A’s interns rotate through key departments, including ticketing, concessions and maintenance, to get a comprehensive experience of stadium operations. (Photo by Dani Trujillo/Cronkite News) MESA – For Arizona college students dreaming of a career in sports, spring training at Hohokam Stadium offers more than just baseball – it’s a gateway into the big leagues. Through […]
A’s interns rotate through key departments, including ticketing, concessions and maintenance, to get a comprehensive experience of stadium operations. (Photo by Dani Trujillo/Cronkite News)
MESA – For Arizona college students dreaming of a career in sports, spring training at Hohokam Stadium offers more than just baseball – it’s a gateway into the big leagues.
Through a unique internship with the Oakland Athletics, sports business majors from Arizona State and Grand Canyon University gained hands-on experience running stadium operations during the Cactus League season.
From ticketing to fan engagement, students learned how to create the enjoyable, family-friendly fan experience that makes spring training such a draw.
“I started here about 11 years ago when we opened the stadium, and it was a chance for us to revamp our operations,” said Joe Pun, the program director. “Moving into this role, looking at part-time staff or seasonal staff, the most interested staff for this environment is going to be college students.”
Pun attends Arizona State and Grand Canyon career fairs to recruit students with a desire to learn about sports marketing and peek behind the curtain of a baseball stadium’s operations. By the end of spring training, students receive a crash course in a variety of key behind-the-scenes responsibilities.
“I’m responsible for everything that happens in the stadium, so ticketing, corporate partnerships, security, facilities, maintenance, concessions, team shop, and all that stuff follows under my umbrella,” Pun said. “This opportunity allows these students to learn what falls under each of those departments and what they look like.”
Geared toward college students who want to work for a professional sports team, the internship takes what they learn in a classroom and applies it at a baseball stadium during spring training. Students can not only build on their knowledge bae but also gain valuable reps in a real-world setting.
“The vested interest in becoming a part of our team and wanting to make our spring training experience one of the best in the Cactus League is what’s really a good benefit for us,” Pun said. “The second part of it is seeing young individuals being leaders in this industry as they move on from here. We have had a high success rate of people getting full-time jobs in sports from working here.”
Interns from Arizona State and Grand Canyon University gain hands-on experience managing game day operations at Hohokam Stadium during the Athletics’ spring training season. (Photo by Dani Trujillo/Cronkite News)
From Pun’s experience working with this program, he knows that showcasing a unique skill set at a young age gives his interns an advantage over the competition. But the preparation provides one key takeaway that is often overlooked.
“One is the experience and knowing how things work, and second is the confidence,” Pun said. “When you work here, you actually are doing the things you may be learning in the classroom and that gives you the confidence in an interview like, ‘Hey I know what you’re looking for because I have physically done it and can jump in and start.”’
Arizona State student Ryan Bergman has made the right decision for his future to earn an opportunity with the Athletics this past spring. Participating and attending school activities or events presents challenges for busy college students, but it paid off for him.
“I originally heard about it at the sports business association at Arizona State’s career fair,” Bergman said. “Joe and a couple of the other coordinators were there and I went up to them and found it interesting because I knew I wanted to have a career in sports.”
The Athletics operations staff come to work with an attitude of providing the best fan engagement each game. Teamwork is at the root of success, and interns learn how to collaborate in team settings while developing vital skills.
It starts with the trust Pun has in the interns to do the job right.
“We are actually getting to see what these different positions look like, whether marketing or concession sales within the operation side of things,” Grand Canyon student John Nixon said. “Just being able to learn and grow with highly motivated individuals that are the same age as us and share the same ideas is super important as we try to achieve a career in this industry.”
