During a trip to the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on September 27, 2013, students of Dr. Woo’s Sports PR class, including myself, were able to attend a Washington Capitals game from the press perspective. We traveled up to D.C. on that Friday afternoon and were welcomed by members of the Capitals Communications team. It was a generous welcome; we were immediately given credentials and escorted to the seats reserved for us on the press level of the stadium. We enjoyed the game without showing support for one team or the other, being surrounded by members of the media taking notes and enjoying provided snacks and coffee.
At
First Intermission, we talked with Megan Eichenburg, Communications Coordinator. She talked about her experiences with the team, how she got to her position, and a bit about the daily requirements of the job. She was also open to our questions. One interesting aspect of this conversation was Eichenburg’s love of the job because of the impact professional sports can make on the community. Each team, and even each player, could have a cause to dedicate time to. Being involved in these causes, not just for publicity, but because they can make an impact, is an appealing aspect of getting into Public Relations in sports.
During our sessions talking with Eichenburg and also an intern, Brian Kiefer, both with the Communications team, we were also told that the job is incredibly rewarding but time consuming, requiring a lot of commitment during every day of the week. We received several handouts while we were there, to include profiles of both teams and Event Summaries after each intermission. The Communications team tried to ensure enough materials were given to the press, in order to make their job easier in writing a story on the game. This reflects the efforts put into news releases.
At the end of the game, we were able to observe the press conference with Head Coach Adam Oates. The press asked questions with smooth transitions between each and with an end goal in mind, their story to write. Oates answered those questions eloquently, forcefully, and generously. This indicated the repetitious nature of press conferences; that practice leads to successful story writing.
Experiencing the behind-the-scenes action of a Washington Capitals game was an amazing way to be exposed to what a career in Sports PR might look like. It is intensive but rewarding, and seems to include something a little different each day. What a great trip!