The Falmouth Commodores welcomed all of its interns to Cape Cod this weekend, with its orientation program on June 13. The Commodores have 23 interns on staff this season, who will be gaining expertise in the areas of media, game day operations, merchandise and administrative/event management, among others.
The day began by Falmouth Commodores and Cape Cod Baseball League President Chuck Sturtevant, addressing the staff about the opportunity they have this summer. Sturtevant said that he is looking forward to seeing the staff improve their craft, through their work with the club.
“I’m excited just seeing all the enthusiasm with the younger interns coming back, and hoping that they all have a great time this summer and really learn a lot,” Sturtevant said. “Hopefully it can help their careers.”
The staff then met as a group to discuss team policies and expectations for each of their roles. The meeting was led by game day operation intern chairs Joanne Hyde and Mark Ordway, Secretary Linda Peters and Falmouth Commodores’ Treasurer and Director of Media/Broadcasting Christopher Smallis.
The group was then divided by their roles after the conclusion of the meeting, to meet in smaller groups. These meetings provided each intern with a specific overview of their duties for the summer.
The game day operations interns discussed ballpark procedures, in preparation for their first game since 2019. Game day operations and fan relations intern Kayla Bueno said that she is interested in how the club will adapt its ballpark experience to ensure the safety of its fanbase.
“I’m probably most looking forward to learning how to deal with the COVID-19 restrictions,” Bueno said. “Making sure we have that clear line between being safe about COVID and putting on a good operation for the Commodores.”
The game day operations interns also gathered advertising signs that will be displayed on the outfield wall during the 2021 season. The staff will work on putting up these signs prior to the home opener, as they put the finishing touches on the ballpark.
The broadcast and media interns also continued to prepare for their upcoming productions, by researching the rosters of both the Commodores and their opponents. This information will be utilized by broadcast interns David Hadar and Matt Levine, who will be on the call for each of the club’s 40 regular season games.
After the staff concluded their meetings for the day, the group went to Peters’ home for an all-intern gathering. The group had the opportunity to get to know each other, while having pizza and other snacks.
It is clear that the interns are looking forward to the start of the season, as the countdown to opening night has begun. Game day operations intern Will Kharfen said that he believes working with the Commodores will aid him in advancing his knowledge of the industry.
“I’m really excited to learn as much as I can,” Kharfen said. “[And to] create connections with the other interns and people working for the organization.”
The Commodores’ intern staff will continue to prepare for the club’s home opener on Sunday June 20. Falmouth is scheduled to host the Chatham Anglers at 6 p.m., from Guv Fuller Field.
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Click here for the 2021 Falmouth Commodores schedule.
Tommy Mumau can be reached at tmumau@ithaca.edu. Follow him on Twitter @tommymumau13.
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