Hectic Week!

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This past weekend was a very hectic one at the University of Hartford. Preparations have begun for the America East Men's and Women's basketball tournament to be held at our arena in Hartford. This past Friday, I went in a little early to go over some information with both Ted and Chris and to discuss my role in the whole process. I have been tasked with creating flashcards for all of our employees, giving each a detailed description of their job title and what they can and can’t do on the job. I am going to be one of three supervisors in charge of over 50 workers. This is definitely going to be a tough responsibility, but I look forward to taking it on. I have learned a lot over the past two months of doing my internship for the University of Hartford, so I know I am up for the challenge.

On Saturday, February 26, the Hartford women had their senior day celebrations, which included a pre-game ceremony honoring each senior with a banquet in our aerobics room following the game. That Friday we were tasked in setting up both the intramural gym and the aerobics room for the festivities, which also included a fundraiser. We had to set up both tables and chairs along with put a tarp on the intramural floor to prevent any damage.

On Sunday the 27^th, it was the men’s turn for senior day and the seniors were also honored before the game and given a banquet following the game. Overall, both games went smoothly and the biggest problem we had was the set-up and break-down following both games. Sunday night after we finally had cleared the arena, we began set-up for the America East tournament which we are going to host this coming Thursday, March 3^rd through Sunday, March 6^th. Over the course of the four days, at least 15 basketball games will be being played, so we are all going to be at our best and show the conference that we can host a quality basketball tournament. Check back next week to see how it goes!

Hours are adding up!

My mentorship has been going really well lately, as my hours have started to increase a little bit each week. Last week we spent about 6 hours clearing off the lacrosse bleachers of snow and ice, which was extremely difficult given the mass amount of snow Connecticut has received over the past month and a half. There was at least a foot of snow on the bleachers themselves, and about 10 of us worked to bring the snow down to the base level of the bleachers, were workers could use their snowblower to shoot it on to the turf field so it could melt. This was probably the first time I was a little disappointed in what I was doing because I definitely did not expect to be doing such backbreaking work with the university. However, it was a good team bonding experience and I really got to know a lot of my peers within the job.

Most of the people I work with are current students at the school, with the majority of them playing a sport such as tennis or men’s and women’s soccer. So far as I write this, I’ve amassed 87 total hours with the University of Hartford, and I will easily continue to gain more and more hours as I work towards my goal of 200. This coming Saturday, the 18^th of February, is our first men’s home lacrosse game I will be working, so the hours will continue to add up as I work both men’s and women’s basketball and men’s lacrosse games. In a little less than two weeks I will begin to work our conference tournament, which I hear is extremely hectic. Nine different teams, including Hartford’s, will be in attendance at this tournament for both men’s and women’s basketball. That means that 18 different teams will be making an appearance at our facility within a four-day period. Although the days are going to be long and difficult, I look forward to the challenge and making a positive contribution to the best of my ability.

Work is well!

Work has been off and on the past couple of weeks, as we have been hit by a number of major snowstorms. I currently live at a house in the middle of the woods which has made travel to and from West Hartford for the games very treacherous. To make matters worse, my drive has a steep incline to it as well, making it that much more difficult to travel from my house to the arena. Connecticut has been hit with more than 80 inches of snow the past month and a half or so, making life very difficult for everyone.

This past Thursday, I worked the Hartford vs. Vermont men’s basketball game at Chase Arena. Although Hartford was beaten pretty soundly, I actually got work the instant replay monitor for about 10 minutes in the first half. This monitor is used for any replay instances where the referees feel the need to check on a particular play. For instance, sometimes referees will use this replay system to check to make sure a player’s feet are established beyond the three-point line to determine if the basket made was worth 2 or 3 points. This was a great learning experience and I enjoyed using the machine a lot.

What I am looking forward to the most is the upcoming America East Tournament, which Hartford is hosting at the main arena. This is a 4-day event for both the men’s and women’s teams to determine who will represent our conference in the men’s and women’s NCAA tournament. There will be four days of which I am going to be required to be working there at least 14-15 hours per day so it will definitely be a great albeit tiresome learning experience.