education, requiring each student to complete a Junior Achievement program at their school, taught by BBVA Compass employee volunteers. By participating in the program, students are eligible to apply for one of five $1,000 Junior Achievement scholarships, partly funded by proceeds from the Dynamo Charities Cup in July.

The Business of Sports program emphasizes BBVA Compass' commitment to educating students about workforce readiness and financial literacy. The program is part of the Building a Better Houston campaign launched by BBVA Compass, the Houston Dynamo and the Dynamo Charities before the May 2012 opening of BBVA Compass Stadium.

About BBVA GroupBBVA Compass is a subsidiary of BBVA Compass Bancshares Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) (MAD: BBVA). BBVA is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a solid position in Spain, is the largest financial institution in Mexico and has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt region of the United States. Its diversified business is geared toward high-growth markets and relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies best practices. The Group is present in the main sustainability indexes. More information about the BBVA Group can be found at www.bbva.com.

About BBVA CompassBBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 688 branches, including 352 in Texas, 90 in Alabama, 78 in Arizona, 64 in California, 45 in Florida, 38 in Colorado and 21 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (5th). BBVA Compass has been recognized as one of the leading Small Business Administration lenders and was recently awarded the 2013 Celent Model Bank Award for its new core banking platform. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found at www.bbvacompass.com.

Editor's Note:BBVA Compass is a trade name of Compass Bank, member FDIC.

SOURCE BBVA Compass

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