2024 Asheboro ZooKeepers Internship Accreditation Program
Asheboro ZooKeepers Baseball LLC.
603 N. Fayetteville St. Asheboro, NC. 27203
864-431-9122
Game Day Operations Melissa Godwin
I) Vision
Through its mentorship, the Asheboro ZooKeepers Organization will uphold its integrity by helping assist as many participants as possible fulfill a working position within the sports business industry upon their respective graduation.
II) Mission Statement:
To provide each student, in all respects, an opportunity to further their mastery of skills and leadership in their prospective field of study.
*The Asheboro ZooKeepers are members of the Coastal Plain League, a 15-team summer collegiate wooden bat baseball league sanctioned by both the NCAA and Major League Baseball, headquartered in the Raleigh, NC area, with teams located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia. The league plays a 44-game regular season schedule with play beginning in late May and culminating with the league playoffs, which normally conclude in early August. The CPL has been in operation since 1997 and the Copperheads have been a member of the league since 1999. While the CPL is an amateur league, teams are operated under the National Association (Minor League) model used by MLB-affiliated and independent professional minor league teams. The ZooKeepers offer unpaid student internships during the season to college students. Through their respective schools and in conjunction with the ZooKeepers, students may receive academic credit for their internship duty. While students are not paid, housing will be arranged if needed at NO COST through the team’s host family program. Internships begin in mid-May, or as the student is available following the end of the school term, and run through early to mid-August depending upon the team’s participation in CPL post-season play. Interns may be asked to remain available for a couple of days following completion of play to assist with season-ending tasks if it does not interfere with the student’s return to school.
III) Qualifications and Requirements:
- Participants must be enrolled in either a two-year or four-year accredited institution with aspirations of seeking a business career in sports and entertainment.
*Interns will be required to work a varied schedule and must be available for all home games (weekdays and weekends). Interns may be required to perform some office duties, but the majority of their responsibilities will relate to game-day operations. Depending on the team’s playing schedule, there may be “off-days” for interns when the team is on the road. The ZooKeepers will attempt to keep working hours limited to a maximum of 40 per week, although some weeks may require more and others less, depending upon the team’s schedule. On days of home games, interns generally report to the ballpark around 3 p.m. unless specific tasks are required earlier in the day. Interns are not required to attend road games, but may have some duties to perform in preparation for the team’s departure or in advance of a future home game.
IV) Outcome and Goals :
- Create a continuously growing economical business foundation while maximizing family fun entertainment.
- Exhibit organizational leadership and establish a successful revenue model based on the four most profitable areas: Tickets, Corporate and locally owned business partnerships, Food/Beverage management, and Merchandise
- Create lasting relationships within a community
V) Rules and Expectations:
- Represent image and institution in the highest regard
- Apply leadership at all times
- Respect fellow interns, players, fans, staff, management and ownership
- Be willing to acquire new knowledge and except educational critiquing
- Exhibit the ability to adapt at all costs
- Always expect 100% of the responsibility
- Hold themselves accountable for all actions and successes
- Respect host family (if needing one) and adhere to their rules
- Be on time
- Dress professionally in required organizational attire
- Utilize professional working “OnTheClock” behavior (language, mingling, cell-phone use, etc.)
- Meet individually to assess progression towards fulfilling institutional curriculum requirements
- Meet as a group regularly with management staff to execute daily plans for games and events
Intern Areas of Interest: Interns will have the opportunity to acquire knowledge in these areas but will not be required to perform all duties
1) Community Engagement
- Hiring of Volunteers and regular paid staff for games/events
- Organization wide involvement in community events (examples; Habitat for Humanity, Victory Junction, visiting Group Homes)
- Organization wide involvement in giving back (examples; glove or cleat drives, Toys for Tots, food drives, donations, auctions)
- Host Family relationships
- Team/player involvement in the community (examples; hosting baseball and other camps)
2) Fan Experience, Hospitality and Entertainment
- Game-Day Operations (examples; game-day scripts, Anthem singers, line-up/standings boards updates, first pitch throwers, special recognitions, Baseball Buddies(local kids teams part of pre-game festivities),
- Preparation and logistics for in-game promotions and giveaways
- Preparation and logistics for pre and post-game events such as fireworks or concerts
- Nightly newsletters and handouts
- Live Entertainment or in-park group gatherings (examples; information tables, bouncy houses, playgrounds, whiffle ball games, sign-ups for in-between inning games)
- Venue/Stadium vocal host
- Team Kids club
- Adult hospitality areas
3) Marketing, Business Partnering and Sponsorship Activation
- New corporate sponsor participation and partner renewals
- Identification of business group leaders
- Working of trade out deals (post-game meals or hotels for advertising)
- Promotional/Sponsor Nights and special promotions
- Obtaining appropriate business vector logo and color files for print advertising across ballpark
- Market the organization (examples; information released on social media and team website, mascot, player and other organization personnel appearances in the community)
4) Broadcasting and Media Relations
- Broadcast live games over web/live stream (handling in-game interviews, sponsor advertisement readings, set up and break down of equipment, recording stats and records)
- Create website stories, pocket schedules, game programs, flyers and handouts
- Manage social media, YouTube TV and videos, weekly team radio show, podcasts and interviews, graphic design, sound and announcing
- Tracking and breaking down team statistical data using advanced analytics and Trackman
5) Photography/Videography- we are looking for someone to be over taking our pictures and videos for the season and sharing these with our staff. In addition, this person will help manage our website by updating pictures and videos.
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.
