Jenna Plutyk

SLIPPERY ROCK — Administration, coaching, communications, community relations, IT. There are almost as many areas of focus in a professional sports team's operations as there are teams themselves.

And while Jenna Plutyk, a Slippery Rock University senior sports management major from Saxonburg, has already interned with the New York Yankees and will be doing a second internship soon with the Charlotte Hornets, her internship focus has always been in the areas of marketing and sales.

Plutyk has yet to find herself involved with “game day” operations.

However, after taking part in SRU's sport facility and event management class, Plutyk feels as though she already has major league experience.

In the class, SRU students interact with alumni, businesses and organizations to offer tangible outcomes, such as a facility risk assessment or hosting a golf outing.

“The hands-on experience was very beneficial,” said Plutyk. “I never looked at is as homework. I needed to make these calls or send these emails and I knew I was going to be able to see the end result.”

Students in the class either hosted a charity golf outing or an awards ceremony that recognized SRU sport management students and alumni.

Plutyk's family owns the Saxon Golf Course in Sarver, so being the chairman of the charity golf outing seemed like an obvious role, but she said even with her background, hosting the event was a challenge to secure corporate sponsorships and arrange foursomes without a hitch.

“You have to think on your feet and plan for anything,” Plutyk said. “This was helpful for me because I had to develop my communication skills and, because we're walking into a business and asking them to donate, it helped alleviate a lot of fears.”

The annual golf outings and awards banquets each typically attract 125-150 people and generate $6,000 in net income, while also securing sponsorships from organizations including the Butler County Tourism Bureau, UPMC Sports Medicine and Highmark. All proceeds benefit charities such as VelSano, a cancer-research initiative through the Cleveland Clinic, and at least two scholarships each year for SRU sport management students.

“A lot of our students end up working in the event management side of sport, so often they'll use this experience on their resumes to get that internship which leads to a full-time job,” said Brian Crow, professor of sport management and the class's instructor. “This experience hosting a golf outing or an awards banquet puts them on a different level compared to interns or graduates from other schools.”

Another distinguishing aspect of the class is how students are paired off in groups of two to conduct a facility risk assessment for a business or organization, identifying everything from slip hazards to safely securing money and equipment.

For example, Plutyk analyzed the Butler YMCA, where she worked as a cheerleading and gymnastics coach, and presented findings that could be used by the YMCA's risk team to identify issues that are important to the facility's operation, not only for insurance purposes but for the safety of its members.