Coopersville Parks and Recreation Internship
Jimmy
Experience Information
Employer: Coopersville Parks and Recreation
Job Title: Coopersville Parks and Recreation Intern
Major: Sport Management
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
The Coopersville Parks and Recreation Organization is run by the Recreational Director Matt Mckinnon. In the city of Coopersville there are several parks where games and practices are held at, plus they sometimes use Coopersville's high school or middle school fields as well if need be. Since Matt is the Recreation Director, he makes sure all of the sporting events are going smoothly, and makes sure the players, coaches, and other staff members have everything they need. If not, he will provide them with the materials necessary for them to be successful.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
During the winter, I mainly worked at the middle school working and doing several tasks. I filled in as a referee during the basketball season anytime Matt was not able to find other referees, and I was assigned to set up and tear down every athletic event, such as, setting up the tables, chairs, and the basketball hoops and managing the game clock. Also, their were a couple of City Council meetings I attended to as well. In the spring, I went to their coaches meetings for baseball and softball, and I helped Matt with field preparation for their spring sports, such as, lacrosse, soccer, baseball, and softball.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
Throughout this experience I have learned a lot about the recreational side of sport. One of the things I learned is their will be times when you will have to able to adapt to change because their are times when you are working on one thing, then another thing might come up out of nowhere, so being able to adapt is huge. Also, I found out that being organized and being able to prioritize all of the events, schedules, etc. is something I have learned as well.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of this internship was being a referee for the boys and girls basketball games when needed because it was my first time doing it, but I got to feel what that experience was like. Not only that but my other favorite part was when I got the chance to interact with the players and coaches during their practices and games. I had a great time being with them and got to see them play the sport they like to play.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
This experience has influenced my future career goals by considering going into the recreational side of the sports industry. I believe I made a difference not only for the parents and spectators, but for the whole Coopersville Parks and Recreation program by being a role model for the coaches and players throughout my experience. Making an impact on other people and programs can go a long way, which makes me highly considering going into recreational sport.
Internship Format
In Person