General 10/3/2022 2:43:00 PM Written By: Mallory Allen

CARLEY FRAUENHOFF - INTERN WITH THE BLIZZARD

For Carley Frauenhoff, the two years she spent with the Green Bay Blizzard hold more than cherished friendships and fond memories. Rather, her internship with the team served as a pivotal stepping stone in her career in sports – and all the knowledge and experience she gained from the Blizzard years ago has continued to aid her in her professional pursuits. *Current Job Opportunities*

College Years
A native of Aurora, Illinois, Frauenhoff attended St. Norbert College in De Pere from 2016-2020, where she double majored in Economics and Marketing. With Green Bay being so close to her university, she was able to intern with the Blizzard in both 2018 and 2019. Doing so was the perfect way for Frauenhoff to tickle her passion for and interest in sports. Frauenhoff intended to return for a third year in 2020, but the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After graduating from St. Norbert, Frauenhoff moved to Colorado and completed a one-year graduate school program at the University of Denver, ultimately earning her Master of Science in Marketing in 2021.

Lots to Learn
Frauenhoff did her best to soak up every bit of knowledge and experience possible during her internship with the Blizzard. "A lot of what we do – putting on home games, on-field promotions, season tickets, everything like that – it's operational, behind-the-scenes stuff no one really sees. You're able to do a lot of thinking on your feet in the Blizzard world, because things are going to go wrong – but that's helpful in learning how to catch yourself and just figure it out before anyone outside of your staff notices, which is really important."

She credited Ryan Hopson (Director of Sales) and Joe Carlson (former Ticket Sales Manager) as being key mentors throughout her time with the Blizzard. "I definitely learned a lot from Joe in terms of ticket sales and placement and things like that. I also loved learning from Ryan; that guy is so knowledgeable. A big thing Ryan did for me was instilling confidence – he put a lot of trust in me at a very young age [19+ years old]," Frauenhoff said. "I miss those guys so much… I learned so much from both of them in terms of the sports world."

Along with the hard work, though, came plenty of fun. Reminiscing about her favorite memories from her time as an intern, Frauenhoff described her love for the post-game parties that followed Blizzard home games, when the staff could grab a few drinks and a bite to eat. "I always thought that was so fun, just being able to forget about the chaos of the day and wind down together."

What Life Looks Like Now
For almost a year now, Frauenhoff has worked in Chicago as an Operations Manager for International Sports Management, Inc., a global sports marketing and event management company that specializes in customized premium corporate sports hospitality. She said that ISM's main portfolio is around 85-90% golf, but the company also hosts events at all of the NCAA sites, as well as the Super Bowl, College Football Championship, NHL Winter Classic, U.S. Open, etc.

In her position, Frauenhoff helps communicate with clients and plan the company's corporate events. She also travels to a majority of the event sites to ensure they run smoothly from an operations standpoint – which is experience she gained early on during Blizzard home games.

Is Unpaid "Worth It?"
Frauenhoff said "it was definitely worth it" taking an unpaid internship with the Green Bay Blizzard. "I worked three jobs in college as well as doing the Blizzard internship, so I found ways to make money and still get the professional experience I needed. I gained so much knowledge and exposure to on-field promotions, ticket sales, season tickets, group sales, operations, and so much more," she recalled.

"It's extremely common in the sports industry to not get paid. I worked for USA Triathlon and didn't get paid either," Frauenhoff continued. "If you want to go into the sports industry, you just have to figure out how to make money and also do an internship. I think in college, it's easier to take an unpaid internship rather than when you're graduated. But I'd do it all over again for sure."

Frauenhoff's advice for those considering taking an internship in the sports industry is simple: "Ask as many questions as you can. Personally, I feel like I'm annoying in every job because I ask so many questions, but in order to know what's going on and do things on your own without being asked, you have to ask what needs to be done and why things are done that way. If you ask those questions early, you can prove your worth."

Women in Sports: "Stand Your Ground"
With years of experience in sports under her belt, Frauenhoff knows as well as anyone that being a woman in this industry is not an easy task. "Obviously, the sports industry is male dominated, so being able to express your knowledge is huge. We all know men; a lot of times, they don't want to be told something they think they know the answer to – they want to mansplain it," Frauenhoff said. "But if you stand your ground and are confident in what you're saying, they'll listen – especially if you've proved it with hard work."

Frauenhoff also acknowledged the unfortunate reality that, in this industry, doing just that is oftentimes easier said than done. "It's a lot harder for women in sports to prove themselves; they have to work harder – that goes for women in any profession, really."

Her best suggestion for earning the respect of male colleagues in the sports industry is, quote on quote, learning the language. "What I've found is being able to speak sports – understanding the sports you're working in – makes a big difference."

Frauenhoff went on to explain this advice based on her own firsthand experience. "I've been working for ISM for almost a year now, but previously after grad school, I worked in the soccer industry [for a company called TOCA Football]. I played soccer in middle school and knew the basic rules of the sport, but in order to earn respect around there, I had to learn more about soccer – because I was the only female in the management staff," she said. "They wouldn't listen to what I was saying because I didn't play soccer [collegiately]. Knowing what was going on was the only way to make them even remotely listen to what I had to say, which was hard."

At the end of the day, despite the challenges that being a female in this industry often presents, Frauenhoff will continue to do what she can to prove that women belong in sports. "I think being confident and building your knowledge and always working hard is the best way to sell yourself," she said. "Being a woman in sports is much more than just looking pretty on the sidelines."

- Written By: Mallory Allen

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CARLEY FRAUENHOFF - INTERN WITH THE BLIZZARD

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