July 23-28 (90 hours)

Monday was a day of special events. Many things were going on at the Coach’s check in. Coaches or managers came to pick up passes player gift bags, coach’s gift bucket, agendas for things that were going on, and a chance to get local area information. My role at check in was to talk to coaches and managers about the Opening Ceremonies later that night. We had that available for a couple of hours then while the guys were at the Coach’s meeting I was actually off to the mall to set up the Mom’s meeting. I stayed a while once the moms were showing up, passed out gift bags for them, answered questions and made sure things were going well. Once that was established I had to go over to our civic center. There we hosted a college recruiting seminar where we had two local softball college coaches talk about all the things these girls really needed to start focusing on. I was there to set up everything and once we had everyone there I also played the role as a college athlete and answered those questions as well as adding to what the coach’s had to say. I then had to rush over to the Delmarva Shorebirds for Opening Ceremonies. There I helped get the last little things in the facility ready. I tried to make little personal touches like give all the umpires leis since it was a beach theme as well as personally greet all our top community heads that were coming to watch. After that we could pretty much sit back and just watch only having to do little things here and there. It was an amazing success!!!

Tuesday was when the first ball was pitched. I started the day meeting with the bosses early at headquarters. From there we went to see all the games get off the ground. Going to each park and complex. Only half the teams played on Tuesday, the other half would play their first game on Wednesday.

Wednesday was another day of what we call pool play. This day was full of the rest of the teams playing their first 2 or 3 games. All the results would then set them up into bracket play where we would then begin double elimination. I had a different role that day. Now I would not be traveling site to site but I was stationary at the main complex. And while the state director was there for tournament info I too could answer their questions because I’ve been a site director at other tournaments and have worked very very close and hard when building this tournament. In addition I was in charge of the scores. All the state site directors reported the scores to me; I would enter them into our computer system then configure it all to get the seeding according for the day of games. I had to make sure all that info was posted on the internet asap for those that were following the games but not there as well as rely info to all the sites so we had it posted everywhere. I continued that until almost 930-10 every single night.

The games lasted up until Saturday night. All the days were quite the same besides that day. That day started off the same but it was a great day for PR. And while every day I made it a point to network and personally go up to teams and families to see how they were enjoying their time as well as thank them for coming.Yet, the last day was our last face to face chance to making a good impression to get them to come back next year. At the last day there was only six teams left ad six games left. This really gave us a good chance to watch the games and thank the coaches after each game. Once our tournament director announced and awarded the girl/s from that team it was my job to post their name and award on the internet. I’ve learned so much about their computer program.
Its one they use at all their tournaments, for all sports, and all year round. I’d be able to use it if I just work a weekend tournament for them again or if I go to work for USSSA as suggested they wanted.

After everything started to wrap up we ended the day pretty normal and went for a late dinner. And while all of us were exhausted we couldn’t help but talk about everything that happened that week. It was a great way to informally overview the week.

July 21 & 22 (18 hours)

Saturday we started with a meeting with the tournament heads. There my boss and I met with the USSSA regional director, two state directors, and one of our maintenance guys (who is always very involved in various positions for all our tournaments). Our meeting lasted a couple of hours. There we discussed the exact jobs we would each have on Monday as it was going to be a very hectic day. Before we branched off in the office to get more things done I had approached to the group on just how important I thought it was to put a packet of directions together. I have been to several World Series during my softball career and knew just how that can make an event better or worse. Everyone agreed it was a great idea. It is so great to see that people I work with, new and all summer, really value what I think it is good for the event and our guests.

Sunday was a little different. I began the day at the office; making signs for Coach’s check in, responding to last minute emails and phone calls. But once that was over myself, my boss and the regional tournament director all went on quite extensive site visits. We went to all three park sites where we met with the park and complex managers and double checked out the fields made sure the breakaway fences were up, the mounds and bases were at the right measurements. We also spent a good portion of the day delivering the last odds and ends to the site of our Mom’s meeting, Coach’s meeting and check in, and Opening ceremonies. All in all this weekend was quite busy but definitely not as crazy as the tournament week was.

July 16-20 (45 hours)

When I got back from time with my boyfriend it was right back to work. During this week I began by working on invitations to our rendition of a coach’s meeting but for team moms. My boss and I decided it would be a great idea to build relationships with these teams by 1^st providing a meeting just for moms (definitely one of the first that I know of) and by personally inviting them to let them know just what we intended to offer. After writing up the invitations and emailing them to all the team contacts I then had to run over to our local mall to meet with the General Manager, their mall Marketer/Special Events and her assistant marketer to go over exactly how we wanted to run this meeting as well as see what they had come up with.
During this time I also had to stay very connected with one of our partners, the Delmarva Shorebirds. The Delmarva Shorebirds are a local triple A baseball team for the Baltimore Orioles here in Salisbury and have been helping us with another part of the tournament, Opening Ceremonies. Opening Ceremonies is one of the biggest parts of a girls world series, though it is not usually too successful. I have been to many and my team never wanted to stay.. So my boss, myself and our contacts with the Delmarva Shorebirds, their GM and special events coordinator, have been working very hard to make sure it was the best one any of the girls and their families have been to. Thus, why it was so important to consistently talk with the Shorebirds during the week before our biggest week. The rest of this week was filled with site visits to our 3 parks that the games were going to be played.

Past two weeks and father's day weekend

Week of 6/11-6/15 (24 hours)
During this week I worked with our marketing director very closely for advertisement designing. I also, with my boss, had a meeting with the local baseball team, Delmarva Shorebirds. It was there that we discussed opening ceremonies: event flow, goody bag contents, scripts, DJ, and much more. It’s definitely going to be the best opening ceremonies I have ever seen. I also had to research what teams and their family members thought of previous opening ceremonies. This will allow us to really get a grasp of what “the people” want.

Father's day weekend: BLAST AT THE BEACH (24 hours)
During Father’s day weekend (6/16 and 6/17) I worked a total of 24hous. Funny how I did that in two days and the same about the week before in four. That weekend was definitely long hours but a lot of fun. I liked this side of the fence for once and the responsibility as well. My favorite part of being a site director is figuring out the seeding for all the teams after the first day.

This past week 6/18-6/22
After such a long weekend my boss gave me off that Monday. Where I just got caught up on all the homework I needed to do since I didn’t have time to do it that weekend. There was a lot to do this week because my boss left for vacation on Wednesday. So everything was put into my hands. It definitely kept me busy as he really wanted me to organize our ad sales: who was definite and who is still in progress. Friday was a little different. I met with the Shorebirds by myself where we caught each other up on what each other has been doing and where we stand. I then spent the rest of the day organizing everything, making a couple more calls for I too am going on vacation. I then reported to my co-works on my status for they were going to help until my boss got back. My boyfriend is coming back from Iraq for 2 weeks and ill be with him most the time and then in Las Vegas the rest time for my bother’s 21^st birthday. During this week I worked 28 hours.

THIRD WEEK (22 hours)

This week my boss and I met with the Pepsi rep and discussed our partnership in the World Series tournament such as signs, water coolers, and cup donations. During this meeting we also discussed our joint idea for Pepsi to connect with our Exxon gas stations where Pepsi’s coupons are to bring customers to the Exxon station and that station only. I then was given one of my favorite tasks. TO SHOP!!! We are putting gift bags together for out opening ceremonies. I was given a budget and got to shop for what would be in them. I made a very detailed spreadsheet with all possible items sectioned off into different groups. It was great and everyone loved my ideas. I'll get to present my ideas to our opening ceremony partners next week. The next day was:
meetings meetings meetings!!!! We first met with our CVA (Convention Visitors Association) then headed out of the office to meet with a field director to discuss last little operations for our father's day weekend tournament. Concessions was next on our list. It was brief but as my boss always tells me that just checking up (calls or stopping by) is great for a sport marketer. And while we really didn't need to stop in keeping that relationship is absolutely pertinent!!! Our next step was to our community's Civic Center, we work closely with their departments as we are pretty much just another branch. We stopped by there to meet with the complex manager to discuss the father's day weekend tournament. Instead of talking about field maintenance like we did with our field director we talked about site director logistics, making sure we had enough man power for all the fields and complexes we would be using. Once we returned back to the office I solicited an ad from a major car dealer in town. As well as enlisted Potomac food groups (Golden Corral and Burger King) as a sponsor and I communicated their ad with our marketing department. Solicitating the ad was definitely a great accomplishment but making that contact and beginning a relationship will be great for my department in the future as well as myself. The week continued as we followed up and met with a partner, optimist club, to see how they were doing with their ads. I learned that we have a special deal with them where they actually get a return from all the ad money they bring in. For all their close involvement we are giving them 10% of all they bring in. A great incentive and it really doesn't cost us anything. I then branched off to my office and worked closely with our director of marketing and public relations to make sure everything was secure advertisement designs such as Burger King/ Golden Corral. Andy and I then discussed all the signage we are receiving from Pepsi. Since we get to instruct what the signs will have on them we needed to come up with what they will say. They consisted of everything from welcome signs, directions, park rules, and opening ceremony signs. Just another detail that is not always thought off but yet very important. We ended week with a in house faculty meeting where Andy, my boss, had me present to the rest of the gang just how well we’ve been doing as well as talk to them about other possible sponsors we might not have thought of. A special bonus came at the end of the meeting when they then asked me to come on board for our county’s wine festival. Meetings for that start very soon. They also talked about possibly sending me with my boss to Salem, Va ( a major event management and sport marketing area) – past host of DIII softball world series - to research and get new ideas. I was very honored.

JUNE BUG SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT

FIRST WEEKEND TOURNAMENT (17 hours)

This weekend our office a long with the recreation and civic center hosted a USSSA Qualifying tournament called the June Bug tournament. There were two locations and I was placed at the main complex as an assistant to the site director. That weekend we worked hard on field maintenance, customer service with teams to keep them happy when there was an initial problem with one of the fields, had to take scores and properly seed them. The seeding is actually quite an intricate process especially for the USSSA organization. It was a great experience but the best was the next day when the rain came and cut our tournament short. With that we had to make decisions on playing time, when to stop playing and how to keep everyone happy considering it was a tournament where the top teams of each age bracket receive births to the World Series tournament we are hosting in July.

FIRST TWO WEEKS (41 hours)
This is where I have been working. It is actually our "rest stop" area but hosts offices for the county's tourism and sport marketing departments. I work 20-25 hours a week. During the past two weeks I taken on several tasks that not only include office "to dos" but also more in depth projects as dealing with several companies for advertising opportunities for this year's Softball World Series B tournament that is coming to town in July. So far I have done business with local companies as well as make contracts with bigger companies such as Pepsi, Domino's and Potomac Food Groups (burger king and golden corral). Working with my boss, I have learned quite a bit about sales. Not only do I feel like i know how to see a product much better but I feel more comfortable doing it. We have done phone calls and made stops to discuss all the possibilities this tournament could bring to the business we are talking with. During this advertisement process I also make several organizational update spreadsheets to keep my boss and his boss up to speed as to where we are exactly. In addition to that spread sheet compiling. I've also learned how to draw up invoices for the contracts (paid and unpaid).
The office has been really great to me just as my boss as they have me sit in on staff meetings and really embrace what I have to say as well as show me how to be really prepared for such meetings. I have also sat in meetings with our Recreation department and with Pepsi Co.
As advertising is dwindling although never ending our next project of Opening day ceremonies is starting.. The next couple of posts will continue to show the advertisement improvements and learnings as well as the new stuff with the opening ceremonies.