Recreation Practicum

Practicum Description and Logs

The week of September 13th, my fellow intern team and I were creating a survey that allows us to gauge the College of the Holy Cross fan experience. Over a span of 8 hours we would meet via zoom conference and discuss how we would present multiple different options to the athletic department.

Once we came up with a final copy that everyone unanimously agreed upon, the group of interns had to show our supervisors, then it would be at their discretion to be approved for a meeting with public relations in the athletic department.

The following week we would be notified that it was approved and that they would use our survey model to be sent to the student body as well as the fanbase for the Holy Cross faithful! This was a huge success and a step in the right direction as Holy Cross has never used surveys in collecting data before fall of 2020.

• I was selected out of large number of candidates and was put through two separate interview processes. In total we had 4 interns who would be mentored by two rising stars in the Holy Cross athletic department who made the culture open and friendly to all involved in the internship

• Interns met with the head of athletic fan experience once every week for a staff meeting. Each meeting would be open ended and allowed us to ask any question we may have freely. At the end of each meeting we would either discuss current projects, or be given sole or group projects pertaining to marketing of the athletic department.

This was a great experience to get under my belt. Being able to work in sports marketing is something that will help me not only in the classroom but help with future employment when looking at my resume. For others looking for a similar role I would advise them to reach out to school’s athletic programs who interest them and reach out to them in a personal email to see if there are any positions opening. This is the fastest way to obtain a position, speaking from personal experience.

Log Report/Hours Due Sunday October 11th

• volunteering to work for the local Friday and Sunday night baseball league across a few boarding towns of Saint Cloud.

• My girlfriend and I have joined a wellness and activity club virtually through our church back home that allows us to talk about fitness and track progress along with the opportunity to discuss mental health that each of us is dealing with.

• A great portion of my time was spent on the practice field as well as the weight room.

• Neighborhood run or jog to finish the week strong.

Info on Friday and Sunday night baseball league:

Head Coach Pat Dolan of the SCSU Huskies owns a baseball clinic and has us gain experience by coaching local high school athletes by umpiring , PA announcing or even coaching a team here or there.

Weekly neighborhood runs Info:

Every Sunday evening for as long as the weather allowed my friends and I to jog and get some exercise. This allowed us to get out of house and get some fresh air! This helped relieve stress and help our mental health.

Background Info on Virtual fitness and wellness club through church:

Both my girlfriend and I belong to the same Parrish back home, and they recently started a virtual group call on Tuesday evenings that allow everyone to share how their mental health is, as well as talk about how we are staying physically active.

Practice / weight lifting Info:

Majority of my life is taken up by baseball practice and the weight lifting that coincides with being a collegiate athlete.

Observing the University of Michigan football game: I rarely get the opportunity to watch Michigan football due to the fact that they regularly kick off at noon, and during the fall the baseball team would normally be scrimmaging or having a practice. However with COVID-19 limiting our practice schedule I was able to observe the Wolverines Play! However, I took an alternative approach to watching the game. I was watching for body language on a bad play and see how they would react moving forward throughout the game. As a competitor, you are always looking for weakness in your opponent.

Intramural activity/sport: Myself and a few other were able to find some basketball courts and create a basketball tournament , round robin style that allowed us to get our daily cardio in. ( Facility: Outdoor basketball court) (size: 10-12 players)

Facility management: I was able to volunteer and help move new weight equipment into the newly renovated weight room in Halenbeck Hall for a few hours and help put together equipment.

Learning how to fish: Being that fishing seems to be Minnesota's past time, I decided to give it try. I went with some friends who love to fish and they were able to teach me a few things that helped me become more knowledgeable about fishing.

Participating in a SCSU student organization: I attended meetings for the real estate student organization that is offered to students here on campus. Learning new forms of business is always something I look forward to doing.

Lessons Learned / Communication skills:

When executing all five aspects of the practicum a common occurrence was having strong communication skills. Being that I was working with more than one individual for majority of the activity it was imperative to have constructive dialog between others so we were able to accomplish the goals we had set.

Another take away I walked away with was always ask questions that you may have, and don’t be afraid to speak up! During my fishing experience I held back on some questions I had due the fear of my friends making fun of my question. No matter what ask your question otherwise you may end up lost and have no idea how to do what instructions that were given to you.

While participating in November 8th practicum I was able to accomplish some new and interesting tasks!

November 29th

Training my cardiovascular endurance: This week I was began training with a trainer to help build cardiovascular endurance in a small group setting to help train for the upcoming baseball season. 1-2 hours twice a week doing so until the return to school in January.

Hiking trails: The weather in Michigan has been in the 50’s I was able to go on some hiking trails in neighboring towns around my home! With COVID-19 limiting the activities we are able to do, this was a nice experience that allowed me to get out of the house and explore nature.

Networking: In addition to getting out of the house I spent a few hours networking on Linkedin as well as sending out resumes for summer internships related to the sporting industry

Final Practicum Presentation Closing

While being in a pandemic it can be extremely challenging to accomplish the 40 hour minimum. I worked extremely hard and was able to get the maximum experience from the hours I accomplished! I was very thankful to have my health be able to experience all kinds of lifelong memories from the 40+ hours over the semester I accomplished. I hope that those after me who decide to take this course take the practicum serious and try new things! I am thankful everyday for the ability to be active and try new things