5 of the Most Intriguing (and Most Fun) Jobs in Sports and Entertainment: Part 1
Why do people elect to work in sports and entertainment? Because these roles are like no other!
Working around the best professional athletes in the world and seeing big games from the sidelines can be a treat. Not everyone can “make it to the league,” but there are other avenues to be around them.
Not all sports and entertainment jobs are in the same realm; what an Accounting Manager does is vastly different than what a Graphic Designer does. But of those sports jobs, whose is the most fascinating?
We decided to check in with a few of our partners to find that out. From a Zamboni driver to a groundskeeper, here are a few of the most compelling roles around in sports in entertainment.
1/ NBA Mascot
Mick Rowan, Manager of Mascot Operations— Cleveland Cavaliers
- Career path:
Rowan’s initial career path was to be an elementary school and special education teacher. He then came across an employee for the Lake County Captains, the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. He attended a game and competed in a hot dog contest there, where he made an impression by being over the top and eccentric throughout the contest.
He would catch the eye of a game event director for the team, which piqued the latter’s interest. Seeing as the Captains’ team mascot at the time had only one week left in their role, Rowan was offered an opportunity to take on the role of the mascot, Skipper. While he gave a good impression by wearing a suit to his job interview, Rowan learned that the only person vying for the role was himself.
Rowan would meet other mascots in the industry and he realized this was a real opportunity in sports and entertainment. Once the Cleveland Cavaliers created their newest mascot in 2010, Sir C.C., and a role to coordinate the mascot program, Rowan decided to apply and he got in with his hometown team.
In 2018, he worked his way up to Manager of Mascot Operations and he now oversees events for the Cavs’ mascot Sir C.C., as well as the mascots for the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Cavs’ G-League squad, the Cleveland Charge.
The next year, Rowan wanted to expand his horizons, so he started helping out the Monsters’ staff as a Floor Manager. This allowed him to get a better understanding of game operations. Rowan really went from performing as a mascot to taking on more office duties as a Mascot Manager.
- Job responsibilities:
On the day-to-day, Rowan’s main duty is handling scheduling for all of the Cleveland sports mascots that play at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. He noted this can be difficult because there are no backups for the Cavs mascots and that the Monsters’ and Charge’s mascots work traditional day jobs. This has put Rowan through a crash course in work-life balance, as he noted that he schedules the Cavs mascots alone to 150–170 events per year outside of home games for the team. And these events aren’t just in Ohio; Sir C.C. and Moondog have performed throughout the United States, Asia, and South America.
- What you didn’t know about Mascots:
The dance routines and trampoline dunks that you see may seem off the cuff, but the planning behind them is beyond extensive. Rowan said he has skits planned out for the next month and a half, which should have him set going into the new year.
- What makes this job fun:
Rowan believes one of the coolest aspects of his role is that mascots give fans a connective tissue between themselves and the team. No, the mascots are not claiming to be as high-profile as the Cavs players, but they do get a unique opportunity to work with their fan base.
“As a fan of any team, everyone wants to resonate with the players. Those are the guys you get to watch, kids idolize, the people you pay to come to see, and in a sense, [mascots are] the closest they’re gonna get to the players,” Rowan said. “They see [them] high-fiving them during the intro or they see [them] interviewing or doing a funny skit with them. It’s the closest extension that fans can see on whether it’s a daily basis or two or three times a week.”
Rowan added that the mascots all have their own social media platforms that gives fans the chance to hear the “voice” of these non-verbal creatures. He enjoys that aspect of it dearly, particularly with the youthful Cavs fans.
“Because I grew up in this area, and I get to go back and visit the YMCA that I played basketball at, stop and visit kids, like that’s really touched my heart, in a sense,” Rowan said. “And because I went to school to be a teacher, I love getting a chance to go into schools, and we’ve put together reading programs and things like that, where I’m getting to tie both of my passions or my route [and] my first passion to what my career is now. That part’s really, really rewarding.”
But who are the people behind the suits today? Rowan remained tight-lipped when it came to revealing any mascot identities.
2/ NFL Cheerleader
Audrey, Radierettes Cheerleading Captain — Las Vegas Raiderettes
- Career path:
Audrey is not a cheerleader for any average squad. She is a captain of the storied Las Vegas Raiderettes, who followed the Las Vegas Raiders there in 2020. Audrey has been dancing since she was 3, traveling for competitive dance competitions and even dancing for the Junior Raiderettes program. She was inspired by two of her dance teachers as a kid, specifically Tiphanie McNiff, who is now the Director of the Raiderettes.
Audrey would not initially get into the Raiderettes the first time auditioning. But to crack through that barrier, she spent the next year training with professional dancers and made the squad on her second try. What really stuck out to her once she got in was that she was learning from many mature, professional women. Whether they were mothers/wives or businesswomen, Audrey shared that they all inspired her to be even better, on and off the field.
She was able to soak up as much knowledge as she could while working as an Oakland Raiderette. And once the team announced it was moving to Vegas, she was willing to make the move because it meant she’d be continuing on in the role she’s always dreamed of. Audrey’s motive too was to step up as a leader and to teach up-and-coming Raiderettes.
As mentioned before, the Raiderettes have one of the richest traditions among any NFL cheerleaders. They have been around since the 1960s and Audrey describes being a part of it as a true “sisterhood.” As a captain of this historic cheer team, Audrey just hopes to keep uplifting others when times get a bit stressful.
- Job responsibilities:
A typical workweek is unique for Audrey and the Raiderettes. She spends a ton of time at their state-of-the-art facility, The Studio, typically practicing three times per week. The team tries to add fresh dance ideas each week so they can present new moves to the Raider fan base. That is also mixed in with squad members holding day jobs and gig work, on top of maintaining their physical condition by eating healthy and staying in the gym on off days. It’s all necessary when you are preparing for 12-hour game days.
Speaking of The Studio, that’s a separate entity in itself, right down the road from the Raiders’ headquarters in Henderson, NV. Not only is it the NFL’s only standalone cheer studio of its kind, but the Raiderettes also host classes there, like Hip-Hop style, College Dance Prep, Sassy Jazz, yoga, and beyond. Age ranges from 3–5-year-olds in Mini Raiderette Cheer, all the way to 18+ for adults. Audrey has enjoyed being a dance teacher for The Studio, which she’s comfortable with because she’s been teaching dance classes since she was in high school.
- What makes this job fun:
Game days can be lengthy, but Audrey enjoys them because there is a major camaraderie piece to it. The Raiderettes have their own locker room in Allegiant Stadium, they practice together pre-game, eat together, and get to debrief while prepping hair and makeup before hitting the field. That time brings a lot of bonding, pictures, and memories overall.
The Raiderettes make sure to see the fans first once they get onto the field. That includes one-on-one chats from the field to previewing their routines. But, of course, once the cameras are on, that’s when all the magic happens, as they roam the sidelines with over 60,000 in attendance.
- What you didn’t know about Cheerleaders:
Audrey noted how much community outreach is a part of the Raiderettes program. She said moving to Vegas has brought on more opportunities in this space and that it’s been very impactful because of the immediate connection the community has made with the Raiders and the Raiderettes.
And Audrey does not take that task lightly. That’s the one piece of being a Raiderette she cherishes most.
“It’s a lot more than just dancing on the field. Ultimately, you’re impacting your community in so many ways and you’re a part of something that’s a lot bigger than yourself. And I think that’s so special and people in our community, they’re so inspired by our hard work, our dedication, our will to reach out and make this community a better place,” Audrey said. “Our positivity that we spread, the list goes on, and I’ve been able to educate women, adults, children on so many different aspects of life. … I’ve been able to teach people how to love themselves, how to be kind to themselves, be real with the community. It’s all such a beautiful thing to be a part of. And the fact that the Raiders organization gives me a platform to change this community and influence them in the best ways possible, I think is the beauty of what a Raiderette embodies.”
3/ Head Groundskeeper
Leah Withrow, Head Groundskeeper — Reno Aces/Greater Nevada Field
- Career path:
Withrow truly worked her way up to the Head Groundskeeper role for the Reno Aces at Greater Nevada Field. Through previous internships, Withrow worked in Reno in the summers of 2015 and 2017, with another internship in between with the Milwaukee Brewers and the Reno 1868 FC soccer club. Her preparation in North Dakota State University’s BS Sports Turfgrass Management program also allowed her to work with the Bisons’ athletic fields for football, soccer, basketball, softball, and track and field for three of her four years on campus.
She parlayed this into the Lead Groundskeeper role with Northern Arizona University and now the same role with the Aces. But it cannot be overstated how beneficial her time was in the Sports Turfgrass Management program at NDSU. She noted how small the program was at the time — she had anywhere from 10–20 people in the entire major throughout her time in Fargo — which allowed her to get one-on-one tutelage from professors, like NDSU Sports Turfgrass Management grad Tom Drietz ‘07.
Withrow added that the program at NDSU was enjoyable because it was not in a traditional lecture hall setting. Rather than writing research papers, her classes consisted of fertilizing and air-raiding the athletic fields, learning how to maintain lawnmowers, and more hands-on skills needed to be on a grounds crew.
- Job responsibilities:
The day-to-day duties for Withrow with the Aces include taking care of any paperwork, emails, or anything office based during the mornings, which frees her up to get outside for the afternoons. Once she does hit the field, she delegates tasks to her grounds staff. Game days are a bit different because the clay on the mound, the batting plate, and the bullpen all need to be addressed before moving over to the grass on the diamond. Part of that process is filling in the holes from the previous game and making sure it’s leveled out before batting practice.
Then comes mowing for the crew, which takes place every day that the Aces are in town. That dials back to every other day once the team hits the road. After mowing, next up is the infield dirt, as well as bringing out equipment for batting practice and taking it down afterward. This is followed up by dragging more equipment out for pre-game prep, prepping the mound and plate, watering the in-field, and then breaking things down post-game.
Non-game days consist of general maintenance of the field and fertilizing it within a fertility plan that takes place every two weeks. There is also a granular fertilizer plan that takes place every six weeks. Withrow added that the new MiLB schedule has helped with this, due to there being six-game homestands, giving grounds crews six days on and seven days off.
- What you didn’t know about Groundskeepers:
Of course, when you think of a Sports Turfgrass Management program, one could assume that means just artificial turf. But Withrow made sure to note most grounds crews span natural and artificial grass surfaces in sports. Being at NDSU granted Withrow the chance to work with two natural grass football fields and one synthetic one, a natural softball field, a natural grass soccer field, as well as a synthetic soccer field for game days.
What’s the biggest difference between natural grass and field turf? One is that there is a misconception about managing artificial surfaces. While external factors like weather and regional climate come more into play with natural fields, Withrow was quick to note that the respective surfaces need just as much maintenance as the other. In fact, artificial surfaces need year-round treatment due to their extended use.
Additionally, Withrow noted that in a region like North Dakota, the Bisons’ grounds crew has to wrap up treatment of the natural surfaces by the end of October to prepare for the winter.
- What makes this job fun:
For Withrow, her current role is all she could ever dream of. If you are a person like her who wants to be in a more non-traditional and hands-on environment, groundskeeping could be the right fit for you.
“I love my job I really, really do. I love being outside every day, I’m not meant to be at a desk. I’m not meant to sit here for eight hours a day every day, just start the computer and do spreadsheets and emails, I can’t do it. That was just not for me,” Withrow said. “So I love being able to be outside constantly, I love being hands-on. Everything I do is a result of my labor that day and my staff’s labor that day. And I love being a part of the team in a different aspect where a lot of people are in ticket sales and they’re part of the team. But like when you’re on the ground level working side by side with the players and the coaches and the umpires, and you feel a little bit more part of it, and I love that aspect of it. And I love just having the field be my office every day. I come in and I am so grateful every day that I walk out to centerfield and this is where I work. This is my office.”
4/ Zamboni Driver
Addison Jones, Director of Facilities and Ice — Tri City Storm/Viaero Center
- Career path:
Jones is back in his second stint with the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League, this time as the Director of Facilities and Ice. His first tenure there was as a Promotions and Game Day Operations intern. He then became a Facilities Assistant and Ice Technician, before moving on to the Western Nebraska Pioneers, where he was elevated to Director of Sales and Operations.
- Job responsibilities:
Jones’ day-to-day roles include managing the Storm’s practice schedule with ice time at the Viaero Center and resurfacing the ice throughout the day. Jones said using the Zamboni for resurfacing takes place around four times in a normal day. He also sticks around the Viaero Center for more local uses of the ice, including ice skating and hockey lessons, youth hockey, adult leagues, and the University of Nebraska at Kearney students coming in for broomball.
- What you didn’t know about Zamboni drivers:
Similarly to the brand Kleenex and tissues or Tupperware and food containers, the Zamboni name comes from Frank J. Zamboni & Company (which specializes in ice resurfacing equipment). So Tri-City has both the name-brand ice resurfacer we think of with Zamboni, but the team has another non-Zamboni resurfacer, Olympia.
How does Jones decide between the two? It’s simple: “whichever one decides she wants to cut the best ice that day is the one who we go with,” Jones said.
The ice resurfacer landscape is changing with the times too, as Jones noted electric resurfacers are hitting the ice. Regardless, the ice resurfacing role itself has remained the same.
- What makes this job fun:
While it may be a high-pressure role, Jones enjoys taking care of the ice at the Viaero Center. But especially when it comes to doing so on game days.
“It’s a lot of pressure. You don’t think it’s a lot of pressure, but when … the game’s not going on, you’re the only one out there. So you’ve got a lot of eyes on you,” Jones said. “But my favorite part is driving around the boards and seeing all the kids waving and that’s always a good time … it’s a lot of fun. It’s a challenging job, there’s a lot that goes into it other than just driving the Zamboni. There’s a lot of maintenance that goes into it. You’re going to have to get your hands dirty; it’s not just cruising around out there on the ice when you get to. There’s other things that go on behind the scenes that get us to those gamedays and get us through the day-to-day.”
5/ Social Media Producer
David Borne, In-Game Social Producer — Boston Red Sox
- Career path:
Following Jones’ and Withrow's footsteps, Borne became the Boston Red Sox In-Game Social Producer through his collegiate experience. Once he attended Duquesne University, he immediately got involved with the Dukes’ athletic department, first as a Sports Writer and Editor for The Duquesne Duke, then as an Athletic Productions Assistant and Broadcaster, in addition to being an Assistant Video Coordinator for the football team. And with Duquesne being located in Pittsburgh, PA, Borne was able to work as a Communications Intern with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the men’s USL Championship.
Borne’s time with the Riverhounds allowed him to get a taste of everything communication related, from Public Relations to Social Media. It also gave him the opportunity to see what things he preferred over others in the field. That led him to work with the Buffalo Bills’ Social Media team, the Buffalo Sabres as a Game Night Communications Assistant, and now with the Red Sox’s Social Media team.
Going from the NFL and NHL to MLB was a stark difference for Borne. Providing game-focused content for an NFL team is not as difficult when they play 17 regular season games and one game per week. In contrast, the MLB slate is 162 games, and can have your team playing every night throughout the week. That’s even 80 more games than the NHL season that Borne was a part of for 2021–22.
- Job responsibilities:
Game days this past season with the Red Sox were very enjoyable for Borne despite the lengthy season. Whether it was highlighting what players did during batting practice or live updates and stats once the games started, Borne and his team strove to generate the best content possible for Red Sox fans. From there is deciding what platform which content will work best for.
The mission for Borne and Boston’s Social Media staff is to stay informative with the content being shared, but also to make sure it’s engaging and entertaining enough for the fans. The beauty of social media that Borne has seen is that the fans can directly provide feedback on a team’s content, whether they like it or not.
A piece of that feedback lies in the team you may be covering as a Social Media department. Borne has seen what it’s like working for a team winning a divisional title but he’s also covered one that did not make the postseason. But Borne says that does not impact the way his job functions, regardless. For example, if his team was losing in a blowout fashion, the Social Media staff would agree to share minimal content, because the fans may not want to engage with posts of their team on the wrong side of a loss. But when his team may be up big in a game, that’s when the Social Media team can post a bit more frequently and have some fun with how they connect to their fan base.
- What you didn’t know about Social Media Producers:
Of course, being a member of Gen Z and growing up around social media, it’s easy to assume that working in it professionally is similar to using it privately for Borne. But he made sure to sway that notion and he noted that there is a fine line between posting content that shows excitement vs. content that is more over-the-top and unprofessional. Part of deciphering that line is understanding that the Red Sox have a brand, image, and reputation to uphold, so it’s best to temper emotions when posting.
- What makes this job fun:
Borne is in a unique role considering how closely his duties are connected to the team. He mentioned this came to a head on MLB trade deadline day, which brought the Social Media staff into the office to make sure all hands were on deck in the case of a major deal going down, a beat writer tweeting the breaking news, or the PR staff disseminating the information. He noted how as a fan of sports in general how fun that situation was, even if it meant being glued to the computer for seven hours. That plan of attack was important too, seeing as the Red Sox acquired World Series champion and former All-Star Eric Hosmer that day.
Working in social media has allowed Borne to work with two dedicated staff in Boston and Buffalo. It’s also sparked a unique perspective on sports communication and he enjoys the imagination that comes with that.
“What I like about social media compared to maybe PR or broadcasting, you get to be very creative all the time. It’s not just bare-bones reporting or coverage. You do get to have a lot of fun with it,” Borne said. “ … We all have a lot of fun trying to come up with unique concepts to post and that collaborative effort, I think, is my favorite part of it. … When you have three of four people, maybe more, who are really into it and dedicated to making the best content, it’s a pleasure for sure.”
Conclusion:
The sports and entertainment industry is meant to be one that brings joy and excitement. And who’s to say your role can’t do the same as an employee in the industry? Whether you want to work in facility operations, social media, for a dance or cheerleading squad, or as a mascot, these non-traditional roles are out there for the taking and are readily available today.
What roles do you find to be the most intriguing in sports and entertainment? We’d love to hear your thoughts on what’s out there. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to the roles on TeamWork Online and be on the lookout for more interesting roles and business insights here on The Breakdown.
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