The Real Stories of Women Who Work in Sports
CAROLINE WINOGRAD
Caroline is a communications intern at the University of Michigan Athletic department. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2017 with a degree in communications and will be graduating with her master's in sport management in April 2018, also from U-M. Caroline and I have interned together in Michigan Athletics for two years and have become close friends. After working every home men's basketball game together for two straight seasons, we have learned a lot about each other and what it takes to work in the sports field. Her commitment to professional growth in athletics while being a full time student is a testament to the grit that is needed to succeed in the sports field.
Q: How long have you been working in the sports field?
About 3.5 years
Q: When did you decide you wanted to work in the sports field?
When I learned about the internship program I was intrigued by it because my Uncle did the same thing when he was a student here at Michigan. I have always loved Michigan sports so it seemed like a perfect fit, but I was surprised by how much I truly loved it when I started working in the field.
Q: What is your best memory working in sports?
Probably something that happened recently. I got to travel to NYC to work with Men's Basketball in the Big Ten Tournament and was able to be on the floor and sit courtside for the championship game. Throughout the entire tournament I was in the locker room and helping out with the players and coaches, which is always a fun experience, but being a part of the celebration when we won the championship is something that I will always remember. It
was an incredible experience to be a part of something like that.
Q: How did you become comfortable working in a male-dominated industry?
It has been tough. As a young female intern, especially a short one, it is really hard to feel confident and like you have power around a bunch of male staff and athletes. Luckily working at U-M is a great environment where they try to not focus on the fact that it is male dominated and I am a female. Working with male teams is pretty normal and the staff and coaches treat you the same, the athletes are where the problem occurs. After a few years of working in the industry I feel more comfortable, but there are some instances when I am still uncomfortable or feel intimidated by it. For example being in a locker room while athletes are changing etc. becomes pretty uncomfortable.
Q: Share a piece of advice you would give yourself when you were just starting out.
Be patient with yourself. You don't have to be super confident and assertive or even comfortable in the environment on day one. It will take getting used to and feeling confident in your abilities before you can be outwardly confident when dealing with others. That is one of the biggest thing that I beat myself up about is not being confident when around others even though I am confident in my abilities in my job. Athletics is a very intimidating industry in general and especially for a female. But being confident and assertive is very important especially when dealing with the athletes, coaches and press, but it is okay to take your time developing those skills.
2018 Big Ten Tournament Championship
Q: How do you find a work/school-life balance?
It's very very hard. There are a lot of weeks where I don't get enough sleep or don't get all the homework done I wanted to. But having a plan and a to do list are key. I have never once let my job negatively affect my success in school. However, between school and work there isn't a ton of time left for a social life, which I have definitely learned to live with. As a result, my relationships both friendships and romantic ones have definitely suffered or been affected in some way, but that is the price I pay to work in an industry that I love. At the end of the day, I don't think that that aspect of the job is too detrimental at this moment in my life, but moving forward I do need to pay more attention to it and find a way to balance my social life with my work responsibilities.
Q: In your experience, what is the best way to set yourself apart from others?
Being a hard worker and constantly showing your dedication to your job is very important. Sport is not an easy industry because the hours are not 9-5 so you have to be passionate about it in order to do your job well. Also being willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done is very important because there is no way to predict how a game or situation will go in sport. Confidence in your abilities is also key, there are times when you might not have an answer or there are several ways you could go about something, being confident in your abilities and decision is key in order to execute things well and get your job done.
Q: As a current sport management master's program student, do you feel the program has prepared you further to work in the sports industry?
Yes and no. There are several classes that are not relevant to my particular side of the sports industry, however there are many classes that have taught me more about how an organization is run and gave me a better understanding of business in general. My marketing and business strategy classes have also helped me to think of new ways to do things and think in a different way about the work that I produce in order to fit a greater marketing plan/brand image.
Q: Which has benefited you more in the sports industry, your degree/field of study or your firsthand experience? Why?
I think my degrees have provided a theoretical framework for me to better understand the industry and my job in general. However, my job and firsthand experience have provided me the best training and knowledge of the industry and have more prepared me for my career. I think having hands on experience and job experience is extremely valuable not only for learning how to do your job, but for better understanding the sports industry. The real experience is extremely valuable and necessary for pursing a career in sports, and in my opinion more important than a degree in a related field.