• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 5, 2025

You Get Out What You Put In

This is posted as part of our Summer Intern Blog Series. Be sure to come back each week as interns from around the country share their summer experiences with us!

By: Kelly Cartner, @kellyfavre4

A beautiful start to Copa Centenario. Photo courtesy: Kelly Cartner

Hello from Stockton, California! It is my privilege to be writing about some of my internship experiences this summer, as they will all be quite diverse. To start off, my name is Kelly and I am a graduate student at University of the Pacific, studying sport management and am currently in my last summer before I graduate…again. As I mentioned, my summer will be filled with different experiences from volunteering at Copa America, interning in the athletic department here on campus and being the media relations coordinator for a professional tennis event. For this post, I want to start with my Copa American Centenario volunteer experience, since it comes with a great lesson.

I am lucky enough to only live 75 miles from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, where the opening match of the tournament was held and I knew this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I applied and was accepted to be a volunteer in a matter of days and before I knew it, I was off to my first shift! I was chosen to be a part of the hospitality team, which ranges from being a ‘wayfinder’ and helping people where to go to helping out in the suites to hanging around in the fan plaza to assist with setup and tear down. My task on Friday: standing in the 100-degree heat helping fans find the way to their seats.

You may think, ‘Why in the world would you sign up for that?’ I understand why you would say this, but here is what I have learned through my past internships and experiences: you get out what you put in. That’s the secret and the most important ingredient in the recipe for success when it comes to internships. It sounds simple enough, but you would be shocked at how many young professionals often forget this vital slice of knowledge. Internships are not always glorious and they aren’t intended to be, they are resume builders and a great new resource to build your network. How many times have you heard from others about how important it is to network with anyone and everyone because it often comes down to, not, what you know, but who you know.

So as I stood in the heat helping others find their way, I kept a smile on the entire time while I had some great conversations with fans from Columbia, Brazil and even Chile. I took so many pictures of fans in front of the stadium and it was extremely heart warming to see how excited they were to cheer on their favorite team. After the three-and-a-half-hour shift, my team leader thanked me for volunteering and understood that, although I didn’t have the most glorious job, that I kept a positive attitude and that is all they ask. But my shift wasn’t completely over and I was thrilled at what was next.

Kelly's view from the suite is pretty sweet. Photo courtesy: Kelly Cartner

Part two of my shift included assisting in the midfield level suite where the performers, retired players and CONCACAF executives were hanging out. I was to help take pictures of people with the trophy, while also making sure the trophies were not being touched. As you can see from the picture, I also had a nice view of the entire game.

Afterward, it was late and while waiting for traffic to clear before leaving the stadium, three of the tournament operations coordinators sat down with me to write their reports and I was able to meet and talk with them about their careers and how they ended up in the sport management field. I also was able to tell them about myself and my dreams of working in the business of sports. This opportunity was paramount! How many people get to sit and talk with the individuals coordinating an international sporting event? I was getting out what I was putting in.

As a day that started with holding a sign and standing in the heat to sitting down and talking with tournament coordinators, I was building my network and turning this experience into whatever I wanted it to be. I turned the experience into a few lines on my resume, a tremendous conversation starter, collected a few business cards and took some breathtaking pictures. It is going to be a great time at this tournament because I want it to be. I am gaining an amazing experience because I am putting in an amazing and positive attitude.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

The Many Hats of Minor League Baseball

If you can make it in the minors, you can make it…

Small Steps, Big Dreams: Michael Ryan Ruiz’s Journey to ESPN Radio

This feature is presented to you by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Master…

You Can’t Have Your Hand In The Development If You Don’t Develop..

This interview is presented to you by the University of Nebraska — Lincoln Master…

Rebranding and Revival: Rebuilding a Franchise from the Ground Up

[caption id=”” align=”alignnone” width=”800.0"] Rebranding can sometimes be all an organization needs…

Featured Today

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
July 3, 2025

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”
June 29, 2025

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.

What Rolapp’s NFL Exit Means—and the Top Candidates to Replace Him

NFL media boss Brian Rolapp leaves; the league hunts for his replacement.
May 23, 2025

New LPGA Commissioner: Women’s Golf ‘Really Hard’ to Find on TV

Former PGA of America COO Craig Kessler will lead the tour.
Gabby Thomas
exclusive
June 12, 2025

Grand Slam Track Cancels Los Angeles Meet As $30 Million Track Start-Up..

Sources close to Grand Slam insist money is not an issue.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
Donald Trump, Nick Saban
May 22, 2025

Proposed Trump College Sports Commission May Never Happen

The White House is not sure of its plans.
May 15, 2025

PGA Championship Tees Off With Free Food, Record Hospitality Sales

General admission includes unlimited food and non-alcoholic beverages.
Jun 12, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; St. Louis Blues center Ivan Barbashev (49) and right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) hoists the Stanley Cup after defeating the Boston Bruins in game seven of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden
May 15, 2025

The 10 Biggest Stanley Cup Upsets of All Time

Since the 1984–1985 NHL season, 10 squads have defied the odds.
Allyson Felix
May 1, 2025

Allyson Felix on Olympic Pay, Nike, and Track’s Big-Money Era

Felix talked to FOS about her push to help Olympic parents and more.