Connections Career Center
Mount Saint Mary College • 330 Powell Avenue, Newburgh, NY 12550
2012
www.msmc.edu
BUILD A FOUNDATION, FOCUS ON BRAND By Mary Ann Raftery, communications
O
n my first day at the National Hockey League (NHL) in New York City I was introduced to 20 other interns, all who attend elite colleges. At first I was intimidated but then realized I was proud of myself for receiving such a competitive internship. Build a Foundation: My three month project was based on the NHL’s Centennial season which will occur in 2017. Although it is years away, there are many projects that need to be planned. My supervisor, the Vice President of Media Relations, always said to me “look at the big picture”; “the small things will fall into place but we need to build the foundation for one of the largest events in sports history.” I helped build this foundation by researching other centennial events like Fenway Park’s 100th Anniversary and the Montreal Canadians’ Centennial. Focus on Brand: Developing a clear timeline of activities and commemorative
events was most important. The mission statement needed to be clearly outlined so the 30 NHL franchises could understand the enormous task and Centennial’s mission. While working on the Centennial manual, my supervisor reminded me to “focus on brand consistency” and “focus on the brand and what the brand has stood for throughout all these years.”
By researching, adopting, and developing practices of prior centennials, I was able to understand the enormity of the event and how the NHL would develop its own ideas and practices in its own unique way. I am pleased to say that I have contributed to the building of the foundation for the NHL’s Centennial.
SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY WITH D-I ATHLETES By Lindsay Oro, psychology
A
s an intern at the US Military Academy at West Point Center for Enhanced Performance, I shadowed five different sport psychologists as they worked with cadets. I sat in on appointments with athletes from baseball players to the women’s basketball team to female boxers. I learned the foundations of the sports psychology field, including goal setting, attention, control and visualization. I conducted short relaxation sessions and helped out in the “K” room, which is the mental training
room. There I saw how something as simple as a tennis ball machine could be applied to athletes who play completely different sports. It was interesting hearing Division I athletes speak about their game and their individual struggles. I assisted with goal sheets and Athletic Coping Skills Inventories which measure how well an athlete copes with adversity. I learned so much from my internship at West Point and it made me realize just how much I want to have a career in sports psychology. Go Army!