First Day (2/14)

My internship is based at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio. My role is in Stadium Operations, which includes general maintenance, event management, and organizational management. Most of my duties take place within Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, 23,000-seat NFL-caliber stadium with over 28,000 square feet of event space. The Stadium is located directly adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but operates as a separate organization. It is used as an event space and host for all levels of American football games, including the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, and serves as the home field for Canton McKinley High School and Walsh University. The Ohio High School Athletic Association hosts all football state championship games in the Stadium. In 2020 and 2021, the Stadium hosted the NCAA Division III Football Championship and on February 24, 2021, the Women’s Football Alliance announced a multi-year deal to host its Championship weekend at the Stadium.

My supervisor is Andrew Wilhelm, whose title is Maintenance Manager of the Stadium. Andrew’s role is overseeing all maintenance of the Stadium and the surrounding Village, which includes various sports fields and an office building with rented space. Andrew is in charge of budgeting and performing necessary maintenance and event set up and operation. My role is to assist in any duties as assigned by Andrew or any of the other maintenance staff. On my first day, I was given a tour of the Stadium and taken through an orientation regarding the security measures in place and a typical schedule of work. Most of the day was spent meeting with my coworkers and getting to know my way around the Stadium, where I will be spending most of my time.

(Photo credit: visitcanton.com)