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SALT LAKE CITY — This week, students from Bryant Middle School followed personnel from the Utah Jazz and Larry H. Miller Group around and learned a little about what it takes to succeed in the sports and entertainment world.
Forty-two kids from the seventh and eighth grades were assigned a job shadow based on a survey that asked what each student was interested in, what their favorite subject in school was, and what they want to be when they become adults.
The day started with a presentation and some information gathering by Steve Starks, president of the Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment group. About half of the 42 kids raised their hands when asked if they were Utah Jazz fans, and only two kids raised their hands indicating they were fans of the Salt Lake Bees. But nearly all the kids in attendance could agree on one thing: they liked the Miller Group's Megaplex theaters.
And then the kids went to work around Vivint Arena.
Adrian Olguin drew the opportunity to be Starks' partner for the day. Starks gave the quiet Olguin a run-down of the businesses that the Miller Group runs as Olguin took fastidious notes in an NBA-themed notebook. Then Olguin took a tour of the arena and locker room, before entering an hour-plus meeting with Starks about the franchise's ticket sales efforts. Even on a day when the middle-schoolers were shadowing them, Starks still joked that the initials "LHM" stand for "let's have meetings."
Andrew Koziatek followed Lloyd Cole, 1280 The Zone's assistant program director, as they recorded a new promotion for one of their sponsors. Koziatek's teacher, Katherine McEntee, thought the pairing was perfect. "One of our students who likes to do a lot of talking, he's got a lot of stories, was paired with someone in the radio booth and got to see how that all worked."
Alondra Morales shadowed Matt Sanchez, in the Jazz's marketing department, as they put together the online video that would be used to announce that night's starting lineup. Then, Morales took over the camera, shooting film of another student assisting Jazz dunk team member Matt Griff on a somersault dunk. Later, Morales and Sanchez produced that video, too.
Tony Gonzalez helped Jazz graphic designer Malcolm Thorpe put together an LED Banner that displayed on the LED ring around the arena that separates the lower bowl from the luxury seats above. The banner's message? "Tony G", all up in lights.
Estefania Vega watched Salt Lake Bees ticket sales rep Colin Forbes make a sale, then took over the data entry as Forbes watched. "We'll have to get you a commission," Forbes joked. "I think we can pay you in lunch."
Lunch was indeed served: pizza for all.
So what did the Bryant middle-schoolers learn from the experience?
"There are so many aspects of how a team works together," teacher Andrea Butterfield explained. "On the surface, it's 'Yay, Utah Jazz', but to make it happen, there are all of these certain pieces that have to come together, and they're all important. I don't think they had an awareness of all the pieces that go into something like this to make it successful."
But even more important than that, Butterfield says, was getting significant one-on-one attention from a mentor, especially from one from a field in which the kids had an interest.
"They made the kids feel really special. The one-on-one, kids don't (often) get that. That's a big, valuable thing for them."
