Marissa Milham
mcm011@marietta.edu
Spring Break, what’s that? The Sport Management Department at Marietta College were not on the beach or anything like that, but rather gaining experience hands-on in the sport industry. Students in the department as well as myself job shadowed the Savannah Bananas in Jacksonville, Florida. The shadow in Jacksonville allowed for hands-on experience from the moment I walked in the gates of the stadium. When we arrived, we received our name tags and Savannah Bananas World Tour shirts for the day then helped with the setup of multiple merchandise stations on the concourse along with outside of the ballpark. After lunch and everything was set up, the entire gameday staff along with players had a meeting to discuss and talk about which states fans were coming from for the game as well as get excited for a great weekend in Jacksonville.
The Savannah Bananas is all about Fans First. This means the team has a focus on the fan experience. What are you going to do that will make a fan’s experience even better? During the meeting with the cast of the show we got to hear Savannah Bananas owner Jesse Cole’s Fans First experience from the night before at the team hotel. This time he was on the receiving side which allowed him to tell others those moments stay with the fans, and to make tonight one of the best nights for fans to remember.
During the game we worked directly hands-on at the merchandise stands where we operated the pos system which manages inventory while completing transactions of purchases. We helped fans get their Savannah Bananas and Party Animal merchandise by retrieving the merchandise, placing it in Savannah Bananas yellow bags, and completing the transaction with the pos system. This experience allowed me to see and work in a side that I didn’t have as much experience as in other aspects of sport. The weekend in Jacksonville allowed for me to gain experience in merchandise, but also share laughs and smiles with fans when getting their merchandise. It didn’t matter if it was the first fan I served or the last fan of the night. The smiles when fans received their merchandise and how appreciative they were for helping them figure out which t-shirt or items like a key chain or sticker they might like to purchase allowed me to see and experience the love and support fans have for the team, and it all starts with fans first!
When people say have fun during Spring Break, the Sport Management Department is always looking for new experiences to grow and prepare for their future. We might not be on the beach or at a resort, but we are finding ways to learn from professionals in the industry. Experiences like the one in Jacksonville allow for students to find their passions, make connections, and build experience one job shadow at a time.
