A Gold Medal Experience
Kateri
Experience Information
Employer: West Michigan Sports Commission
Job Title: Event Operations Intern
Major: Sport Management
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
The West Michigan Sports Commission is a 501(c)(3) which means a they are a non-profit organization. Their office is located in downtown Grand Rapids where their are less than 10 employees working in the office. This organization works with Experience Grand Rapids with their primary mission being to, "put heads in beds". In other words, this a sport tourism organization that uses sporting events to bring athletes to Grand Rapids in order to promote healthy living and generate revenue for the city of Grand Rapids. They host two different Olympic-style events. The Winter Games have been hosted in Marquette, MI for the last two years. The Summer Games is hosted here in Grand Rapids where they host over 20 events. Both of these events have main weekends where a majority of the events are hosted. There are also other weekends where specific events are hosted at various locations in Michigan.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
Some of my tasks / projects I completed throughout my time at my internship experience included; inputting data in excel, meeting tournament directors, reaching out to potential participants, attending events, and sending out merchandise shipments. One big project that was assigned to me was working on a digital yearbook the company is creating. This included properly transferring past Winter and Summer Games results into an excel sheet.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
Specific skills/knowledge I gained through this experience includes personal and professional development. From a professional's perspective, I obtained knowledge by learning what it takes to operate as a non-profit organization and the expectations that are required of each employee. I also learned the importance of communication with colleagues as well as with the tournament directors and participants. Additionally, one aspect of professional development that I acquired through this experience is the importance of enjoying what you do. This experience had a mixture of consistent weekday hours, but also work on the weekends as well. Working these hours made it worth it because I enjoyed the environment and the people I worked with. That being said, on a personal development standpoint, I also learned the importance of having a positive workplace environment and good interpersonal skills. Even though I only worked with this organization for a few months, I quickly developed good relationships with each of them because of their healthy workplace environment and their willingness to accept me as a team member and colleague.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of this internship was traveling to Marquette for a week-long event the West Michigan Sports Commission was hosting. During this week, I had the opportunity to experience first hand the work, planning, and communication that is required to host a successful week-long event. My duties ranged from being in charge of coordinating with volunteers, handing out medals, meeting tournament directors, handling merchandise orders, traveling to different event sites, and helping with the opening ceremony. Lastly, this was also my favorite experience because it was the first time I was able to see what I learned in each of my classes applied to a real-life scenario.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
This experience influenced my future career goals because it helped me to realize my passion for working Olympic-style events. Before this internship, my plan was to work for local parks and recreation programs. My experience at the West Michigan Sports Commission has provided me with numerous opportunities to learn and grow as an individual and as a professional. As a result of this internship, my future career goals are to continue working Olympic-style events as long as I can.
Internship Format
In Person