While attending one of the largest sporting events in the world, the Super Bowl, I had rare opportunity to connect with other people who shared similar interests and ambition as I had, far beyond the Wittenberg community, where I'm a Sports Management major. My time in California brought me not only to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, but also to San Francisco and Redwood City. About a dozen Witt students flew out to "help" with the event, and I was lucky enough to be one of them.
As a group, we had the opportunity of touring the stadium and campus in preparation for the more than 60,000 fans expected to converge on the scene. While touring, I couldn’t help but notice the months of preparation coming together in extreme detail. Whether it was a final cleaning of the seats, staff running around with checklists, or the practice of the trophy presentation, each individual part of the event was starting to come together. I also had the opportunity to see, in person, faces that normally appear on the TV, such as Cris Collinsworth.
We stayed in Redwood City (north of Santa Clara) and although the Super Bowl was a great experience, some of my best memories from the trip happened in that city, where I had my first encounter with the mouth-watering In-N-Out Burger, famous for its fresh ingredients and big portions. Dining at others ethnic foods restaurants left my pockets empty but stomach full. I also found myself in an Irish pub sitting next to a friendly, local retired gent, where we talked about our experiences in life. He told me he went to high school with Tom Brady and had a friend who worked closely with Mark Zuckerberg. Although I have never met both people, it was refreshing to hear stories from this man's past, reminding me that networking isn’t just for your future job, but to get to know more about the world we live in.
How was San Francisco? Well, there was a lot of traffic, for one thing. While there, I volunteered at the Bart Starr Award Breakfast through Athletes in Action. Again, I had the opportunity to network with others, whether they were other volunteers, or guests who were willing to hold a conversation. Cris McCaffrey, who received the Bart Starr Award, reminded all of us in speech about the importance of my faith and staying close with those who surround you. Other memorable experiences included the chance to meet Cam Taylor, a defensive end for the Saints, where I got a photograph of him and an autograph. San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge knocked by socks off. Sitting on the pier, watching the waves come in, and the large red suspension bridge in the background was truly a breath of fresh air.
And then finally, there was the reason we'd all come: Super Bowl. The clear skies and warm weather made it a beautiful day for one of the biggest events in the world. My job at the game was to stand inside the ticket gates and direct fans to their destination. While this seems like it would be a boring job, it was far from it.
As the crowd of fans came busting through security, I couldn’t help but notice the joy on everyone’s faces. I saw it all, from jumping with joy to high fives and massive hugs. That joy was contagious because I could feel it too. I felt happy to be with them. I didn’t have the opportunity like some of the others to see all the rich and famous celebrities walk into the game. But, seeing the fans enter the gates, I felt like the richest man on Earth.
This trip was more than just an added section to my resumé. It became an opportunity to seek the world outside of Springfield, Ohio. I got to wake up early to go to training. I met people I would have never met and created memories to last a lifetime. So, if you want to take advantage of the connections here at Wittenberg and be outside of your comfort zone, then this is the trip for you.
