Facilities Enhancement

When I first looked at the Cal softball field I was amazed that a team of such high caliber as Cal would be playing on such a field. The surface itself and the field walls are all top tier, but the stadium itself is a good representation of why not many fans attend Cal softball games. Cal is undergoing two massive construction projects at the moment. They are in no position to take on another such as the renovation of the softball field. However, the field is so rudimentary that the overhaul of it would not be difficult.

The profile of the Pac-10 is on the rise and Pac-10 softball is known as the best in the country. The Cal softball team has a lot of stock to offer in the way of alumni and notable current team members. These aspects make the Cal softball team a target for media coverage. The University of Washington softball team drew large amounts of coverage because of their high profile pitcher Danielle Lawrie - Cal has Valeria Ariotto. Not only is she an All-American pitcher, but she is also a member of the USA Futures team. Her Cal teammate Elia Reid is also a member of the US Futures team. These players are a good profile for the Cal softball team to use to attract TV stations for broadcasting.

I believe this renovation is well within the reach of the Cal Athletics department when they get out of the shadow of the current projects they are undertaking. I really enjoyed looking at all the marketing and fundraising possibilities for the Cal field.

Autumn Quarter Reflection

This quarter has been relatively difficult for me. I am used to being in school and playing sports so I know how to manage my time. However, I have never tried to work and study at the same time. While in college I would do homework almost every day because that was the only way I would be able to finish all of my assignments considering how busy my weekends were with games. This semester I have found that working all day does not incline one to do any kind of homework at the end of the day. I don’t feel as though I have accurately represented my personal brand with every piece of work I have produced this semester. I do feel good about some of my assignments I hope to raise the level of my productions next quarter.

I have found that this quarter of marketing and events & facilities has been easily applicable to my day to day work. While our subjects may not directly impact my thinking on a situation they always seem to creep their way into my thoughts. Even while I am enjoying an event on campus simply as a spectator I find myself examining the facility. When I watch the marketing and media relations teams during basketball games I find myself asking questions that were raised in our readings or class discussions. This semester has both been immediately and secondarily impacting on the way I observe the athletics department at Cal. After my experience during the game day shadow assignment I hope to get involved in event management next semester. The way the experience an event was far different from anyway I had previously and I would like to understand more of what they do on a daily basis.

NCAA Division II Festival Bid Project

Working in a group is always both a struggle and more fulfilling than expected - the NCAA Division II Festival bid project was no exception.

When you work on a project by yourself the timetable is entirely up to you. Every decision from the font to the actual substance of the project is your choice. While this is helpful and often easier than working with a group it can also be limiting. Many of my group mates found creative resources for us to use as references when constructing our project and they also came up with answers to questions I hadn’t even thought about.

I like to be in control because when I am not I stress easily. Therefore, working in a group is often difficult for me, but my group helped answer questions I would not have been able to answer as easily on my own. We also all often weighed in on decisions. One aspect I personally appreciated about our group was that if one person floated an idea and another person disagreed, that second person came with another option. Often people will simply shoot down an idea and not off an alternative. Our group did a good job making sure that if one idea didn’t work there were more options to consider.

It’s always difficult to bring the different components constructed by different group members together and I feel this project was a good way to assess how that is done. Many different moving parts had to be put together to have one successful project.

And now for something completely different: this post is being uploaded courtesy of Alaska Airlines complimentary inflight wifi service while I am somewhere in the skies between Seattle and Oakland.