Philadelphia Union’s on-field success is driven by a huge commitment from the players, coaches, and a lot of other people that work tirelessly behind the scenes. Students at Southern New Hampshire University wanted to know how they could prepare to be part of the workforce that supports a professional soccer team, so one day last month a number of them came to the Union’s offices for a shadow day.
Students that shadowed members of the Union’s marketing, public and community relations, data analytics, and partnerships teams were looking for a window into daily life at a sports franchise. They were also looking for an answer to the question: What happens when it isn’t game day?
The Union are dedicated to turning their on-field success into a feeling that fans and partners can share, and that means telling the club’s story in many ways. Students walked out to a Union training session to see how members of the press are handled, and they sat with the social media team to learn about how a club connects with its fans online.
“I wish I had this opportunity when I was their age,” Union Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships JP Dardenne said. “To go into a professional sports team and learn about the departments and the job responsibilities.”
Supporting a sports team is an enormous task executed by many dedicated individuals working together. Shadowing the many people that help tell the Union’s story provided a unique opportunity for students to experience what their lives could be like if they follow their passions into a sports career. And interacting with the students allowed the Union employees to reflect on the roles they play and why they dedicate time and effort to make the club successful.
“I’ve worked in the Communications Department at the Union, supporting the Bethlehem Steel, and now I work in the Marketing Department building and creating content for our website,” said Union Web Manager Tom Via II. “Many other Union employees began in one department but moved to another as they followed their passion to a new opportunity. For everyone here, it’s just important that we show up each day and do our part to make this club successful. These students see that, and now they are that much better prepared to make choices about their future careers.”
They may only have shadowed Union employees for one day, but the experience will help guide some of the most important choices in these SNHU students lives.
