Behind the Scenes with Sky Interns

If you�re like most Chicago Sky fans you have most recently seen the Sky go 2-1 over the course of their first three games. You have seen the evolution of rookie point guard Courtney Vandersloot along with the �crunch time� play making abilities by Sylvia Fowles. You have also seen the sharp shooting abilities by Cathrine �the Cat� Kraayeveld as she went 6-7 from behind the arc as well as the non �stop aggressive play by local gal Lindsey Wisdom-Hylton. There is no question the Sky have been off to a great start to the season; however, what most fans do not see is the behind the scenes look at the many interns hard at work assisting the Chicago Sky full-time staff.

Each week we wilI give you an inside look at what we do so next time you see us at a game, all in our black polo�s working on the All-State Arena�s concourse, or running up and down the aisles and talking into their head-sets, you will have a great understanding of what types of tasks we assist with and how we work together with the Sky staff to ensure we have a successful game night.

To start out this week I would formerly like to introduce myself, my name is Carter Schick, a new intern for the Sky�s Vice President of Operations and overall �wonder woman,�. I recently graduated from Gonzaga University where I was a member of their women�s basketball team�yes the same team that our very own point guard �Sloot� played for. I graduated with a major in Sports Management and a minor in Communications. I am an avid sports fan and look forward to seeing the progressions and success of the 2011 Chicago Sky.

Now that you know a little about me let me take the time to inform you about what we interns have been doing as of late. As you all know the Sky played their 2011 home opener Friday night against the Connecticut Sun, it was also the home opener for the many Sky employees as well.

In order to be ready for opening night we all gathered at Allstate Arena earlier in the week to tour the building and learn about what our roles were for the upcoming season. We also rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed the on-court promotions and introductions and some of us even got to pretend to be a Sky player for the afternoon and walk down the aisles as our �names� were called!

To start the evening off right, the Sky celebrated with a tailgate party. Interns were hard at work through the course of the event making sure fans had enough food and beverages for the festivities. Once the arena doors opened, many interns switched jobs and could be found supervising activities on the concourse such as helping kids create signs for the game and many other arts and crafts. We were also helping pass out gifts to the many season ticket holders and escorting new fans around the arena. Next was tip off and it was time for us to shine as we assisted in executing the special opening night introduction where the players came down to the court through the aisles. The Sky then won a very close and exciting game bringing their record to a 1-1 start.

For most people, after the final buzzer chimes this marks the end of the evening. However, if you�re an intern/employee your night is just beginning. As my boss says �you never leave a mess after you have been there.� Thus once again the interns were hard at work accompanying the players and coaches through media relations, getting last minute game time statistics pulled together, putting away all the activities and equipment on the concourse, and overall helping one another to tidy up, pack everything away and conclude the night.

For most people the two hour time frame of a game is all they see�the players making tremendous plays, a half time entertainment show, maybe even stick around for a few autographs. However; what many fans fail to see is the hard work and passion put forth by those involved within the organization.

Every week I will provide you with stories, insights, and thoughts about not only life as an intern but also life within the Chicago Sky organization. I am honored to be here and look forward to the up and coming season�Go Sky!