Super Bowl LI brought us one of the most exciting games, if not the most exciting game, in Super Bowl history. It was a miraculous comeback by the New England Patriots, perhaps the best team in the NFL during the past two decades. It all happened right down the street from Rice University, at NRG stadium, just a 10-minute drive down Main Street. Thanks to that, a lot of Rice students, specifically students who major in Sport Management, had the chance to intern and make the super bowl happen. Amalya Lewinson ‘17 was one of those students.
Lewinson, a double major in Sport Management and Psychology, couldn’t have been more excited about the opportunity. She worked as an Area Manager at the NFL Experience with Party Planners West. She was responsible for managing the operations and volunteers for the NFL Experience official autograph stage, the Houston Texans cheerleader photo station, and the fan mobile app registration area during the week leading to Super Bowl LI.
Her main responsibility was managing and assigning upwards of 30 volunteers to positions that would help the operational efficiency of the area. Lewinson also scheduled the volunteer shifts which was critical because she needed to have all areas covered at all times. If her tasks were not managed correctly, the efficiency of the area decreases.
“This experience allowed me broaden my network because I interacted with many people from a variety of professional backgrounds,” Lewinson said. “The volunteers were the best part of the experience because they were so excited to be a direct part of helping this event be extremely special for guests. Overall, it was an incredible experience to help lead the efforts to make the Super Bowl experience memorable for guests and the city of Houston”.
Egor Koulechov, a senior from Volgograd, Russia, is majoring in Sport Management.