Lauren Putbrese '16
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Marketing and Sport Management double major from Xenia, Illinois - Will graduate in December 2015
- Who’s Who in American College and Universities
- Bearcat Women’s Tennis team
- Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority
- Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society
- Sigma Beta Delta business honor society
Lauren Putbrese '16 planned on being a bank teller and giving tennis lessons in her hometown last summer
when the Scottrade Center, a St. Louis sports and concert venue, offered her an internship. Within a week, she was working the Cher concert.
The McKendree senior is now employed as the building operations office coordinator
for the 19,000-seat center, which is home to the National Hockey League’s St. Louis
Blues. “Many who are employees of the Scottrade Center are also employed by the Blues,” she
explained. “They are our number one occupant so the job is 50 percent Blues hockey.”
Lauren likes being close to the action. “During a game, I stand right next to the
ice. I see all of the game. We have to record times of warmup, what time the puck
hits ice, what time the Zamboni hits the ice, what type of promotions they do at intermission,
the temperature of the ice inside and outside the rink, what time last person leaves
the ice. All of that is recorded on a spreadsheet on an iPad, and the information
is sent directly to the NHL office.”
In the off season, she gains other behind-the-scenes experience. “Summer is pretty
much concerts,” said Lauren, who was on hand for the Garth Brooks, Katy Perry and
Miley Cyrus shows.
During an event, Lauren monitors message traffic on a two-way radio she always carries.
“I have to be the contact if anything goes wrong. It might be a chair that’s broken.
I need to know who is responsible for whatever needs to be done.” She watches closely
for anything that seems amiss. At the Missouri Valley Conference men’s college basketball
championship, for example, the shot clock was leaning slightly. “We got someone up
there to fix it before it interfered with the ball,” she said.
The sport management and marketing major hopes her college education and on-the-job training will lead to a full-time
career in professional sports. “I love all sports and I hope to work in that arena
in some way,” she said.
"I love all sports and I hope to work in that arena in some way.”
Learn more about McKendree University, Sport Management program, and the Marketing program.
