Bottom of the 9th: Game Almost Over

(BBA, Washington Nationals Baseball Club)

Hey Everyone,

I am sad to say that this is my last post of the summer. I obviously do not want my internship to end, but I am also excited because that means I am headed back to Ann Arbor that much sooner.

I have learned so much this summer working for the Washington Nationals. I have made some great friends, with the other co-interns, full time employees, and most importantly with my supervisor. I have learned so much from Heather this summer. She truly is the most hardworking and driven individual I have ever met. She is non-stop working, and always giving it her all. I think the relationships I have made will be one of the best things I take away from my entire internship. I have learned something different everyday and from every person within my department, and within the organization.

I learned so much this summer, more than I ever expected. Of course I learned a lot about the Nationals and the Sports Industry. Most importantly, I learned that jobs are not Monday-Friday and 9-5. During my internship, I put in a lot of hours, and a lot of those hours were on weekends. It taught me a valuable lesson: that jobs are way different from school and do not follow a Monday-Friday (or Thursday) schedule, and that’s the real world.

One thing I really am taking away from this internship is the real-life, unique experience I was given. I was able to work with an organization during one of their most exciting times. This season, while I was here, the Nationals brought in a new Pitcher: Steven Strasburg. This was such an exciting time to be working for the Nationals, because everyone was so excited about Strasburg, and everyone was genuinely happy to be at work.

Throughout my internship, I think I have shown my boss my incredible work ethic. I think I have grown as a person during my internship. I came in about 9 weeks ago, scared, nervous, and anxious. Now, I am confident in myself and my work.

Overall, I have enjoyed my 9 weeks here with the Nationals. It has been a lot of work but also a lot of fun. I hope everyone enjoys their last few weeks of summer!

DMB Hits Nationals Park!

(BBA, Washington Nationals Baseball Club)

Hello everyone! So the last time I posted, I explained a typical day at Nationals Park. However, from my last post until now, it has been anything but typical here at the stadium. Last Friday evening, we had the Dave Matthews Band concert here at the Park. Sounds cool, right? Yeah, it was...but it was also a lot of work for my department. This concert was my department’s biggest event this summer. Luckily for us, the Nationals were on the road for 10 days and we had the All-Star Break, so we didn’t have to worry about games and could just focus on the concert.

We put in long hours and worked extremely hard. There were some minor “catastrophes,” but at the end of the day, the concert was amazing and was a huge success. We even got to watch Dave Matthews Band perform in a suite, which was a lot of fun. It was also nice just to sit and watch after a long day of work. But after the concert ended, we were back to work making sure cleanup was on schedule. Besides the 108 degree weather, one of our biggest problems with the concert was protecting the field. Once the concert ended, we had to get the cleanup started right away so we could remove the covering on the field to allow the grass to finally get some air! Sounds funny, but working with a baseball team, the grass is almost like one of the players.

Looking back on the concert, I would do it again in a second. I loved seeing my hard work and long hours help create an amazing show that was enjoyed by 40,000 fans. Now that the concert is over, our department is exhausted, and it is kind of nice to have the team back home for a 7 game homestand. Home games are like a break for my department, because they follow a very similar structure and routine. After a hectic week with the concert, it is nice to have a “Typical Day @ Nationals Park.”

I cannot believe I am starting my 7^th week here with the Nationals. After this homestand, I only have about a week and half left of my internship. I guess time really does fly by when you’re having fun. I look forward to updating everyone on my final weeks here at Nationals Park.

PS: check out DMB’s concert schedule…maybe he is coming to your town!

A Typical Day @ Nationals Park

(BBA, The Washington Nationals Baseball Club)

I cannot believe I have already been here for over a month! I have fully adjusted and now have a daily routine. I thought I’d share a typical day of my in

ternship. As I mentioned in my last post, non-game days and game days are extremely different work environments. Game days are much more exciting, in my opinion. On a typical game day I work from 2pm-8pm.

2pm-3:30pm: I come in to the office, get settled, and start working on my current project. Last week I finished a Punch List of all the suites. I had to go around to all 79 suites in the stadium and take photos of places that needed touch-up work and fixing. This week, my project is to contact other baseball teams’ Enterprise and Events departments to receive information and brochures on their event plannin

g and price rates. Additionally, this week I have to edit and make the layout diagrams for the party clubs and rooms. This definitely is going to test my powerpoint ability!

3:30pm: I go grab the wristbands for the Diamond and Presidents Clubs that will be used during the game. Only those people with Diamond and President Club tickets are allowed to enter the clubs; therefore, wristbands are the most effective and efficient way to ensure only ticketed guests are in the clubs. Liam, a staff member in my department, and I walk to the Presidents Club, the Diamond Club, Section 126, and Section 119 and distribute the wristbands to the ushers. Those are the on

ly 4 locations that people can redeem their wristbands to enter the clubs. We also make sure there are podiums at these locations, and that everything in the clubs is ready for when the gates open. At every game, there are concierges in the clubs to greet and direct the guest. My department is in charge of ensuring that the concierges are there, on time, and ready. After we distribute the wristbands to the four locations, Liam and I post the concierge work schedule in the concierge check-in location. This whole loop usually takes us about an hour.

4:30-5:30pm: I head back to the office and work on my assigned projects.

5:30pm: Liam and I take another loop to make sure that the concierges and ushers are in places at the designated locations. After doing this final loop with Liam, he heads into the Diamond Club and I go work on my pre-game project.

6-7pm: My co-intern, Jim, and I work on throughput times before every game. Our department is trying to figure a more efficient way for people to get drinks and food, by minimizing their wait and process time. We are trying to prove that the method we currently use is not efficient. Jim and I time, count, and calculate the number of people that are served at s

pecific concession stands.

7pm: I meet up with the rest of my department’s team in the Diamond Club, where we can work while watching the game. (It’s a great view of the whole field)

8pm: Workday is over. I can either head home or stay and watch the game.

That is what a typical day at Nationals Park is like on a Game Day. Everyone in my department is extremely friendly and helpful. We spend a lot of time together as a team. On Non-Game Days we all spend a lot of time in the office together. Even though we are all doing different things and working on separate projects, there is still a social atmosphere around the office, and always someone to help, answer questions, etc. The people working in my department are young and fun, which definitely enhances my social life as an intern. I’m really enjoying my internship and can’t wait to update everyone again!

New City, New Life

Michael Wieder, BBA 2011, Octagon

Last week was a very busy week for me, I took the LSAT Monday, moved to Washington D.C. on Tuesday, and started work at Octagon on Wednesday. My hectic life just made it harder to get adjusted to living in a new city. Unlike a lot of people, I have an advantage adjusting to city life because I grew up and live in New York. However, it always takes time to get acquainted with a new place. The people, culture, food, and layout are all different and take time to adjust too.

I have found that there are ways to alleviate the stress and potential frustration cause by relocation. The first tip is, do RESEARCH. Going on the internet and searching everything from food to maps, and entertainment to transportation can make all the difference on how easy it is to adjust to a new city. At first I found it very difficult to get adjusted to how DC was layed out. I found it hard to navigate the city, and although cleaner than NYC subways, the DC Metro is just inferior to other mass transit systems in cities like NY, London, and Paris. After I looked at a couple maps I was perfectly acclimated to my new city.

My second tip to adjusting to a new city is to EXPLORE. Get out and see what the town, city, or state has to offer. If you hide you will never know how great (or not so great) the new city is. By exploring you open yourself up to new things, and really get a chance to adjust yourself to your new surroundings.

Lastly, make sure that you have FUN. Don't hold back at all. See what the nightlife has to offer, meet new people, go to cultural places. Without having fun, your transition to a new place won't be the same. I have found that if I let myself have fun in a new city I automatically adjust to my surroundings better, because although I may be a foreigner, I feel like a native.

Hope this helps with everyone adjusting to new cities because it has definitely helped me in the past.

My First Post

(BBA, Octagon)

Hi All! I am Michael Wieder a rising senior in the BBA Program. This summer I will be interning at Octagon, a global sports agency and marketing firm. They represent athletes such as Michael Phelps, Chris Paul, Emmitt Smith, and Lamarr Woodley (Go Blue) to name a few. I will be working in the Athlete and Property Marketing Division. I expect my projects will revolve around harnessing the marketability that Octagon's athlete clients have and find strategic ways to pair them with large corporations or events through sponsorships or endorsements. Currently I do not have many expectations for my job. I find that it is better to go in to new experiences with low expectations so anything that is good seems great and things that aren't so great do not seem so terrible. My internship is in McClean, Virginia and I will be living in Washington D.C. I am very excited about experiencing and exploring all aspects of a new city. Being from New York I understand what a big city is like, but Washington D.C. is going to a lot of fun and a great experience. I am not the type of person to be very nervous about new situations, however I guess I always a little concerned about the adjustment to a new corporate culture when starting a new job or internship. I look forward to updating everybody on my experience.