First Day Jitters.....October 29, 2016
What an exciting day, starting the last leg of the Master's Program, working at Cleveland State University's Athletic Department. I met with Virnette to go over some of the things that I would be doing during the course of the Mentorship, we got to know each other a little bit and I met most of the staff in the Athletic Department. I also filled out the paperwork that would allow me to get onto computers and servers, as well as, how to use the phones, because I would be making a lot of phone calls. Virnette explained that most of what I will be doing is not considered glamorous, but a lot of what occurs before teams hit the court or field is a lot of leg and phone work by the staff. I am ready for the challenge and to step out of my comfort zone with the work world I have been living in for most of my life. I am excited and truly grateful for this experience that I am going to receive and cannot wait to start on the projects that they give me. Everyone here is willing to help you achieve your goals and want to make sure that I gain the experience that I will need to succeed in the future. Being a former athlete at Notre Dame College, I am excited to understand and learn the inner workers of an Athletic Department and how important it is to the success of the student-athletes, on the court/mat/field or pool and in the classroom. That is so important, they make sure that all athletes have the tools to make it through their courses and walk across that stage to receive their degree. Each athlete is important to the staff and they all know every person that participates, which says something about the staff and the time that they take to get to know their athletes.
November 3, 2015
I spent the morning going over details of an event called Health & Physical Education with the Vikings with Brandon Longmeier, the Assistant Athletic Director of Marketing and Promotions. The event will be held at the Wolstein Center on Cleveland State University's campus on December 15, 2015. We decided which schools to invite and which age groups the event would have the most impact on, and we decided on K-5, but would invite K-8 and let the schools decide the appropriate ages of the students. The event would benefit a child at any age up to the eighth grade. Another intern will be calling area high schools, the reasoning behind this is the event partly promotes the Women's Basketball team, and since high school students are considering which school to attend after graduation, and it gives them a little bit more exposure to what Cleveland State has to offer. Men's Basketball has always been the major draw for many people and universities, exposing kids to Women's Basketball will not only give needed exposure to the program, but for the girls that attend they can see that they could play basketball here because CSU focuses on Men's AND Women's basketball programs, and empowering girls to follow their dreams.
I created a call list, Excel spreadsheet, with contact information in order to have a list on file for next year, also to coordinate with the other interns that are also working hard on this project and task of reaching the goal of getting 2,000 students from area schools (approximately within a 20 to 30 mile radius of Cleveland State University). I was told that there are a number of schools that attended last year's events and are considering attending this year, they have already been in contact with those schools.
I started calling every school on the list, getting the email addresses of those that would be charged with deciding whether the students should attend the event, in order to send the flyer with the details and let them know who was working on the event and it is the easiest form of communication to answer complicated questions .
At the end of the day, I met up with Brandon once again, we discussed the next step in undertaking the event, which would be to meet with the strength coaches and decide on stations and the order of the stations that make the most sense. We also have sponsors, like Pepsi that need to be contacted and giveaway bags that will be handed out to those who attend, Pepsi donated 1,500 bottles of water for the event last year and we are expecting the attendance to be much greater this year, so we will need to ask Pepsi for about 2,000 to 2,200 bottles of water for the event.
I created a call list, Excel spreadsheet, with contact information in order to have a list on file for next year, also to coordinate with the other interns that are also working hard on this project and task of reaching the goal of getting 2,000 students from area schools (approximately within a 20 to 30 mile radius of Cleveland State University). I was told that there are a number of schools that attended last year's events and are considering attending this year, they have already been in contact with those schools.
I started calling every school on the list, getting the email addresses of those that would be charged with deciding whether the students should attend the event, in order to send the flyer with the details and let them know who was working on the event and it is the easiest form of communication to answer complicated questions .
At the end of the day, I met up with Brandon once again, we discussed the next step in undertaking the event, which would be to meet with the strength coaches and decide on stations and the order of the stations that make the most sense. We also have sponsors, like Pepsi that need to be contacted and giveaway bags that will be handed out to those who attend, Pepsi donated 1,500 bottles of water for the event last year and we are expecting the attendance to be much greater this year, so we will need to ask Pepsi for about 2,000 to 2,200 bottles of water for the event.
November 17, 2015: Walton Elementary Comes to Visit Campus
We had the fourth and fifth graders from Walton Elementary School (an investment school in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and is located in the heart of Downtown Cleveland) touring the Cleveland State University's Campus for the day. We were the last stop on their tour. I was asked by Brandon Longmeier to accompany him and another intern in giving a tour of the Wolstein Center and talking to the kids, as well as, promoting the upcoming event to the chaperones and teachers that accompanied the students. We showed them the weight room, video room, let them walk the floor while the Men's Basketball team practiced. During this time we answered questions about how CSU Athletics is very academically focused, all athletes or prospective athletes must maintain a certain grade point average, or have a certain GPA to be considered and offered a position to play for one of the teams. We touched on Coach Water's, Men's Head Basketball Coach, graduation rate and how it was one of the best graduation rates in the Nation for Men's Basketball and students that make it to graduation. He prides himself on making sure that his players are focused as much on their academic future as their desire to play for Coach Waters. We let the students sit in the Sky Deck (party deck or loge) to each their lunch and watch the Men's team continue to practice.
November 19, 2015
Today’s work included calling the schools that I had left messages with pertaining to the Health and Physical Education Day with the Vikings. Speaking with administrators that were unclear about the purpose of the event, I was given multiple email addresses of the people that would better to contact, rarely these emails are returned, but I continued to reach out. Even though there is not enough time for some of the schools to arrange bus services to and from the venue, they stated their interest in attending next year. Which the University should know the basketball schedules in early fall and arrange the event accordingly. The goal remains to have 2,000 students attend the event, which is great exposure for the Women’s Basketball Program and the University itself, these students will be ready for college in a blink of an eye and they need to remember or be reminded of goals down the road in order to maintain or become better students.
November 24, 2015
The day before the long Thanksgiving weekend starts and most schools have responded with the answer of not being able to attend this year, mainly because it doesn’t fit in with the curriculum or they cannot make arrangements with such short notice. The other schools, I had to confirm that they definitely were coming, in order to start compiling a list, and getting approximate numbers for each school. Staying up to date with returning phone calls and emails, coordinating with the other interns to avoid calling the same schools multiple times, which can cause confusion for all parties involved. Coordinating with the other interns has been a little bit of a challenge, because emails are not returned and we are not in the office at the same times to speak to each other about what the plans are or if goals are being met, what is left to do and what has already been done. We will pull everything together before the event, but trying to remain on the same page has been a challenge.
December 1, 2015
Today, I met with Brandon and the head of the Recreation Center in order to coordinate stations and assigning people to work those stations. Mostly the swim, dive and country teams will be helping us with the stations. There are many stations that we need to figure out, and which ones are age appropriate for kindergarten to eighth grade. We talked about the giveaways and shirts that will be given away, but we are still waiting on Pepsi and whether or not they will be supplying us with bottled water to put in the bags that we will be giving to each student. We estimated that there will be 1800 students attending but we are going to order 2,200 bags just in case schools decide that they are able to attend at the last minute or more students can come.
December 3, 2015
We are counting down the days until the Health and Physical Education Day is here! I went through all of the stations that we were considering, I organized them based on what portion of the body the exercises concentrated on, the reason I did this was to ensure a certain flow to the stations, so the kids were not going from working on legs to arms to cardio. I understand that they are young but if you are teaching kids about fitness then there needs to be a certain way that we are organizing it so it makes sense to them. I also counted the bags that we received to make sure that we received the number we ordered and there was not a shortage, just in case a student ripped one or more students ended up coming than we planned.
December 8, 2015
Today, I met with the other interns that are helping with the event, going over every school that will be attending and making sure that we all have the counts for each school correct. We had t-shirts made for the event, and we went through all of them and divided them with the counts and put them in boxes, then counted the amount of bags that the schools would receive in boxes as well. Organization before the event is key and if we need something we would have enough time to order more and have it rushed before Tuesday’s event. Knowing the schools that have confirmed that they are attending we made signs to put in the sections that the students and faculty will be sitting. We also walked around the Wolstein Center, so we know exactly where we are going during the event. We also went to the practice gym in order to decide which stations should be placed there, because the main concourse will be for the stations that the students will be mostly stationary or do not need a substantial amount of room to perform the exercises. It was a fun day, especially, because we had a chance to get to know each other and walk through the arena to get used to using service stair wells and to know which ones would cause you to be locked into the stairwells during the event.
December 10, 2015
Today was the day that we made final adjustments to stations, what worked and flowed well and what did not flow. We also made sure the signs were finished and we had signs for all stations and equipment if the stations needed it. We are all pretty nervous to see how everything goes and whether or not we can beat the amount of people who attended last year. But with all of the excitement and butterflies, we are mostly excited for the day to get here and to have it be over, because we are all so nervous. This is only the second year, and we want this to become a staple or a tradition for the University and the Basketball teams to continue, because once more schools learn of the event then they will want to attend and it will be more successful and hopefully they will have to make it a two game event because more schools are interested in attending. One can only hope and the fact that I am a part of it would make it so much better if it was a success.
December 14, 2015
This afternoon, Brandon and I taped up all of the station signs and arranged the equipment at each station that needed it. We went over the logistics of the event tomorrow, meaning we decided what the interns would do, including me, which I would be placed in the Auxiliary Gym otherwise known as the practice gym. Because I will have more swim and dive team members that need to run the stations that require more room, and to maintain flow in there because multiple schools will be bouncing from all of the stations and realistically will not follow stations based on numbers, they will for the most part but they might not want wait for other students to finish a station just for the sake of following the numbers. The teachers have the stations based on the spreadsheet I completed and emailed them, so they can plan accordingly and know in advance what stations are where. We printed out maps of the Wolstein Center and copies of the stations as well. I am pretty excited to see how the event goes, the nerves will kick in tomorrow morning right before the doors open, however, this is a new adventure and I may be applying a little more pressure than I normally do, because I really want to impress those that are mentoring and my main goal is to learn as much as I can throughout this mentorship and tomorrow will show me what areas I need to work on, because this is completely a new experience, scary and exciting at the same time.
December 15, 2015-THE MAIN EVENT!!
Up early and ready to go, unfortunately, I spent a half an hour waiting for someone to let me in because all of the doors were, but once someone finally came to open the doors, my anxiety level went down a bit. But we still had a few last minute things to finish before 10 am when the doors opened. It was 7:30 by the time we made our way to the Aux gym to decide the placement of stations because the teams held practice the night before and we were unable to post them the day before. But, once that was finished, we took the shirts and bags to each section in the boxes so we wouldn’t have to do it during the game, because we had to make sure that the half-time show was on time and went smoothly and to make sure that all schools had the giveaways.
At 10 am the students started arriving, I was at the doors with Carrie for about 30 minutes to make sure that schools knew that we had stations in the gym and to hand out maps and extra station lists. It was an amazing feeling to see the looks on the kids’ faces when they starting filing into the arena, and the excitement that they felt, we could feel it and even though it was going to be a long day, it was going to be fun and not stressful once the doors opened. Whether it was adrenaline or nervous energy or the coffee I drank, the day went by in a flash! The stations were so busy I had to route the students to the Aux gym or have them go upstairs to other stations because they spent too much time in the Aux gym, but that they would be able to make another round down there once it cleared out a little.
December 17, 2015
Winding down from the excitement of Tuesday’s event, we followed up with schools and teachers that attended, calling and sending emails thanking them for attending and helping us make it such a successful day. We also decided that they would hold the event next and to make sure the teachers keep the event in mind for next year and future events that Cleveland State is thinking of having and they would be receiving emails or calls from us so they would definitely know that they would be extended an invitation. We went over schedules for the next semester, because the office would not be busy for the holiday break, I would not be needed until the first week in January. I really had a great fall semester, the experiences and the people that I met taught me about the direction I would want to go in, and if the NCAA is right for me, the jury is still out, but it has given me ideas of my strengths and weaknesses that I need to work on.
January 9, 2016
It feels good to be back! Today is a Saturday, the CSU cheerleaders and their coach are holding a Cheer Clinic for area cheer teams and programs, all ages are welcome. Of course the girls are put in age groups, this is because some of the stunts and pyramids are even and the younger ones are not placed with older girls that are taller than they are. This is to prevent injury. I was placed at the sign in table, signing people in and making sure that all paperwork and payments were collected before they entered the gym or participated, because CSU would be liable should anything happen, the legality prevented some of the girls from participating because they were not able to provide us with the necessary paperwork to participate, they did receive a full refund. I felt bad, however, it is a lesson to the athlete that if they do not do what is required then this can happen. The girls learned a routine that they would perform during the half-time show of the Men’s Basketball game. These girls all were very talented and to learn a complicated routine in four hours was not an easy thing to do! The halftime performances by both groups went off without a hitch, they were wonderful and it was impressive that they learned so much in such a short amount of time! That says something about the CSU coach and cheerleaders that were able to teach the routines and put it together in that amount of time. The girls were so excited at the end of the routine that everything went so well, it was great to see them so happy and excited! That makes me think I would like to coach one day!
January 14, 2016
It feels good to be back in the office, Brandon placed me in charge of calling the Girl Scout Troops in order to get the word out about an event that we would like to hold during a Women’s Basketball Game at Quicken Loans Arena on February 27, 2016. This would be one of the last games of the regular season at home, or home away from home being the Q (Quicken Loans). We are also hosting the CYO basketball teams, those who are receiving sportsmanship awards for being an example to their peers in showing sportsmanship. This is going to be a wonderful event, if all of the pieces of the puzzle fit into place. I called numerous branches of the Girl Scouts and emailed numerous people today. This is the not so glamorous side of sports, reaching out and sometimes not knowing the answers to all questions that are asked. I was not given much information to go on today, seeing as it is still a work in progress and we need to know if they are interested. But, the initial plans are as follows (taken from correspondence between Brandon, Lisa (in charge of Girl Scout events) and Virnette:
Let's target the last game at the Q on February 27 vs. Valparaiso Women's Basketball. A couple pieces of information for that game:
- Magnus Bobblehead Giveaway beginning at women's game
- KidZone with pop a shot and other games on concourse plus balloon artist
- Senior Day
- Doors open at 10AM
- Doubleheader w/ the men. Ticket will be good for both games.
- Group ticket rate will be $6
January 5 -- Flyer created to disseminate to all NEOH Girl Scout groups using the contacts you've suggested and anything Jessica can find.
January 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21 (outreach via phone to Girl Scout troops). Jessica is great on the phone and will execute these.
February 1- evaluate where we are at and what other options can be in place for Girl Scouts attending such as on course team tunnel, color guard for anthem, etc...
We will alert our 4 dedicated sales people at the Q regarding the event in case they have contacts in the Girl Scout community.
January 16, 2016
Today, getting to CSU bright and early, I got to explore more of Cleveland State’s campus by venturing to the Recreation Center, where the Wrestling, Swim, Diving and volleyball teams hold their games and meets. Carrie and I walked over from the Wolstein Center, there is a Women’s Basketball game today at 1 pm, so I am helping out with the Pass list, which is a list that players and coaches put friends and family that can come watch them perform for free, within NCAA guidelines which Carrie ran through the procedures thoroughly. We need to have them sign and show ID in order to be able to enter the venue to watch the meet or game. I also was in charge of selling tickets to those not on the list. It was exciting because this was the first time I was on my own, in charge of something and trusted enough in order to do so, alone. The day went smoothly, everyone that was on the list from both teams came and it was a great turn out, when I was done with this task I walked over to the Wolstein Center to help Carrie with the Women’s game until half-time. I learned about the pass list and how they do it at the Wolstein Center in order to help out during future games when needed. I am excited to learn more about how things are run and why they do what they do. Also, I learned how to deal with people who were not happy about not being on the list or not having enough guests listed alongside their name, but we only are allowed to give away a certain number of tickets per meet or game per rules and regulations and issuing of tickets that were done before the game. Carrie has been a major help in giving me a complete run down of how things work, and what is expected, she really has become a really wonderful mentor in giving advice and guiding me through this mentorship. I would be lost without her help!
January 19, 2016
Today was more calling and emailing the Girl Scouts, we received a list of troops to reach out to, also worked with other interns to look up more troops not included on the list that was provided. We called and called, emailed and still have not received any response or was told that they would call us back because they were unsure of the schedule or if it fit in with the program. It was a bit of a frustrating day, and the other interns felt the same way. We are all working for the same goal and it would be a great event for young girls to see women playing a game at the Q, inspiring young girls to strive for their goals, and we have received no response. This is the first day since I started the mentorship that I was really frustrated and did not know what to do, because there has been no interest, but I also learned to push past this and continue to call and email. This is how things get done, and this is a great exercise and lesson here, because being a woman in sports, it will not be easy and I will be dismissed solely based on gender in some areas, or at least by small minded people, but I am up for the challenge!
January 21, 2016
Still there has not been any response from any leaders of the Girl Scouts via email or phone. The other interns and myself are feelings like complete failures at this point, we even were talking about what we are doing wrong and brainstorming on how to have better success. Unfortunately, we have done everything that we can with the information and tools that were given to us, because we cannot move forward with posters or flyers without consent of the Girl Scouts and staying within their licensing of their brand without speaking to someone that would give us the go-ahead. Some days are not going to go as smoothly as others, but since we have been back and we have been working on this project, we have all felt a little defeated and we have a feeling that this will not come to fruition, but at least we have the CYO event on the 27th of February to keep us occupied and until we hear back from someone at the Girl Scouts we will not be able to move forward with the project and event. Sometimes this will happen, not matter how hard you work to make it happen, but learning from this failure is key and we learned that persistence is not always rewarded with a yes, but it is better to try and fail, than to never try and wonder what if?
January 24, 2016
What a better way to spend a Sunday than working the pass list and selling tickets for the Wrestling match today! It was a really big turnout today and the stands were filled, it was the last home meet of the season today and that probably was the reason that more people came today. But, it was fun and I did not have any help setting things up, because Carrie and other interns were not there to help, I pulled it off and remembered exactly what was needed. It was not hard to set up or do the job that was required, but I felt a sense of accomplishment that I could do it on my own and the experience leading up to this point was starting to pay off. I might be a small step or accomplishment that most people would laugh at, but it meant a lot that I was trusted enough to do this and grateful that I had this opportunity because it is preparing me to be a self-starter and volunteer to help out anyway I can. I really enjoy working here and the people that work for this organization are wonderful, I just hope that I am lucky enough to work for an organization with helpful people that take the time to show you things and trust that you are capable to do it on your own.
January 25, 2016
This week started out with a slow start, with not much going on in way of work that needed to be done, since the Girl Scout event has hit the proverbial wall. Feeling a little defeated, but spend the day going through our website to see if it is up to date and our stats match that of other websites, like ESPN 3, I will periodically check to see if the website needs to be updated since the first week I have started and will let Virnette know if anything seems outdated or more attention needs to be paid to any area. This has shown me that a critical eye, an outsider of the University may be better to review things such as these. I spent the day listening to Carrie arrange tickets and handle multiple things, sometimes it is better to observe and keep an ear open to see how other people handle situations or mistakes. I am learning so much from this experience, and seeing as there is only a few months left of this mentorship I am determined to learn as much as I possibly can, and observe those who have been in this field for a number of years. Most people who say that today was a waste of time or would have been bored, I found it interesting seeing how things are handled, how people organize tasks that they have to complete and how each part of the department works with the other. It is one thing to read it or talk about it in class but to observe it and absorb it first hand is something that is valuable to the experience as a whole.
January 26, 2016
Not much going on today, like yesterday was a slow day or the calm before the storm, so to speak, because as basketball season winds down there will be plenty of games and other things I will be helping with. I researched the new facility that will house the tennis teams, and even though I will no longer be an intern when the season gets going, I expressed my willingness and desire to help out during these matches and any spring sport that they need help with. Gaining experience is important and being willing to continue to help out even though there is nothing more than gaining experience is important. This also helps me figure out what I want to do with the degree once I am done, it gives me time to figure out if NCAA and University Athletic Departments are right for me or if I want to go in a different direction. I still haven’t come to a conclusion yet.
January 28, 2016
This week has been the slowest week since I have started the internship. I am getting antsy and ready to start another project, I did start to call a few of the troop leaders from the Girl Scouts that left messages for us to call them back. However, after calling through the list again, because I cannot let something go without at least knowing a reason they are not interested or have not gotten back to us, because the leader expressed great interest when speaking with Brandon about the event, I took it upon myself to make sure that we tried at least one more time, but at the end of the day, we received not responses and returned phone calls went unanswered. It is a shame really, because that event would be wonderful exposure to our Women's Basketball program, especially, when the game is held at the Q that day! But, there is a reason for everything, even if it is unknown at this very moment.
February 2, 2016
It’s Groundhog Day! Not only are we praying that the groundhog sees his shadow, but we are gearing up for the last month of regular season basketball! I was asked to find half-time performers for the games that have open slots for half-time shows. The one that I have been assigned to is the Viktoberfest, which is like Oktoberfest, but with the Viking spin on it. I have been contacting German dancers, bands and German-American Clubs to at least find someone that can lead us in the right direction. We have to stay within a limited budget, not only for the department, but per NCAA rules. I may look into seeing some of the bands that I can find and going to practice, if that is possible or at a local venue to see if I can see them perform in person, and speak to someone that I have contacted via email, putting a face to the name. Cleveland State is all about being a part of the community and getting the community involved in all that they do. This is not just a good marketing strategy for our athletics programs but it lets people know that we are not just a typical University, we want to be a part of the community. This task is a little nerve-racking because I need to fill this spot and stay within a certain budget, I hope that I can pull this off, or at the very least lead Carrie or Brandon in the right direction in order to finalize and book the performers. I guess I never realized how much work goes into each game, and the half-time show has always been a big part of any sporting event, but it also allows local talents and groups showcase their programs, because these games are meant for families and students, and believe it or not, these students will be parents one day or they have younger family members and can suggest programs that they saw to them. I am learning that there is a lot of work that needs to be done, as well as, this is not a 9-5 job, and during the season, you may end up working 14 hours days or working 6 days a week depending on which department or position you are hired to fill.
Retiring Norris Cole's Jersey_ February 6, 2016
What a huge day for the Vikings! And the turnout for the game was immense. Of course, the free bobble head of Norris Cole and the retiring of his jersey was the main reason for the crowds gathering outside when the doors opened at 11 am. LeBron James and a few of the Cavaliers showed up to show their support for Norris. We got to meet them, being a huge Cavs fan, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. There was chatter around the office through Coach Waters, that LeBron may be attending, but that staff and players should not make a big deal out of meeting him or that he was there. This day was all about Norris and his accomplishments at CSU and in the NBA. It is not every day that you get to meet NBA players, especially during a mentorship. But, they are humble and truly down to earth, we are professional, and stayed professional during the entire day, because while we showed admiration for him, we are not going to push past the boundaries of the professional line. I learned to remain unaffected by celebrity, and how to do it in the best possible way. This was a great day for the University and the Basketball programs. It brought people in and showed them what we have to offer. Although, there were issues with people trying to take more than one bobble head at a time.
http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/2016/02/norris-cole-cleveland-state-number-retired-lebron-james-new-orleans-pelicans/
February 8, 2016
February 9, 2016
Today was a slower day, in a sense, still recovering from the craziness of Saturday and the retirement of Norris Cole’s jersey. There was still work to do on my end, communicating with half-time performers, calling and leaving messages, and sending many emails concerning cost, and making sure that we are staying with a budget and more importantly, staying with the NCAA rules of compliance. I am learning more about compliance, and how all of the regulations that we learned through coursework is applied in the real world. Staying within the rules of the NCAA is one of the most important elements of this job, no matter which position someone may fill in any athletic department, they must know or at least be in contact with the compliance personnel to double check the rules and whether or not they are staying within the parameters of the rules and regulations. I have noticed that throughout this experience thus far that everything that we learned, especially, calling and communicating with other departments and those outside of the University is one of the most important things we do. In order to attract more athletes, donations and fans that will attend sporting events we must maintain a sense of enthusiasm and persistence, even when we receive many people who are unwilling or cannot fulfill the requests that we ask of them. It has given me a thicker skin in a sense, because rejection is not a bad thing, it is an opportunity to adjust the approach or come up with a different idea for the future if we are meeting resistance or there is no genuine interest is what we are trying to accomplish. The interesting part of this journey is the lesson that not every idea can be applied at that moment, and sometimes being patient and waiting for the right time to execute the idea can be easily recognized at that moment. I am gaining more experience through this internship and it is giving me the opportunity to apply what I have learned and most cases this is does not occur.
February 11, 2016
More of the same, the clock is ticking and I have yet to secure the half-time performers for the Viktoberfest. I have had a lot of interest, but the pricing of the performers is difficult to negotiate, because we need them to stay for the better half of the game, and these types of performers are not cheap, even when we explain that we are restricted by a budget. It is getting a little frustrating because I feel like I am failing due to the fact that I have not completed the task yet. I realize that I may have to compile a list and give it to Carrie in order to have these performers come and fulfill the need during half-time. The reason I am thinking I may have to do this is because I do not have the power as an intern to make executive decisions of ricing, I was giving a budget, but I do not want to agree to something and go over budget. This has been the hardest project given to me thus far, because if I make a mistake in any way, it can cost the department money, even though someone can correct it, I do not want to create more work for someone else.
February 16, 2016
The basketball games are being played at Quicken Loans and I am helping Carrie with the pass list, which is interesting, because we can check people in but we need a union representative to hand the tickets to the people. Different rules for the venues is interesting to me because I have worked only the games at Wolstein Center and we play by much different rules there. We ran into a few hiccups, the ticket counter was supposed to deal with the Alumni Associations for the visiting team, yet they were sending them to us, we were only in charge of the teams’ guests, not the association or any other group that secured tickets for the game. By the second game, we finally straightened it out, talked with the supervisor that was sending people to us, it is amazing to me that Quicken Loans personnel were not really sure what our job was at this event. It was a little disappointing that they were not really sure what they were supposed to be in charge of, but it can be confusing, but it makes me wonder how often this occurs. I realized today that I do not want to pursue sales of any kind, and unfortunately, I have noticed that these are the types of jobs that are most available in this field. I understand that sales is a huge part of athletics at any level, but selling insurance and real estate I have realized that I do not like doing that as a career and would not be happy in this area of sports.
February 18, 2016
Today we found out that the Girl Scouts are no longer going to be a part of the February 27th game, but we are holding the Sportsmanship awards for the CYO teams of Cleveland and neighboring cities. There will be a good crowd for this event. At least we are able to host the awards, this has become a tradition for the University to honor or provide a venue for the CYO basketball teams, showing these kids that if they keep the good work and continue with the conduct that they are receiving the sportsmanship awards for. I am excited to see budding athletes receive awards for their conduct because it is not just about winning, it is about how you treat others and how you conduct yourself when you win or lose. Because let’s face it, as much as we all want to win every time we play, it isn’t possible, but it matters how you react to losing and remaining classy and humble and then reflecting on what you can improve upon is the biggest element of sports, or anything in life. These awards will be held at the Q, (Quicken Loans Arena) for the basketball double header that day. I always look forward to events like this because I am reminded of the reason why I love sports so much, and why I chose this career path, because kids are the future of sports, especially, collegiate sports. It is a good reminder that improving programs for the future generations is the main mission. This is one event that I am really looking forward to!
February 25, 2016
I missed Tuesday because I was sick, unfortunately, I missed
helping set up for the event on Saturday, but there is a few things that need
to be done still for Viktoberfest tonight.
I organized t-shirts, confirmed that the performers are still coming and
went over exactly where they are supposed to go when they arrive at the
Wolstein Center and the plan for the game.
I worked the pass list for this event again, I unfortunately, have not done much beside this at the games. It is a little disappointing because my work schedule has gotten in the way of working longer at the games, and it is a little frustrating, but I will gain more experience and do more on Saturday and I am truly looking forward to that. Carrie has been wonderful, she has taught me how to better handle tough situations, like when the names are not on the list or directing people on where to go, even when it is not at our venue. She really knows her stuff, I hope I can be half as good as she is once I am out working in this field.
I worked the pass list for this event again, I unfortunately, have not done much beside this at the games. It is a little disappointing because my work schedule has gotten in the way of working longer at the games, and it is a little frustrating, but I will gain more experience and do more on Saturday and I am truly looking forward to that. Carrie has been wonderful, she has taught me how to better handle tough situations, like when the names are not on the list or directing people on where to go, even when it is not at our venue. She really knows her stuff, I hope I can be half as good as she is once I am out working in this field.
February 27, 2016
CYO sportsmanship event at the Q started off a little rocky, we found out yesterday that the women’s visiting team would not be able to make it for the game due to the weather and the recent storms, so we will have to scramble to reschedule it, because these games are supposed to be at the Q, but if they have to be played at the Wolstein Center that is what would need to happen. But, all the families and kids were able to do the awards on the court, instead of the practice gym at the Q. Which actually worked out beautifully, and the kids were really excited. I was in charge of the free jerseys that we were giving away with the purchase of a ticket, and for those that wanted more than one they could buy them for $5. We sold out of them within about 2 hours, during the awards. It was really fun, and going over things with Carrie before everyone showed up, I felt thoroughly prepared for potential questions, which people were asking, even though we represent the university, I met a few people that work at the Q and if I did not know the answer, I directed the parents to them. It is a great example of networking and getting to know people in the industry, exposure of some sort and even though that may not be a career path that I would choose, it is still good to know people because plans and circumstances change. The pass list had the same issues with alumni of the visiting school, and the ticket counter not understanding our purpose, I did have to correct this with the supervisor in charge and I found someone who had the tickets and correct the issue. Fortunately, we just started the partnership and the day of the event can be a little crazy and confusing. But, we made it through this and by half-time we were good to go. I helped Carrie with whatever she needed for the second half of the game. It was a long day starting at 8 am and not leaving until about 3, with a lot of action and excitement, it reminded me that there is a light at the end of the tunnel with graduating and completing this part of the journey, and my hard work with help me feel prepared to actually get paid for doing something that I love. I cannot wait to figure out what I want to do and then pursue it. This experience has taught me a lot about perseverance.
March 1, 2016
Today was mainly a day of reflection and searching for areas that I would want to pursue, because I realized that on Saturday I do not have a direction in which I want to go in once this program is over. I am starting to get a little stressed out, without the supervisors and other people there because of meetings and there are no events that are going on that need immediate attention, I decided to start looking for possible jobs, so that I can ask someone while I am still here their advice on how to pursue that career. I really want to coach Track and Field eventually, and work for a school that has that program in order to gain experience because being a former runner I would love to work for USA Track and Field at some point in my career, that would be a dream come true. Not really finding anything that would not require a few years of experience, which is a little frustrating. I know this career path will not be easy to get into, but when you feel like you are so close to finishing and people are asking what your plans are for the future, it is overwhelming because I have no answer, which is adding extra stress that I am adding to myself. But, I keep reminding myself that I need to finish one thing at a time, and things will come when the timing is right, finishing my degree is just the first step.
March 3, 2016
As the internship winds down, and finally having time to send follow-up emails to those I contacted for the half-time shows, expressing interest for next year’s games and that we start planning for those around September or October when the schedule comes out, because we were unable to have them perform and they expressed interest in doing so. I learned throughout my career, in many different fields that following up with people is one of the most important things, because so many businesses and professionals will forget to or just have no need at that moment, and creating good community relations is key to any university and being able to spotlight local programs and groups. Reaching out to those in the community has been one of my favorite part of the internship, working with local schools with kids and seeing how excited they are about performing or attending events and games. There is something about kids and their excitement that reminds you of why you chose this path, and that your job is to make improvements so they choose your university over the others. Not only that, kids remember these experiences and hopefully, they are happy memories and the experience was something that will help them work harder in school and in their area of sports so they can play at this level.
March 7, 2016
Today was all about softball and the new venue that was just built for tennis and the softball teams. The venue can hold indoor softball games if it is cold or snowy or raining, because postponing games can be difficult to reschedule. I helped another intern with organizing a list of people to contact to let them know when the first games are and what the special events entail. It was mainly a day of calling and emailing people, and talking about the intern about a strategy, he is heading the project and I am just assisting with whatever he needs, which is fun working with someone that understands how hard it can be to figure out how to start and what we need to say or do in order to attract the most people to these events. We discussed what his major is and where he wants to go with it and what I have done during my career and I told him how hard it can be in the world, but we both shared the same sentiment in our excitement of finishing our degrees.
March 8, 2016
Today was a slower day, in a sense, still recovering from the craziness of Saturday and the retirement of Norris Cole’s jersey. There was still work to do on my end, communicating with half-time performers, calling and leaving messages, and sending many emails concerning cost, and making sure that we are staying with a budget and more importantly, staying with the NCAA rules of compliance. I am learning more about compliance, and how all of the regulations that we learned through coursework is applied in the real world. Staying within the rules of the NCAA is one of the most important elements of this job, no matter which position someone may fill in any athletic department, they must know or at least be in contact with the compliance personnel to double check the rules and whether or not they are staying within the parameters of the rules and regulations. I have noticed that throughout this experience thus far that everything that we learned, especially, calling and communicating with other departments and those outside of the University is one of the most important things we do. In order to attract more athletes, donations and fans that will attend sporting events we must maintain a sense of enthusiasm and persistence, even when we receive many people who are unwilling or cannot fulfill the requests that we ask of them. It has given me a thicker skin in a sense, because rejection is not a bad thing, it is an opportunity to adjust the approach or come up with a different idea for the future if we are meeting resistance or there is no genuine interest is what we are trying to accomplish. The interesting part of this journey is the lesson that not every idea can be applied at that moment, and sometimes being patient and waiting for the right time to execute the idea can be easily recognized at that moment. I am gaining more experience through this internship and it is giving me the opportunity to apply what I have learned and most cases this is does not occur.
March 10, 2016
Today was a slow day, nothing really to do, but I spoke with Carrie seeking her advice in crafting my resume and how to approach cover letters to get noticed with little experience. I asked her how she got into her field, and she said it was not easy but if I am persistent then it pays off. She could tell I am a little nervous about what I will do when I graduate and she made me feel better in knowing that more women are paving the way for people like me to get into sports, and I felt like I want to be just like those women in breaking down more barrios. Our conversation has given me more fuel to my fire in wanting to be like her and go for what I want and the job I know I would good at. That’s half the battle, the other half is actually finding the job. But, I feel better knowing that I will find something and I just have to be patient and persistent.
Almost done with all of my hours, I spent the day going through and organizing all of the contact sheets and station information for the events that I have worked. I also sent these items to Brandon with notes and other contact information that I gathered so next year the events that he is planning on doing again will take less time, I also included suggestions for more schools to attend the Health & Physical Education day, because I spoke with friends who are teachers that have expressed interest in attending. This allowed me to reflect on all of the work I have done and what I can improve upon in my approach in enticing more people to attend events when I speak with them. I truly did not know what to expect when I started and everyone has been so encouraging, and if I am honest, I did not think I would be able to pull off some of the tasks but I did it. I learned that I cannot doubt my abilities and it is okay to fail as long as I do not dwell on it.
Almost done with all of my hours, I spent the day going through and organizing all of the contact sheets and station information for the events that I have worked. I also sent these items to Brandon with notes and other contact information that I gathered so next year the events that he is planning on doing again will take less time, I also included suggestions for more schools to attend the Health & Physical Education day, because I spoke with friends who are teachers that have expressed interest in attending. This allowed me to reflect on all of the work I have done and what I can improve upon in my approach in enticing more people to attend events when I speak with them. I truly did not know what to expect when I started and everyone has been so encouraging, and if I am honest, I did not think I would be able to pull off some of the tasks but I did it. I learned that I cannot doubt my abilities and it is okay to fail as long as I do not dwell on it.
March 14, 2016
This week is Cleveland State’s spring break, so it is strangely quiet in the office, but with March Madness and listening to everyone talk about it gave me the feeling that I made the right choices for my brackets. I talked to a few people and we disagreed about who will go all the way. North Carolina is usually always my pick to win the tournament, but we shall see. I spoke with Virnette briefly about the next project if we can get it off the ground, meaning that she needs to set up a meeting with the Alumni personnel, which has proved to be almost impossible with her schedule and theirs. I am excited to start this project, if we can get a meeting set up, but she did tell me that it may not happen. Unfortunately, I have learned that the best laid plans sometimes do not allows work out. But I am still hopeful.
March 15, 2016
Today was much quieter than yesterday, there were not very many people in the office and the campus is a ghost town. I walked over to the new tennis and softball venue so I know where it is and the best places to park if I work any of the matches or games. I just wanted to get more comfortable with the campus just in case I needed to go to a different building for a meeting. Back at the office, I worked on a resume in order to have Carrie to look over it and see if I can improve it in any way when she has time. Even though it was slow, it gave me some time to reflect on what I want to do with my degree and while there are so many things, I am starting to narrow down my direction and I really want to coach track and cross country, because I saw those kids and if I can help someone get to the level that they want to be at then I would be my happiest.
March 22, 2016
Well, the countdown the end of this part of my journey has begun. It is becoming real that it is almost done, and all of my hard work actually has paid off because I was able to apply what I learned in courses to real world situations. Unfortunately, Virnette was not able to set up a meeting with the Alumni people, but I told her in order to gain more experience, I would love to work on it in my own time if that is an option. She said she would let me know. As the end nears, it is amazing to me how all parts of an Athletic Department works, how each person works so well with one another here, and I know it may not be like that everywhere or at the very least a place where people genuinely like working with one another. I also reflected on my career path and what made me want to pursue this degree, and I realized that sports has always been a part of my life in one way or another and why not pursue something that inspires me and that I am passionate about, because other areas of business do not speak to me in a way that this area does. I feel good that I made the right decision and I conquered my fears and improved upon my weaknesses during this internship.
March 24, 2016
Well, it seems as though there is not much left for me to do here, but I am continuing to help John with organizing his contact list. I realized that I have a knack for organizing things, and putting them in a way that makes more sense in terms of flow and ease of use. Maybe it is working in other areas where management or the business made everything harder to look up or not waste time searching for what you need. But, I gave him tips on making this easier for himself, and sometimes it takes a few tries to make it just the way you want it or for it to make sense for others to understand where everything is if you are not there to direct them. I realized it is going to be a little odd not having to come here or see these people anymore. But, I know now the types of people I want to work with in the future. And while I am sad that it is coming to an end, I am so grateful for the opportunity and I am truly excited to start my career in this field.
March 29, 2016
Last week here, and it is starting to sink in that next week I will not be coming here. Since October I have been given this opportunity to pursue experience and learn from some of the best in this business, working with coaches who understand that education is just as, if not more, important as the player’s sport is refreshing. Especially, after researching schools and seeing coaches that want players to spend more time on their sport than what they need to do in the classroom, but I learned a lot from these coaches in their approach to encouraging their players to push in all areas of their lives. It inspires me to be that type of coach and if I work in an athletic department that the players can come to me to talk or seek guidance. I know what I want to do, the challenge will be finding the job that will get my foot in the door. But, this has given me hope that I will find it, because I became more confident and I know that I am capable of improving my abilities and every day there is a new challenge and I enjoy that. I am very excited to find out what the future holds.
March 31, 2016- Last Day
LAST DAY! I made it! I feel like I accomplished so much during this mentorship and I cannot believe that time went by so quickly, it is hard to believe that I started in late October and it is the end of March. It feels like all of the hard work has paid off and I made some great connections and even friends in this industry. I will miss everyone, because they are great mentors and I hope that I can be just as good as they are in their positions and as mentors. Because I learned in this industry that people are willing to help you out, because they do not want to work with people that do not know what they are doing or not as passionate as they are. I think that can be a reason why this field is so hard to break into, and why it is so competitive because most people who want to work in this area are former athletes like myself and we understand that hard work pays off and if you want something you have to put the work in. You get out of it what you put into it. And this experience proved that I can do this and that I really want to do this, I feel like I am moving in the right direction. I am ready for the next chapter, I feel prepared from this mentorship and I am excited to get started.