Small Town, Big Job
Matthew
Experience Information
Employer: Coopersville Recreation
Job Title: Assistant Recreation Director
Major: Sport Management
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
I was at the city of Coopersville working with recreation. The structure is from the city, so it is technically a government job. The day-to-day operations from a recreational standpoint were conducted by Matt Mckinnon, myself, and a few other contributors.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
I supervised and helped run the soccer season in the month of May and Early June. Late June was a lot of preparation and remote work for the summer camps. Now in July, I am on my 3rd week of running the youth summer program as a director. I am still in the process of grant writing to get some more baseball equipment. This was an excellent internship from an administrative perspective because it required hard work on and off the field. A true management experience.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I learned how to manage my time as there were a lot of moving parts throughout the summer. I also became effective in online and in person communication. Sending emails every day and speaking in front of lots of people gets you more comfortable in both aspects.
Favorite Part of the Experience
Working with my boss Matt and delegating problems together. On a day-to-day basis, something different happens each day when working for a city, his trust in me to help him with problems was super important to me and very beneficial.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
Working with kids throughout this summer, youth sports has come into mind as a future career. When you are a sports management student, the process is always about moving up. Having this experience has definitely showed me that working with kids is fun and a big deal.
Internship Format
Hybrid (some in person and some remote)