"Hi, my name is Hannah"
June 27, 2016
Today was my first day for my internship at the University of Notre Dame volleyball team. Although I live pretty close to the university, the campus is very intimidating. I was nervous trying to find my way to the office. The offices were in the Purcell Pavilion. Once I found the offices the director of operations, Kevin Prendergast, greeted me and put me to work immediately. He had a laptop set up for me to look up opponents' schedules before Notre Dame played them. This was used to break down film and scout. After that he introduced me to DataVolley which is an intense computer program that is a focus of his job. I was also able to sit in on a meeting about the DataVolley program and how they wanted to advance the program to be more specific about the type of pass that was played. I entered the rosters of opponents for this upcoming season. This is used to keep stats during the game. I also worked on the Spotify playlist for camp. The head coach constantly wants music playing during tutorials. Being in the gym for about 8 hours a day, the playlist needed to be lengthy with clean and upbeat lyrics with no sexual references. Finding music that fit that mold was challenging, but I believe my playlist was one that both the coaches and campers would enjoy. I was really nervous for my first day there, but I learned a lot and it helped that I stayed busy the entire time.
Today was my first day for my internship at the University of Notre Dame volleyball team. Although I live pretty close to the university, the campus is very intimidating. I was nervous trying to find my way to the office. The offices were in the Purcell Pavilion. Once I found the offices the director of operations, Kevin Prendergast, greeted me and put me to work immediately. He had a laptop set up for me to look up opponents' schedules before Notre Dame played them. This was used to break down film and scout. After that he introduced me to DataVolley which is an intense computer program that is a focus of his job. I was also able to sit in on a meeting about the DataVolley program and how they wanted to advance the program to be more specific about the type of pass that was played. I entered the rosters of opponents for this upcoming season. This is used to keep stats during the game. I also worked on the Spotify playlist for camp. The head coach constantly wants music playing during tutorials. Being in the gym for about 8 hours a day, the playlist needed to be lengthy with clean and upbeat lyrics with no sexual references. Finding music that fit that mold was challenging, but I believe my playlist was one that both the coaches and campers would enjoy. I was really nervous for my first day there, but I learned a lot and it helped that I stayed busy the entire time.
"Organize, Organize, Organize"
July 5, 2016
When my internship supervisor, Kevin Prendergast (KP), told me that each camper was receiving a volleyball for attending the camp, I thought it was a great idea. Little did I know that I was the one to inflate every single one of the 500 volleyballs. Walking into the storage closet where they were stored to find everything they needed for practice camps or anything really was shocking. You could barely walk anywhere around the room with trash all over the floor. Volleyballs, ball carts, twisted nets, net poles, empty boxes and expired Gatorades were all over the place. There were boxes and boxes of deflated volleyballs and one air pump. He said you can just put the inflated volleyballs into the corner. WHAT corner?!? There was no room for anything. He left to work in the office and my anxiety kicked in. Immediately I started organizing and throwing away most of it. I could not believe that they allowed this to be so disorganized. I spent six hours organizing and cleaning, I did make friends with the janitors very quickly. I didn't even start on the job I was supposed to actually do, but the storage closet needed some serious TLC. At the end of the day it still needed some work, but I was really proud of what I accomplished.
When my internship supervisor, Kevin Prendergast (KP), told me that each camper was receiving a volleyball for attending the camp, I thought it was a great idea. Little did I know that I was the one to inflate every single one of the 500 volleyballs. Walking into the storage closet where they were stored to find everything they needed for practice camps or anything really was shocking. You could barely walk anywhere around the room with trash all over the floor. Volleyballs, ball carts, twisted nets, net poles, empty boxes and expired Gatorades were all over the place. There were boxes and boxes of deflated volleyballs and one air pump. He said you can just put the inflated volleyballs into the corner. WHAT corner?!? There was no room for anything. He left to work in the office and my anxiety kicked in. Immediately I started organizing and throwing away most of it. I could not believe that they allowed this to be so disorganized. I spent six hours organizing and cleaning, I did make friends with the janitors very quickly. I didn't even start on the job I was supposed to actually do, but the storage closet needed some serious TLC. At the end of the day it still needed some work, but I was really proud of what I accomplished.
"That's a lot of Volleyballs"
July 6, 2016
Since I spent all of my time the day before cleaning and organizing, I needed to actually inflate the volleyballs. I put on some music and started inflating with an automatic ball pump. Everything was smooth sailing until the ball pump started getting hot and then it just shut off. I figured I broke it, then I read the warning label that I failed to read beforehand to not have the ball pump on for longer than 5 minutes. I tried to organize more while it cooled off and luckily it turned back on. I could only inflate a few balls at a time before it started getting too hot. I kept organizing and cleaning while the air pump was taking a break. I was surrounded by tons of volleyballs in a dreary storage room. This older gentleman came in and was really impressed with what I was doing. He even helped me move some heavier boxes. He was one of the head people for video production and marketing and showed me where they worked. It was really neat to see what they do there. I was even able to see them film some of their promotion videos for women's basketball. They even fed me some lunch which was really nice. After I had some lunch I went back to my exciting task of inflating volleyballs. I even went on an adventure throughout the Joyce Center and met the equipment manager. I talked him into letting me borrow his air pump. This made my job go much faster and I was able to see the equipment room with a lot of the athletic uniforms and anything you could possibly need for the 18 sports they have.
Since I spent all of my time the day before cleaning and organizing, I needed to actually inflate the volleyballs. I put on some music and started inflating with an automatic ball pump. Everything was smooth sailing until the ball pump started getting hot and then it just shut off. I figured I broke it, then I read the warning label that I failed to read beforehand to not have the ball pump on for longer than 5 minutes. I tried to organize more while it cooled off and luckily it turned back on. I could only inflate a few balls at a time before it started getting too hot. I kept organizing and cleaning while the air pump was taking a break. I was surrounded by tons of volleyballs in a dreary storage room. This older gentleman came in and was really impressed with what I was doing. He even helped me move some heavier boxes. He was one of the head people for video production and marketing and showed me where they worked. It was really neat to see what they do there. I was even able to see them film some of their promotion videos for women's basketball. They even fed me some lunch which was really nice. After I had some lunch I went back to my exciting task of inflating volleyballs. I even went on an adventure throughout the Joyce Center and met the equipment manager. I talked him into letting me borrow his air pump. This made my job go much faster and I was able to see the equipment room with a lot of the athletic uniforms and anything you could possibly need for the 18 sports they have.
"Shop Till You Drop"
fromJuly 8, 2016
One of my responsibilities during camp is to run the camp store which consisted of snacks, drinks, and pizza. Today my internship supervisor and I went to Sam's Club for the refreshments. We took a very large Mercedes passenger van with the University of Notre Dame plastered on it. It was funny to see the different looks people would give us. I helped make the decisions on what to purchase. Then we stopped at Chik-fil-A for lunch. After that we went to Dick's Sporting Goods store to purchase air horns to signal to campers and coaches the end of a session. This was a good time for me to ask KP, my internship supervisor, questions about his career and his experience with Sports Management. He graduated from Xavier University with a Bachelor's degree in Sports Management. He talked about his first internship experience and how working with the Xavier volleyball program created a relationship with Mike Johnson. Mike Johnson was the head coach at Xavier and is now the associate head coach at Notre Dame. After we got back Sam's Club, we unloaded everything and did some more computer work.
One of my responsibilities during camp is to run the camp store which consisted of snacks, drinks, and pizza. Today my internship supervisor and I went to Sam's Club for the refreshments. We took a very large Mercedes passenger van with the University of Notre Dame plastered on it. It was funny to see the different looks people would give us. I helped make the decisions on what to purchase. Then we stopped at Chik-fil-A for lunch. After that we went to Dick's Sporting Goods store to purchase air horns to signal to campers and coaches the end of a session. This was a good time for me to ask KP, my internship supervisor, questions about his career and his experience with Sports Management. He graduated from Xavier University with a Bachelor's degree in Sports Management. He talked about his first internship experience and how working with the Xavier volleyball program created a relationship with Mike Johnson. Mike Johnson was the head coach at Xavier and is now the associate head coach at Notre Dame. After we got back Sam's Club, we unloaded everything and did some more computer work.
"Gold Medal Squared Volleyball"
,July 9, 2016
With only 3 days until the camp, I took this day to work on signs and manuals. At this camp it is really important that the coaches working the camp are on the same page as the Notre Dame coaching staff. There were coaches from all over the country that came to work this camp. It is important that these coaches understand Jim McLaughlin's coaching style, known as Gold Medal Squared Volleyball. Many of the coaches there instruct this philosophy of volleyball already. The manuals were used as a foundation and reference for what the coaches are expected to instruct. Gold Medal Squared volleyball was a learning experience for me because I was not taught this style of volleyball growing up. After seeing the director of operations create these manuals, I realized that I need to take Photoshop and InDesign classes. KP encouraged me to look into these classes because it will give you an advantage in career search. I also made signs to put on the dorm room doors for campers to identify counselors. The volleyball camp used Lewis Hall which was filled to capacity almost every camp. With 4 floors it is important that campers are able to find a counselor if they are sick, hurt, homesick, or have questions.
With only 3 days until the camp, I took this day to work on signs and manuals. At this camp it is really important that the coaches working the camp are on the same page as the Notre Dame coaching staff. There were coaches from all over the country that came to work this camp. It is important that these coaches understand Jim McLaughlin's coaching style, known as Gold Medal Squared Volleyball. Many of the coaches there instruct this philosophy of volleyball already. The manuals were used as a foundation and reference for what the coaches are expected to instruct. Gold Medal Squared volleyball was a learning experience for me because I was not taught this style of volleyball growing up. After seeing the director of operations create these manuals, I realized that I need to take Photoshop and InDesign classes. KP encouraged me to look into these classes because it will give you an advantage in career search. I also made signs to put on the dorm room doors for campers to identify counselors. The volleyball camp used Lewis Hall which was filled to capacity almost every camp. With 4 floors it is important that campers are able to find a counselor if they are sick, hurt, homesick, or have questions.
"Help! Security?"
July 10, 2016
All campers receive a t-shirt and coaches receive two t-shirts. One of my responsibilities was organizing t-shirts by camp. I'm very glad I counted because the monogram club did not give us enough t-shirts for our last camp. Fortunately, they were able to make more before the last camp. The camp has 12 courts for all the campers. In the storage closet that was an absolute disaster, there were net poles all over the place and many that didn't even work. I had to go into the basement of the Joyce Center and find extra volleyball poles. I was given a key to open up a large elevator that would lead me back up to the ground level where I was taking the poles. While I was down there bringing up poles that were awkward and heavy, the key that I was given to get back up to ground level was stuck in the lock. I struggled with the key for 10 minutes before I had to call Notre Dame security. Security found a way downstairs and they were unable to get the key out either and I didn't want to call my internship supervisor. Security called for a locksmith and I had to wait for them to come down to the basement which was dark and kind of scary. While I was sitting down there the general manager of the Joyce Center comes down. He was able to jiggle it out in a matter of a few seconds. I felt like such an idiot intern, but he was very friendly and understanding. He even asked about my internship and where I went to school. Eventually I was able to get all the volleyball poles upstairs and somewhat organized.
All campers receive a t-shirt and coaches receive two t-shirts. One of my responsibilities was organizing t-shirts by camp. I'm very glad I counted because the monogram club did not give us enough t-shirts for our last camp. Fortunately, they were able to make more before the last camp. The camp has 12 courts for all the campers. In the storage closet that was an absolute disaster, there were net poles all over the place and many that didn't even work. I had to go into the basement of the Joyce Center and find extra volleyball poles. I was given a key to open up a large elevator that would lead me back up to the ground level where I was taking the poles. While I was down there bringing up poles that were awkward and heavy, the key that I was given to get back up to ground level was stuck in the lock. I struggled with the key for 10 minutes before I had to call Notre Dame security. Security found a way downstairs and they were unable to get the key out either and I didn't want to call my internship supervisor. Security called for a locksmith and I had to wait for them to come down to the basement which was dark and kind of scary. While I was sitting down there the general manager of the Joyce Center comes down. He was able to jiggle it out in a matter of a few seconds. I felt like such an idiot intern, but he was very friendly and understanding. He even asked about my internship and where I went to school. Eventually I was able to get all the volleyball poles upstairs and somewhat organized.
"Day Before the Storm"
July 11, 2016
Today was the last day in preparation for camp. It was important to have everything set up and ready to go for the next day. KP helped me with setting up the volleyball nets. This was extremely challenging with the various broken poles and ones that would not match. It was really frustrating carrying heavy poles all over the two large gyms only to discover that they would not fit. There were different types of nets that were often tangled that had to match certain poles. This task felt like a puzzle. Eventually we got all 12 courts set up the best we could. We also had to put a net in the rowing room where the rowing team practices. This took some strategic planning considering that we could not put poles in the floor. We eventually figured out a way to have the net tied tight enough. I was also informed today that I will be staying on campus in the dorms with no air conditioning. I was also required to take a basic instruction course online to be able to use a golf cart to use during camp. High school camp starts tomorrow.
Today was the last day in preparation for camp. It was important to have everything set up and ready to go for the next day. KP helped me with setting up the volleyball nets. This was extremely challenging with the various broken poles and ones that would not match. It was really frustrating carrying heavy poles all over the two large gyms only to discover that they would not fit. There were different types of nets that were often tangled that had to match certain poles. This task felt like a puzzle. Eventually we got all 12 courts set up the best we could. We also had to put a net in the rowing room where the rowing team practices. This took some strategic planning considering that we could not put poles in the floor. We eventually figured out a way to have the net tied tight enough. I was also informed today that I will be staying on campus in the dorms with no air conditioning. I was also required to take a basic instruction course online to be able to use a golf cart to use during camp. High school camp starts tomorrow.
"Welcome to Notre Dame"
July 12, 2016
High School Camp - Day 1
I reported to campus at 7 a.m. in preparation for check in. There was a coaches meeting before the campers arrived and I was in charge of organizing breakfast, passing out coaches manuals, and giving directions. I headed to Lewis Hall to assist with check-in. The previous day I unlocked all the doors so campers would be able to move in with ease. Unfortunately, the cleaning ladies went around and locked all doors so I was running around trying to get all the doors unlocked so the girls could move in and head over to the gym. Parents believed their daughters needed the best living situation for the two night stay. It was really challenging dealing with parents at times. Once campers were moved in, I sent them in groups with other counselors to head back to the gym. I was able to get almost all girls moved in with little issues and back to the gym before the first session at 10:30. It was such a relief once all the parents were gone and the girls were in the gym. Lunch was catered to the gym and I had to meet the caterers and explain where to put the boxed lunches. After lunch, I had to go pick up an incoming Notre Dame volleyball freshman from the airport and bring her to camp. She flew in from California and it was really interesting talking to her and listening to her excitement and concerns about playing college volleyball. During the camp the coaches did some tutorials which I filmed for their purposes. The campers then went to dinner in the dining hall, but I had to stay behind to wait for a late camper to show up with her mother. There was a final session after dinner, but I would leave early to set up for the camp store and meet the pizza delivery guy. Setting up the camp store was not enjoyable. I had to load a large cooler full of Gatorade, pop, and water and fill it with ice. I had to bring up all the snacks that were stored in my dorm room as well. At about 8:45 p.m. campers started showing up at the dorms. Earlier in the day I printed off a list of all the campers living in the dorms. Before the 250 girls entered the dorms, I had to check off each name. I was so worried about not having a camper, but fortunately all campers were walked over safely. The camp store was open until 10:30 p.m. and then I had to do room checks with the other counselors. I remember being a camper and thinking staying in a dorm was the coolest thing ever, but these girls were not shutting up. I guess the sugary snacks and pop gave these girls an energy boost. My mean side definitely came out around 11:30 p.m. when girls were running around laughing. I finally was able to hit the hay around 12:30 and I dreaded setting my alarm clock to 6:30 a.m.
High School Camp - Day 1
I reported to campus at 7 a.m. in preparation for check in. There was a coaches meeting before the campers arrived and I was in charge of organizing breakfast, passing out coaches manuals, and giving directions. I headed to Lewis Hall to assist with check-in. The previous day I unlocked all the doors so campers would be able to move in with ease. Unfortunately, the cleaning ladies went around and locked all doors so I was running around trying to get all the doors unlocked so the girls could move in and head over to the gym. Parents believed their daughters needed the best living situation for the two night stay. It was really challenging dealing with parents at times. Once campers were moved in, I sent them in groups with other counselors to head back to the gym. I was able to get almost all girls moved in with little issues and back to the gym before the first session at 10:30. It was such a relief once all the parents were gone and the girls were in the gym. Lunch was catered to the gym and I had to meet the caterers and explain where to put the boxed lunches. After lunch, I had to go pick up an incoming Notre Dame volleyball freshman from the airport and bring her to camp. She flew in from California and it was really interesting talking to her and listening to her excitement and concerns about playing college volleyball. During the camp the coaches did some tutorials which I filmed for their purposes. The campers then went to dinner in the dining hall, but I had to stay behind to wait for a late camper to show up with her mother. There was a final session after dinner, but I would leave early to set up for the camp store and meet the pizza delivery guy. Setting up the camp store was not enjoyable. I had to load a large cooler full of Gatorade, pop, and water and fill it with ice. I had to bring up all the snacks that were stored in my dorm room as well. At about 8:45 p.m. campers started showing up at the dorms. Earlier in the day I printed off a list of all the campers living in the dorms. Before the 250 girls entered the dorms, I had to check off each name. I was so worried about not having a camper, but fortunately all campers were walked over safely. The camp store was open until 10:30 p.m. and then I had to do room checks with the other counselors. I remember being a camper and thinking staying in a dorm was the coolest thing ever, but these girls were not shutting up. I guess the sugary snacks and pop gave these girls an energy boost. My mean side definitely came out around 11:30 p.m. when girls were running around laughing. I finally was able to hit the hay around 12:30 and I dreaded setting my alarm clock to 6:30 a.m.
"Pokemon Go"
July 13, 2016
Head coach, Jim McLaughlin, always has his setters come in early before practice during the season. He believed that all the setters at camp should be there early as well. 7 a.m. I needed to be in the lobby with the setters and make sure a counselor will take them to breakfast and then over to the Joyce Center. After that group leaves, other girls trickle down with tired eyes to head to breakfast. At this camp we had more male coaches than female coaches. The male coaches were in a different dorm and usually didn't come over to help walk campers. I had to plan accordingly with the number of female coaches I had and campers that could leave at certain times. I also had to make sure that the campers were getting up and not leaving the dorm without a counselor with them. This was one of the most stressful parts of the day for me. Finally by 8 a.m. all the campers were up and to breakfast. Once in the gym I would do whatever was needed to be done. I also gave time warnings to the coaches to inform them of the next switch. Today I got lunch from Penn Station and had it set up before lunch time. I also had to meet with some cafeteria people that would bring the gluten-free/allergy lunches. I also took today to focus on social media. I used Twitter, Instagram, and SnapChat throughout the camp to help market future camps. I encouraged the campers to follow us on these various social media pages which increased our following. I was even able to catch a Pokemon on the court! Even though it was just a Ratata, there were a few screenshots on SnapChat. After dinner, I did my usual duties of setting up the camp store and meeting the Papa John's delivery guy. Luckily, the girls were more tired after today and went to bed earlier than previous night.
Head coach, Jim McLaughlin, always has his setters come in early before practice during the season. He believed that all the setters at camp should be there early as well. 7 a.m. I needed to be in the lobby with the setters and make sure a counselor will take them to breakfast and then over to the Joyce Center. After that group leaves, other girls trickle down with tired eyes to head to breakfast. At this camp we had more male coaches than female coaches. The male coaches were in a different dorm and usually didn't come over to help walk campers. I had to plan accordingly with the number of female coaches I had and campers that could leave at certain times. I also had to make sure that the campers were getting up and not leaving the dorm without a counselor with them. This was one of the most stressful parts of the day for me. Finally by 8 a.m. all the campers were up and to breakfast. Once in the gym I would do whatever was needed to be done. I also gave time warnings to the coaches to inform them of the next switch. Today I got lunch from Penn Station and had it set up before lunch time. I also had to meet with some cafeteria people that would bring the gluten-free/allergy lunches. I also took today to focus on social media. I used Twitter, Instagram, and SnapChat throughout the camp to help market future camps. I encouraged the campers to follow us on these various social media pages which increased our following. I was even able to catch a Pokemon on the court! Even though it was just a Ratata, there were a few screenshots on SnapChat. After dinner, I did my usual duties of setting up the camp store and meeting the Papa John's delivery guy. Luckily, the girls were more tired after today and went to bed earlier than previous night.
"Girl? Where are you?"
July 14, 2016
Today was the final day of high school camp. It was another early wake up call and I was feeling exhausted. Many of the girls were dragging and I had to do quite a bit of encouragement to get them awake and moving. The campers were shuffled over to breakfast and then back to the Joyce Center for their final day of play. There was one session left to instruct defense and then the session after lunch was for tournament play. There was some computer work in Excel to organize girls into what team they were on and with which coach. The Joyce Center is very large and there were a few areas where teams were playing. I made plenty of signs with arrows pointing to these different playing areas. I also printed off a large sheet with every camper's name, what coach they are with, and what court they are on. This was used for the parents when they come to watch and pick up their child afterwards. Everything was moving smoothly and I had everything ready for the awards ceremony after tournament play. One of the coaches said they have been missing one of their girls since lunch. I started to panic slightly wondering where they she could be, knowing the parents were coming very soon for pick up. We called her name several times on the microphone and she never showed. I started looking in bathrooms throughout the very large Joyce Center. I finally found her in the furthest bathroom possible on the second floor hiding in the handicap stall. I tried to talk her into coming back out with only 15 minutes left in the camp. She said her knee hurt which I find very hard to believe. I convinced her to come out and see the athletic trainer because there wasn't much time left. She agreed to seeing the trainer and we had an awkward walk back where I could tell she had been crying. Camp was finally wrapping up and I brought out 250 of the gifted camp volleyballs to pass out to campers. After the awards ceremony was over I hustled back on my golf cart to work the check-out in Lewis Hall. This was a slow process as parking was a main issue in the small cul-de-sac the dorm was on. All the girls were finally moved out of the dorms then I had to go back to the gym to reorganize volleyballs into carts for the camp the next day. I was finally able to go home and sleep in my own bed in a room with air conditioning.
Today was the final day of high school camp. It was another early wake up call and I was feeling exhausted. Many of the girls were dragging and I had to do quite a bit of encouragement to get them awake and moving. The campers were shuffled over to breakfast and then back to the Joyce Center for their final day of play. There was one session left to instruct defense and then the session after lunch was for tournament play. There was some computer work in Excel to organize girls into what team they were on and with which coach. The Joyce Center is very large and there were a few areas where teams were playing. I made plenty of signs with arrows pointing to these different playing areas. I also printed off a large sheet with every camper's name, what coach they are with, and what court they are on. This was used for the parents when they come to watch and pick up their child afterwards. Everything was moving smoothly and I had everything ready for the awards ceremony after tournament play. One of the coaches said they have been missing one of their girls since lunch. I started to panic slightly wondering where they she could be, knowing the parents were coming very soon for pick up. We called her name several times on the microphone and she never showed. I started looking in bathrooms throughout the very large Joyce Center. I finally found her in the furthest bathroom possible on the second floor hiding in the handicap stall. I tried to talk her into coming back out with only 15 minutes left in the camp. She said her knee hurt which I find very hard to believe. I convinced her to come out and see the athletic trainer because there wasn't much time left. She agreed to seeing the trainer and we had an awkward walk back where I could tell she had been crying. Camp was finally wrapping up and I brought out 250 of the gifted camp volleyballs to pass out to campers. After the awards ceremony was over I hustled back on my golf cart to work the check-out in Lewis Hall. This was a slow process as parking was a main issue in the small cul-de-sac the dorm was on. All the girls were finally moved out of the dorms then I had to go back to the gym to reorganize volleyballs into carts for the camp the next day. I was finally able to go home and sleep in my own bed in a room with air conditioning.
"Round Two"
July 15, 2016
I was back on campus at 7:30 a.m. to prepare for the arrival of the teams in the high school team camp. This camp was much, much easier because not as many parents were involved. All of the campers arrived on buses and with their coaches that usually dealt with issues first hand. Check-in was much easier and there were only 15 teams and we had their t-shirts and meal bracelets already divided up into bags. They were able to get started much sooner. Since there wasn't as much to deal with during this camp I did some computer work. Notre Dame sent out recruiting questionnaires to girls they are interested in recruiting. I then entered this date they filled out into a computer program they use for recruiting. I found it very shocking how young of girls they were recruiting. Most of them were just entering their freshmen year of high school and all of them had very high GPA's along with being in the top of their class. The director of operations discussed how challenging it is to recruit with such a high academic standard. Being a walk-on is also very challenging with the academic standards they require and then getting no scholarship assistance. I find recruiting really interesting, in the fact that personality is a huge factor in fitting into a team along with being an outstanding player. One day before the camp started I was in the volleyball offices by myself working on the computer and a young girl and her mother walked in. The mother was certain her daughter was going to play for the University of Notre Dame and introduced her daughter and requested to speak with the coaches. They were very disappointed to hear they were out of the office, but I did take their name, phone number, and where they were from. I finished up the day with escorting girls to the dining hall and then setting up the camp store again. The girls were really good about getting to bed at a decent time, especially since their coaches were only a door down from them.
I was back on campus at 7:30 a.m. to prepare for the arrival of the teams in the high school team camp. This camp was much, much easier because not as many parents were involved. All of the campers arrived on buses and with their coaches that usually dealt with issues first hand. Check-in was much easier and there were only 15 teams and we had their t-shirts and meal bracelets already divided up into bags. They were able to get started much sooner. Since there wasn't as much to deal with during this camp I did some computer work. Notre Dame sent out recruiting questionnaires to girls they are interested in recruiting. I then entered this date they filled out into a computer program they use for recruiting. I found it very shocking how young of girls they were recruiting. Most of them were just entering their freshmen year of high school and all of them had very high GPA's along with being in the top of their class. The director of operations discussed how challenging it is to recruit with such a high academic standard. Being a walk-on is also very challenging with the academic standards they require and then getting no scholarship assistance. I find recruiting really interesting, in the fact that personality is a huge factor in fitting into a team along with being an outstanding player. One day before the camp started I was in the volleyball offices by myself working on the computer and a young girl and her mother walked in. The mother was certain her daughter was going to play for the University of Notre Dame and introduced her daughter and requested to speak with the coaches. They were very disappointed to hear they were out of the office, but I did take their name, phone number, and where they were from. I finished up the day with escorting girls to the dining hall and then setting up the camp store again. The girls were really good about getting to bed at a decent time, especially since their coaches were only a door down from them.
"Just me and the IPad"
July 16, 2016
Today was the second day of high school team camp. Most of the high school teams there were local, but there were some from southern Indiana and Illinois. I really enjoyed this day because the teams improved their skills so much. I was also able to talk to coaches more and learn from them and their background stories. I also continued to work on filming tutorials, social media, and other various computer work. I also made a trip to Notre Dame Federal Credit Union to get smaller bills for the camp store because every parent sends their child with a $20 dollar bill when they go to camp. I felt like the ultimate camp counselor with my Notre Dame volleyball shirt and fanny pack with keys, gum, and everything I would need. I was also able to get more acquainted with the Notre Dame volleyball staff. At the end of the day I did the camp store and checked all the girls into the dorms and went to sleep. I was then awakened an hour later by a girl that threw up in her sink. After a quick clean up I was able to sleep peacefully in my twin size dorm bed.
Today was the second day of high school team camp. Most of the high school teams there were local, but there were some from southern Indiana and Illinois. I really enjoyed this day because the teams improved their skills so much. I was also able to talk to coaches more and learn from them and their background stories. I also continued to work on filming tutorials, social media, and other various computer work. I also made a trip to Notre Dame Federal Credit Union to get smaller bills for the camp store because every parent sends their child with a $20 dollar bill when they go to camp. I felt like the ultimate camp counselor with my Notre Dame volleyball shirt and fanny pack with keys, gum, and everything I would need. I was also able to get more acquainted with the Notre Dame volleyball staff. At the end of the day I did the camp store and checked all the girls into the dorms and went to sleep. I was then awakened an hour later by a girl that threw up in her sink. After a quick clean up I was able to sleep peacefully in my twin size dorm bed.
"Tournament Time!"
July 17, 2016
It's tournament day for the high school team camp. It was another early wake up call for setters to leave early. All the girls were able to get up on their own and over to breakfast on time. The morning session was defensive instruction and then I had lunch all set up and ready. The signs directing parents to playing areas were already up and parents knew their daughter's head coach already which made directions easy. The tournament was more exciting because there were already established rivalries between the local teams. These were teams that I also played in high school so it was nice seeing and speaking with familiar faces. After the tournament wrapped up I checked all the teams out of the dorms and was able to head home for the night. It made for a somewhat easy day.
It's tournament day for the high school team camp. It was another early wake up call for setters to leave early. All the girls were able to get up on their own and over to breakfast on time. The morning session was defensive instruction and then I had lunch all set up and ready. The signs directing parents to playing areas were already up and parents knew their daughter's head coach already which made directions easy. The tournament was more exciting because there were already established rivalries between the local teams. These were teams that I also played in high school so it was nice seeing and speaking with familiar faces. After the tournament wrapped up I checked all the teams out of the dorms and was able to head home for the night. It made for a somewhat easy day.
"Exhausted is an Understatement"July 18, 2016
Today was a different story than yesterday. This was the most challenging day I've worked. It was the start of the middle school camp and the largest camp out of the three. I was on campus early before check-in and had breakfast and check-in set up before the coaches meeting. There were more coaches today because of the large camp size. Once all was set up I headed over on my golf cart to Lewis Hall to greet and move campers in at a quick pace. Parents had a harder time leaving their child, mostly because of the age. It amazed me what girls were bringing for their two night stay. Finally all the campers were moved in and shuffled over to the gym. I checked rooms to make sure all were out and there were two girls that looked so young and confused. They were just hanging out in their room. Luckily for them they got to avoid the 15 minute walk and were able to ride on my golf cart to be there on time. Today was challenging because of the age group and many of the girls were there just so their parents could get them out of the house. There was a lot of running around, checking in with coaches, and time management. Managing lunch was more difficult today because of the amount of campers and we weren't allowed to use Heritage Hall where we usually held lunch because of an event. We had to eat in the gym and I made sure the girls cleaned up all their trash and they actually did a good job doing so. There was another session and then dinner. It was mostly me running some errands because I had to go get change from the bank again for the camp store. Checking the girls into the dorms at night was much more stressful. We tried organizing them by their last name to make it go faster, but of course the youth struggles to listen at times. Finally all the girls were back in the dorms and I had some other counselors help me with the camp store. The store closed at 10:30, the counselors would hang out for a little bit after cleaning up and then it was lights out. The girls were extremely fired up and youthful running around the dorm. We even had some girls believe it was okay to leave the dorm and run around outside. That was put to a stop very quickly. Finally around midnight I was able to be in my bed then I got a call from KP at 1 a.m. informing me that a girl was sick in the other dorm that more campers were staying in. Lewis was the main dorm with most of the girls, but with an overflow of girls we had to use another dorm. One of the girls in the other dorm was sick and her mom was picking her up. The mother of the girl that was rooming with the sick girl wanted her daughter to move in with her other friends in Lewis Hall. So at about 1:15 a.m. I jumped on my golf cart, went across campus, helped this girl pack and moved her into Lewis Hall. I took a mattress from an extra room and set it on the floor in the other friends room. I felt awful having to wake up the girls already sleeping in there, but oh well. With that finally being settled I was able to go back to sleep and I checked my step count for the day and saw that I walked over 14 miles today. I was beat. |
"Ew, Puke?"
Jul 19, 2016
After getting little sleep I was up at 6:45 to be ready for the setters. In this age group everyone believed they were a setter. The large group was walked over to breakfast and I was left to get the rest of the girls up. Many of the girls had trouble waking up and delayed the last group getting to the gym. I was able to eat a quick breakfast then headed back over the the gym. This camp had 14 courts which made it more challenging for communication. I was running all over the place today. We also had many "injured" girls at this camp that loved to go see the athletic trainer. I went into the training room and there were a set of twins both hurt sitting with their IPad watching cartoons. Little did I know that one of these twins will cause me a lot of trouble later in the day. I did my normal duties of setting up lunch. I also had to shuffle coaches over across campus to fill out I-9's and other paperwork during lunch. I also met the men's head basketball coach, Mike Brey, today. That was probably the highlight of my day--I even tweeted about it. There was another session after lunch and then we all headed to dinner. After dinner, all the coaches did their normal attendance. We realized we were missing one of the twins after dinner. We asked her twin sister where she went and she had no clue. She wasn't in the training room or any of the bathrooms in the Joyce Center. I was in a frenzy looking for this blonde, curly haired girl. I hustled over to the dorms and checked the room she was staying in. There she was--just nonchalantly FaceTiming on her bed. I immediately went off on her and she acted like I was the crazy one. She decided to walk back to the dorm after dinner because she was tired. We made it extremely clear to not go anywhere without a counselor. When I was going off on her she started laughing to the person she was FaceTiming. I was so angry with how disrespectful she was. I was slightly impressed she was able to find her way back to the dorm because it was far and the campus is confusing. She said she asked for directions and someone let her into the locked building. Once we were back to the Joyce Center I made her go apologize to the director of operations and to her court coach. All the other girls at camp are tired, including me, but she believed it was fine to leave on her own. Once I found her I had to hustle back to set up the camp store and then check in the girls. The camp store ran smoothly and then it was lights out again. While I was asleep around midnight I got a call from one of the counselors. "Hey Hannah! One of the girls on my floor threw up in her sink. I have an uneasy stomach. Do you have cleaning supplies?" UGHH why was my cell phone number given up . I go up to the 4th floor with some cleaning supplies and tried to get it clean the best I could. I thought, wow, I'm not even getting paid for this. Is this even worth the internship credit? There was another camper that got severely homesick and her mom was coming to get her. I had to wait for the mother to come pick her up which took a while especially with campus security. Finally, the girl left with her mom and I was able to go back to sleep about 1:30 a.m. One more of day of camp!!!!
After getting little sleep I was up at 6:45 to be ready for the setters. In this age group everyone believed they were a setter. The large group was walked over to breakfast and I was left to get the rest of the girls up. Many of the girls had trouble waking up and delayed the last group getting to the gym. I was able to eat a quick breakfast then headed back over the the gym. This camp had 14 courts which made it more challenging for communication. I was running all over the place today. We also had many "injured" girls at this camp that loved to go see the athletic trainer. I went into the training room and there were a set of twins both hurt sitting with their IPad watching cartoons. Little did I know that one of these twins will cause me a lot of trouble later in the day. I did my normal duties of setting up lunch. I also had to shuffle coaches over across campus to fill out I-9's and other paperwork during lunch. I also met the men's head basketball coach, Mike Brey, today. That was probably the highlight of my day--I even tweeted about it. There was another session after lunch and then we all headed to dinner. After dinner, all the coaches did their normal attendance. We realized we were missing one of the twins after dinner. We asked her twin sister where she went and she had no clue. She wasn't in the training room or any of the bathrooms in the Joyce Center. I was in a frenzy looking for this blonde, curly haired girl. I hustled over to the dorms and checked the room she was staying in. There she was--just nonchalantly FaceTiming on her bed. I immediately went off on her and she acted like I was the crazy one. She decided to walk back to the dorm after dinner because she was tired. We made it extremely clear to not go anywhere without a counselor. When I was going off on her she started laughing to the person she was FaceTiming. I was so angry with how disrespectful she was. I was slightly impressed she was able to find her way back to the dorm because it was far and the campus is confusing. She said she asked for directions and someone let her into the locked building. Once we were back to the Joyce Center I made her go apologize to the director of operations and to her court coach. All the other girls at camp are tired, including me, but she believed it was fine to leave on her own. Once I found her I had to hustle back to set up the camp store and then check in the girls. The camp store ran smoothly and then it was lights out again. While I was asleep around midnight I got a call from one of the counselors. "Hey Hannah! One of the girls on my floor threw up in her sink. I have an uneasy stomach. Do you have cleaning supplies?" UGHH why was my cell phone number given up . I go up to the 4th floor with some cleaning supplies and tried to get it clean the best I could. I thought, wow, I'm not even getting paid for this. Is this even worth the internship credit? There was another camper that got severely homesick and her mom was coming to get her. I had to wait for the mother to come pick her up which took a while especially with campus security. Finally, the girl left with her mom and I was able to go back to sleep about 1:30 a.m. One more of day of camp!!!!
"The Last Hurah"
July 20, 2016
LAST DAY OF CAMP!!! 7 a.m. came around very quickly and it was the usual morning. I encouraged girls to have their stuff packed up before they left so that check-out will go more smoothly. I packed up all the extra stuff from the camp store and loaded it on my golf cart. With one session and then the camp tournament left, I just wanted this day to go better than the previous two. I continued to work on social media, dealing with issues, and directing parents. I made another list of all the campers with the coach they were with and the court they were on. This camp also needed more signs for directions to the different 14 courts. We used the recreation center across the street as well. Lunch was all ready for the campers and I had to leave during lunch to take one of the incoming freshmen back to South Bend International Airport to fly back home. I came back and the tournament was already in action. I directed parents and made sure everything was running smoothly. I helped run the award ceremony and passed out the last of my volleyballs that I spent so much time inflating and watched the girls take pictures with their coaches. I was a few feet away from KP, the director of operations, as two parents come up to him and let him have it. "I can't believe my daughter was on one of the lower courts. We chose Notre Dame volleyball camps for a reason!" This is what the parents were saying to him. These girls are middle schoolers and there is hardly any difference between playing level. KP has spent hours and hours preparing and working on this camp and I'm sure that was great to hear after it was finally all over. I had to hustle back over to Lewis Hall to work the check-out. This took forever!! There were so many campers and it felt like parking was moving so slow even though there were older gentlemen working as parking guides. All the campers were finally moved out of my dorm, until I got a call that there was one last camper left in the other Hall. I had to go wait with the last two girls because the mother didn't pick them up until 3 hours after the camp ended. The mother was so lost on campus I just got to the point where I called her and said I would come find her. I loaded up all the girls' stuff onto my golf cart and was able to find her much quicker than if she kept looking for the dorm. I was so relieved to head back to the gym to see that all the stuff from camp was packed up into the storage closet. It was a long 8 days of camp, but I really enjoyed the people I worked with and I believe my knowledge of sports management has grown tremendously.
LAST DAY OF CAMP!!! 7 a.m. came around very quickly and it was the usual morning. I encouraged girls to have their stuff packed up before they left so that check-out will go more smoothly. I packed up all the extra stuff from the camp store and loaded it on my golf cart. With one session and then the camp tournament left, I just wanted this day to go better than the previous two. I continued to work on social media, dealing with issues, and directing parents. I made another list of all the campers with the coach they were with and the court they were on. This camp also needed more signs for directions to the different 14 courts. We used the recreation center across the street as well. Lunch was all ready for the campers and I had to leave during lunch to take one of the incoming freshmen back to South Bend International Airport to fly back home. I came back and the tournament was already in action. I directed parents and made sure everything was running smoothly. I helped run the award ceremony and passed out the last of my volleyballs that I spent so much time inflating and watched the girls take pictures with their coaches. I was a few feet away from KP, the director of operations, as two parents come up to him and let him have it. "I can't believe my daughter was on one of the lower courts. We chose Notre Dame volleyball camps for a reason!" This is what the parents were saying to him. These girls are middle schoolers and there is hardly any difference between playing level. KP has spent hours and hours preparing and working on this camp and I'm sure that was great to hear after it was finally all over. I had to hustle back over to Lewis Hall to work the check-out. This took forever!! There were so many campers and it felt like parking was moving so slow even though there were older gentlemen working as parking guides. All the campers were finally moved out of my dorm, until I got a call that there was one last camper left in the other Hall. I had to go wait with the last two girls because the mother didn't pick them up until 3 hours after the camp ended. The mother was so lost on campus I just got to the point where I called her and said I would come find her. I loaded up all the girls' stuff onto my golf cart and was able to find her much quicker than if she kept looking for the dorm. I was so relieved to head back to the gym to see that all the stuff from camp was packed up into the storage closet. It was a long 8 days of camp, but I really enjoyed the people I worked with and I believe my knowledge of sports management has grown tremendously.
"Final Reflections"
After the camp ended I was dead tired and felt scatter-brained. One of the counselors is from the area and owns a restaurant called Yesterday's. He invited the camp staff to his restaurant for drinks, appetizers, and his famous cheesecake. I was really hesitant on whether to go or not. They encouraged me to go and I am so glad I did. It was really nice sitting around, drinking a Stella Artois, with the staff after a long 8 days of camp. It was a lot of fun talking about the goofy stuff campers did and the fun we had. I really felt like I had another family through this internship. They seemed to care about my future and my goals. It was interesting to hear how people made their way into their career. A few of us even went and played some sand volleyball which was a blast, so I guess I did have a little bit of energy left in the tank. The next day I had to go back to my summer job working as a server and a bartender at the South Bend Country Club. I was able to reflect so much on what I learned. I was able to use classroom knowledge and apply it to real-world situations. I can honestly say I gave my 100% effort the entire internship duration. After this internship experience, I am so happy I chose the field of Sports Management to study. I love being around the athletic environment and the people that are involved with it. A couple weeks later KP texted me to stop by the office in between my work schedule. I had a thank you note ready for him and the rest of the coaches. Walking back in the offices made me realize that this is the type of work environment I want to be in. KP gave me a thank you note from him and the rest of the Notre Dame coaching staff. The words that were written were really touching and I felt appreciated for all the hard work I put in. It also made me excited to start working in the sports management field. Once I read the thank you note at home, I sent a quick text to KP saying thanks again. He then said they would love to have me back and that he will send me paperwork sometime in February. I am not certain what paperwork means, but I am excited to know that I am wanted back next year. Overall, I am very pleased with my internship experience and I will use the knowledge and relationships I made to help me with my future career.
After the camp ended I was dead tired and felt scatter-brained. One of the counselors is from the area and owns a restaurant called Yesterday's. He invited the camp staff to his restaurant for drinks, appetizers, and his famous cheesecake. I was really hesitant on whether to go or not. They encouraged me to go and I am so glad I did. It was really nice sitting around, drinking a Stella Artois, with the staff after a long 8 days of camp. It was a lot of fun talking about the goofy stuff campers did and the fun we had. I really felt like I had another family through this internship. They seemed to care about my future and my goals. It was interesting to hear how people made their way into their career. A few of us even went and played some sand volleyball which was a blast, so I guess I did have a little bit of energy left in the tank. The next day I had to go back to my summer job working as a server and a bartender at the South Bend Country Club. I was able to reflect so much on what I learned. I was able to use classroom knowledge and apply it to real-world situations. I can honestly say I gave my 100% effort the entire internship duration. After this internship experience, I am so happy I chose the field of Sports Management to study. I love being around the athletic environment and the people that are involved with it. A couple weeks later KP texted me to stop by the office in between my work schedule. I had a thank you note ready for him and the rest of the coaches. Walking back in the offices made me realize that this is the type of work environment I want to be in. KP gave me a thank you note from him and the rest of the Notre Dame coaching staff. The words that were written were really touching and I felt appreciated for all the hard work I put in. It also made me excited to start working in the sports management field. Once I read the thank you note at home, I sent a quick text to KP saying thanks again. He then said they would love to have me back and that he will send me paperwork sometime in February. I am not certain what paperwork means, but I am excited to know that I am wanted back next year. Overall, I am very pleased with my internship experience and I will use the knowledge and relationships I made to help me with my future career.