This week on Highlighting Hounds, we are following up with Ian Louback, a senior Marketing major and Sports Management minor, who completed his internship at the Worcester Red Sox! As the Sales and Marketing intern, Ian gained hands-on experience learning the ins and outs of the sports industry. Read the interview below to learn more about Ian’s internship experience and how he plans to utilize the skills he gained.
Ian Louback ’24
Describe a typical day as an intern. What are your day-to-day tasks and responsibilities?
On a typical day, I’ll come into the office to work on lead generation for the sales team, researching potential season ticket members/groups to input into the CRM system, as well as some other side projects.
Were you involved in any major projects or accomplishments during your internship?
Some major projects I was involved in included events put on in Polar Park. I would help set up for these events, as well as work these events. An example is the Battle of the Bands event put on a few months ago where I helped set up, worked the ticketing booth, and helped clean up afterward.
I would also attend local events where the Woo Sox made an appearance. For example, on Halloween we attended the Worcester tree lighting ceremony and various other events throughout Central Mass. Having grown up in the area, all these experiences were incredible for different reasons. But all of them eventually came down to giving back to the community that helped make me who I am today.
What are your career goals? How will this internship help you reach those goals?
My career goals are to pursue a career in the sports industry. My internship with the Woo Sox gave me valuable experience that I will take with me and apply to my future endeavors for the rest of my career.
What are your key takeaways from your experience? What skills did you gain from this internship?
If there’s one thing that I learned from my internship with the Woo Sox, it’s the importance of the relationship between the organization and the community it serves. This goes for both sales and marketing, doing anything and everything you can to deliver a memorable experience both in the ballpark and outside the ballpark. To me, this is the most important takeaway from my internship. I put smiles on kids’ faces giving them moments they’ll remember forever; I helped deliver game day experiences for families and groups, and more.
Aside from the importance of the relationship with the community of Worcester and its surrounding towns and cities, I got a taste of what it takes to be successful in this career field. Nothing comes easy, you will need to work hard every single day, you will need to put in long hours, especially on game days, and you will need to grind as much as you possibly can. But in the end, it’s all worth it because I’m doing what I love. So, I would say my key takeaways are to work harder than anyone else and remember why you’re doing this in the first place.
Why did you apply to this internship? What aspects of the position interested you?
I applied to this internship because I wanted to pursue a career in sports, and what better way to do it than with a hometown organization? I went to middle school and high school in Shrewsbury, MA, and also lived there for about 5 years. Part of me grew up in Central Massachusetts, so I knew that an internship with the Woo Sox would allow me to work within the community I grew up in.
Apart from that, I knew I could gain valuable and memorable experiences interning for an organization run by Dr. Charles Steinberg and Larry Lucchino. I ended up being right about that, thanks to the incredible front office staff at Polar Park.
How has your Assumption education prepared you for this internship?
Assumption well equipped me with skills such as professionalism, networking, and more that helped me get the most out of my internship. Because of my decision to go to Assumption, I was able to meet an incredible and selfless Professor who I consider to be a mentor. She provided me with valuable insights and gave me the proper guidance to ensure that I get the most out of my internship. Alongside her mentorship, she was also the instructor for the internship course which allowed me to do the internship in the first place.
Another course I took that helped me was a Sales Management course. This course was taken the same semester as my internship, which allowed me to apply what I learned in real time and learn from those experiences.
What advice would you give to a student who wants to participate in an internship?
Get the absolute most out of it that you can. Always say yes to everything, and always open yourself up to new possibilities. Network as much as you possibly can as well because you never know where your next job experience will come from. Lastly, enjoy it. If you’re interning somewhere, it’s more than likely because it’s in the industry you want to pursue a career in. So don’t forget to enjoy every second of it. If you work hard, network, open yourself to new experiences, and enjoy your internship, there’s no reason why you won’t succeed.
Do you want to be featured on the next Highlighting Hounds? Email us at careerdevelopment@assumption.edu!
