Trio of 2022 Interns Reflect on Their Experience in the Worcester Red Sox’ Front Office
October 19, 2022 – International League (IL) – Worcester Red Sox News Release
Over the past two seasons, thousands of college students from around the country have applied to be an intern with the Worcester Red Sox. The following 14 completed internships within 10 departments in the WooSox front office during WooSox ’22.
1. Jordan Sealey-Ashford from Northeastern University: Marketing
2. Liza Armstrong from New York University: Live Ballpark Entertainment/Public Relations
3. Adam Fuller from the University of Rhode Island: Live Ballpark Entertainment/Marketing
4. Charlie Moore from Boston University: Special Events/Public Relations
5. Sam Turner from Hood College: Ticket Sales and Services
6. Mia McAuliffe from the University of New Hampshire: Ticket Sales and Services
7. Kevin Drevitch from Worcester State University: Corporate Partnership Services
8. Katie Siegle from the University of Rhode Island: Corporate Partnership Services
9. Emilio Acosta from Assumption University: Community Relations
10. Emerson White from Brandeis University: Community Relations
11. Lucas Poyser from Emerson College: Merchandise
12. Camden Pomeroy from the University of Connecticut: Productions
13. Michael Smithers from Northeastern University: Ticket Sales and Services
14. Cameron Dungey from the University of Connecticut: Finance
MIA MCAULIFFE INTERACTS WITH FANS AT THE TICKET SERVICES TABLE.
Mia McAuliffe
Hometown: Northborough, MA
When I heard the Pawtucket Red Sox were moving up to Worcester, I knew I had to get involved within the organization. I grew up attending PawSox games with my family, where I felt the sense of community created at McCoy Stadium, and this was my chance to help make that atmosphere for others. With a new ballpark and how much of an impact the team wanted to make on Worcester, Polar Park would be a near-perfect place to get great experience working in sports. Reflecting on my three months of this internship, I can say my time in Worcester has helped define my professional goals.
One of the first things I realized in Minor League Baseball is a title does not limit you to your department, especially as an intern. You can be pulled in many directions throughout even one day of work. There were multiple days when I would come in to get my sales-related responsibilities done, but I would also help run a Polar Park event, support corporate partnerships at the Homers for Kids tent, or simply offer an extra hand in whatever department needed one. As interns, we even dressed up as superheroes and fairytale characters for theme nights, but the smiles and hugs from our young fans made it more than worth it. Working with and seeing how other departments operate has been a great opportunity for me to learn about other positions in the sports industry and decide whether I enjoy them or not. I’ve found that learning what I don’t like is just as important as learning what I do like.
Something else I discovered was how to establish an extent of work-life balance while having a job in sports. In my past experiences, I struggled to have a balance, and at times, it even felt unachievable. This organization has changed my perspective on this for the better. I believe part of the reason I enjoyed working for the WooSox so much was that I still felt like I had a separate and fulfilling life outside of this internship. When I came into the office, all my time and energy was devoted to my responsibilities at the ballpark. Supervisors and higher levels of management understood that their employees have a life outside of Polar Park and respected that. This was a refreshing point of view that made me realize how important this balance is to my productivity in the office. All this being said, there were still some weeks where I had less of a balance because of a double homestand or meeting a deadline. However, looking back on the past few months as a whole, I was still able to go on vacation, see friends and family, and enjoy my summer break.
A third and final important thing that I learned during my internship is how the people who work here make this ballpark the place to be in Worcester. Everyone who is employed here-whether it be in the front office, as an usher, or at the concession stands-understands that their main priority is to make sure our fans have the best experience possible. This motivation starts with management creating a culture their employees truly enjoy working in. In my experience, if employees have their workplace needs met and are appreciated correctly, they in turn will be more likely to be successful in their job and will even go above and beyond. From even my short time here, it’s clear that everyone appreciates the work one another does, which creates an atmosphere centered around the gratitude of each other and the fans who keep our organization in business.
Adam Fuller guides the seventh-inning singers.
Adam Fuller
Hometown: Boylston, MA
My time with the Worcester Red Sox was amazing to say the least. This internship comprised many tasks, such as hiring bands to perform on Summit Street, reaching out to town leaders to set up meetings and create new relationships, and even dressing up as Prince Eric on “Pirates, Princes, & Princesses Day” at Polar Park. I’m currently a sophomore at the University of Rhode Island. I’m majoring in marketing, and I’d really like to one day work for a sports team. Throughout my life, I’ve been a huge sports fan. Growing up playing baseball and watching the Red Sox was part of my everyday routine, so getting the chance to work for the Triple-A affiliate could not have been a better opportunity. I learned a lot in this short time working here, especially in fields I did not think I’d be working in much.
When I first started, to say I was nervous would be an understatement. Being the youngest intern and having no real internship experience before, I did not know what to expect, or if I would be able to keep up. I quickly learned that the work environment here could not be better. My first day, there was a front office meeting, and I was so shocked to see how easy-going and good-spirited everyone was. While sitting in the front office meetings, I absorbed how vital every department is. There’s so much more to a baseball team than the players and how they perform on the field.
Some of my first tasks were to reach out to local bands and set up dates for them to perform at the Summit Street Fair. It was an interesting experience, because I made phone calls and discussed payments and game details with them. Learning how to be a good communicator and relaying all the little details has helped me in the long run.
Then, I started working on regionalization tasks. These tasks would consist of reaching out to towns and setting up meetings with upper management, going to town events and handing out miscellaneous items, or heading out to a town for the day and patronizing local shops and restaurants. I enjoyed visiting towns and getting involved in their communities. This was especially important to me, because I worked independently and used what I had learned to successfully incorporate the WooSox into these communities.
During games, I often worked with the ambassador team. I helped with pre-game ceremonies, worked in-game promotions, and assisted fans with any questions or concerns they had. I loved this, because it was a nice break from working in the office and allowed me to see how excited fans would get. This was a great way for me to build some hospitality skills. I got so much better at speaking to people and engaging the crowd as the year went on.
Liza Armstrong (far left) oversees “Kids Run the Bases,” presented by HP Hood.
Liza Armstrong
Hometown: Northborough, MA
Since I was young, I’ve had a fascination with sports. I wasn’t only drawn to the action on the field, but I was intrigued by its ability to create bonds and a community that otherwise would not be there. Sports have a unique way of connecting people who otherwise do not have much, if anything, in common.
However, even at a young age, it wasn’t hard to see that women had to fight for opportunities and to be taken seriously. This felt especially true in baseball, where, through its history, women have always made major contributions to the sport, but would often be barred from further opportunities when they got too ambitious.
After my summer with the Worcester Red Sox, I can confidently say that this first conviction was proven correct while the latter was proven to be entirely untrue. This internship showed that women can have a major seat at the table and that baseball bonds every single person involved, whether they are a fan or in the front office.
This internship, like all sports internships, was incredibly demanding, but also incredibly rewarding and eye-opening. I got a first-hand look at what it took to make a ballpark function and how to keep fans engaged in and out of the ballpark. I was able to capture many of the off-the-field stories that highlight how involved the WooSox are in the local community.
Most importantly (at least to me), this summer showed me that women can pave their way in sports and can (and should) have equitable and respectful treatment to their male peers. I’ve been fortunate enough to work for a team that uplifts women through efforts like “UniBank Women in Sports Day” and on a daily basis. I was never asked to complete a “feminine” task that a male intern would not also be asked to do, and any work or idea I had was always credited to me. While I know that this will not always be the experience I have in my career, the WooSox made me confident that you can be a woman in the industry that is respected without having to change or prove yourself or complete demeaning tasks to get there.
This summer also showed me that there is a larger community in sports than what happens on the field. As a child of Baltimore transplants, I grew up an Orioles fan in the heart of Red Sox Nation. This created a connection between me and my dad. I learned almost everything I know about the game and the team through him. He connected me to a team, fanbase, and my family that were all over 300 miles away from where we lived.
Coming into the internship, I believed that not having a strong affinity for the Boston Red Sox would put me at a disadvantage-that I would have a harder time connecting with colleagues because I didn’t love the home team. But I instead found that there was a larger community of baseball lovers, some of whom were also not huge Red Sox fans. I also learned how interconnected the sports community is. WooSox Chairman and Principal Owner Larry Lucchino, the former Orioles president, was responsible for bringing Camden Yards to life. Looking around Polar Park, one can find many similarities between this ballpark and other Lucchino/Janet Marie Smith creations: a classic ballpark that has a focus on catering to fans, especially younger ones, through activations throughout the ballpark and in the surrounding area-spectacles that make coming to the ballpark about more than the game.
Ballparks that help make a community.
My dad and I sat around and watched the Little League Classic, which was probably the first full Orioles game we sat through together in five years. While we both wanted an O’s win, there was a moment where we were happy for the Red Sox. Franchy Cordero, who had just gotten called up from the WooSox, hit a home run. My dad watched Cordero hit a grand slam at Polar Park and saw him throw out T-shirts post-game the previous Friday. For a second, there was a smile on his face despite the fact that he was on the other team, solely because he saw this player involved in a city so close to his new home.
And that’s the beauty of sports.
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