Reasons to attend the USLacrosse National Convention:
- It takes place in the city of brotherly love: Philadelphia, PA
- There are activities, conferences, and speeches for all ages and levels
- 7,000 nation-wide residents will be in attendance: coaches, players, officials, manufacturers and vendors, etc.
- It’s cheap and all-encompassing
Many fans and spectators will arrive in Philadelphia starting Friday afternoon in hopes of learning about the sport, how to be more competitive, find new skills and network new connections. If anyone ever wanted a job in sports, or a foot in the door for recruitment or other purposes, this is the weekend to do it.
When most think of sports jobs, they think about selling advertising space for TV commercials or stadium billboards. Maybe they consider the broadcast side of athletic events exciting and spontaneous.
Working for a team or league could be cool, as well. Operations of running a stadium for a game, one single event, encompasses an enormous amount of effort: security, ushers, vendors, food and concessions stands, ticket takers, lights and sound operations, electrician on site (possibly), police, wait staff, and of course, the teams, employees and emergencies themselves.
Manufacturing is interesting, consisting of math in exact measurements of heads, shafts and helmets, or science and anatomy in padding and protective gear. Balls, nets, turf products are all growing fields for lacrosse.
Here are reasons someone would want to work for a lacrosse company, in particular:
1) Employee friendly. In grade school and many colleges, students are taught how to research and where to find information. When were we taught what to DO with that information? Never.
Many college students graduate and some get a full time gig; a select few their dream jobs.
When they start, the company gives them all the information they need, a desk, phone and computer. OK, Go!
Heck! I went to college for this??? This is easy!
Then the sales calls come in, or the bosses want a report. We ask ourselves, Where do I get the information I need? What do I do with all this information? Who do I know to contact?
Story moral: Many employers do not TRAIN their employees. Advertisements boasting TRAINING PROVIDED can mean anything from you have two days to learn these products, to spending six weeks slowly and repetitiously learning under a mentor. More often than not, it’s less training.
Lacrosse companies tend to provide more training or guidance. Everyone involved with the medicine game wants to grow the game, meaning educating people on skills, rules, equipment, etc. More patience and guidance from the upper levels can mean more success at the lower levels, and I have seen that more in lacrosse-associated companies than other places.
2) Exciting sport to be involved with: Lacrosse, by nature, is a combination of many different sports society currently enjoys.
There’s the aggression of football and hockey.
For the science enthused, anatomy and sciences are involved in all sports for proper nutrition/hydration, protection, and injury.
Math experts can be involved with protective gear and equipment, which have to be precise measurements and regulations.
The stamina and consistency of soccer, hockey, and the offensive arrangements of basketball and hockey.
Business minds are in sales and advertising for sponsors, games, teams, manufacturers, everything.
Hands-on can be directly in manufacturing and processing, distribution and transportation, etc. Human resources takes care of all travel arrangements.
3) We live in an interesting economy: The unemployment is at an uncomfortable level, there are plenty of jobs. Lacrosse-associated markets are growing fields in a growing sport. If someone is good at their job and wants security of that position, lacrosse is a fantastic scope to work within.
4) We’re all BRO: And no, I don’t mean the “bro” of lazy, party animals, come to work hungover.
I mean lacrosse players know how to preserve and allocate game energy while performing at top notch. They are smart and think things out. Lacrosse is becoming known as having members who know when to get jobs done on the field, and relax off the field, contributing to a healthy employee and work environment. Everyone works hard and as a team, then knows how to kick back and be cool.
In the end, I am no expert. I am 23 years old and have been in the “real” world eight months. Therefore, I do not know everything, every company is different, and all employers are looking for different things.
In my opinion, whenever I do anything involving lacrosse, my performance heightens. It interests me and is something I love being involved with. Everyone has different feelings of those natures, but thankfully, enough share the same enthusiasm, and lacrosse is growing and jobs are becoming available.
Anyone attending the National Convention this weekend should recognize the opportunities in front of them. All the different people in such a wonderful environment is bound to bring an exuberant (word of the day) and brotherly (Philadelphia) weekend.
