Into the end zone

I can’t believe it. This is my final blog as an intern. I never pictured this day coming when I started three months ago.

 

First of all, I want to express my thanks to everyone who read my blog so far. Without you, I would not have felt so motivated to write this blog and to make it enjoyable to read.

 

As this is my last blog, I thought this would be a good time to do some reflection. I would like to look back and describe the five most memorable experiences I have had since I joined Football BC.

5. Kelowna trip

 

 

This was my first business trip far from Vancouver. Of course, I was excited to watch the Okanagan Sun become BCFC champions after a 54-0 shutout win over the Vancouver Island Raiders at the Apple Bowl on October 25. However, the reason why I consider this a top-five moment is because I felt it was a turning point in my internship. It allowed me to spend more time with my supervisor, Daniel, which gave me an opportunity to talk with him not only about work matters but also get his advice on how to be a professional working Canada. I also got to learn about his background and also make small talk. I must say the experience helped me build a great relationship with Daniel. I clearly remember my friends said if they were in my shoes, they might decline the business trip because it would be so challenging to communicate with a native English speaker for a long time because they might get frustrated at the language barrier. When I heard their opinion, I realized that I had a completely different thought process in terms of studying English because I was dying to going there with Daniel to challenge myself. From my experience, the best way to speak English efficiently is that we try not to speak our own language as much as we can and enjoy talking with native English speakers positively without being afraid of making mistakes. This attitude not only helps you persuade native English speakers to understand your great efforts, but also makes you different from other learners. I always keep that in mind. As a result, I have been improving my English little by little.

 

4. UBC games

 

 

As you know, UBC was to become the 2015 Vanier Cup Champion for the first time since 1997, which means UBC is the strongest team among all Canadian Universities. Before that outstanding achievement, I watched the UBC Thunderbirds’ games at UBC twice, which was an experience I treasured. It seemed that few people expected UBC to win the championship at that time because UBC’s record in the regular season was not so great compared to every team UBC beat throughout the playoffs. However, in the end, UBC was the best team. This is a great example of how the future is unpredictable.

 

When I made up my mind to become a firefighter, most of my friends did not expect me to pass the examination because of the highly competitive rate. But I did it. In addition, when I started to study English three years ago, I could not speak English at all. So, people assumed what I was doing at the time was a waste of time and money. But I can say I am getting to speak English much better than other Japanese people right now. From the UBC games, I learned that the future depends on what you do in the present. So, even if someone says to me it is impossible to achieve goals, I won’t give up.

 

3. BC Place

 

Thanks to Football BC, I was able to go to BC Place three times as a worker. This experience had a great influence on me because I felt like I contributed to Football BC as a photographer and grew as a business person due to the professional sports environment, which was exactly what I was looking for. In addition, I learned what an appropriate attitude was in order to work in a professional sports field like BC Place.

 

For example, everybody I met in BC Place was sophisticated and tried not to make even one mistake. Whenever I stepped onto the field, I was asked my title and position. If I had not learned how to communicate people tactfully from Daniel and Gastown Business College, I might have been denied access. I think I can work in any international sports management field with a professional approach because of this unforgettable opportunity.

 

2. Business trip to Kamloops

 

When I look back on the trip, I really appreciate Canadian people’s kindness. I met a lot of people who helped me to succeed in my business trip. In particular, I cannot say thank you enough to Brian Olthuis, a legendary football coach and a Football BC executive member because he not only invited me to stay in his home overnight but also introduced a lot of his friends to me which helped my work go smoothly. He also took me to my very first hockey game in Canada, which is something I will never forget. Thanks to this experience, I learned how to make a great first impression and how to break the ice in order to build a great relationship after that.

 

1.  Interviews with Michael Calvert and Masaki Kawanami

 

I am so honored that I was able to interview two skilled high school football players. When it comes to Michael, he is my favorite and the most skilled player I have encountered. He is also the most patient individual I have ever met among high school players. Without him and the experience from that first interview, I would not have had the confidence to interview Masaki later on. Thank you, Michael.

 

As for Masaki Kawanami, he overwhelmed me because he is not only an amazing football player chosen as an all-star member, but a tactful communicator in English even though he is still so young. I was able to be motivated to work hard and make his interview sound great thanks to his passion and enthusiasm. Even after we go back to Japan, I would like to keep in touch with him to know what the future holds for him. Thank you, Masaki.

 

Finally, I would like to say thank you to Football BC because of the very precious opportunity they gave me for three months. It was especially great to work with my previous coworker and former intern in Leo, a great Japanese interviewer and colleague in Michiko, and my role model, Daniel. (And of course everybody who gave me a hand throughout my practicum). I promise I will take full advantage of every skill I have learned to contribute to my future career. I believe I can do it as long as I keep in mind my motto “All my efforts will pay off as long as I do my best”. Thank you so much for reading my blog every day. I hope you all were able to gain something positive from doing so.

 

I wish you all the best in the future and I will keep my fingers crossed that I will hopefully be able to work with football again one day.

 

 

Thank you, Daniel

The end of my time as an intern is approaching. Some international interns like me might be looking forward to finishing their contracts and going back to their home countries which are more comfortable for them. In my case, I am already starting to miss Football BC. Do you know why I feel like that? The reason is very simple. That’s because I want to work longer with my supervisor, Daniel, who has provided me with outstanding opportunities for me to gain a lot of experience under my belt. Everything I have learned from him, I truly value.

 

I want share with you some of the things that he has done for me that have greatly influenced me.

 

When I was in Japan, I was a firefighter. Unfortunately, I ended up quitting that prestigious career because at that time I felt I did not have a strong enough mentality to handle the hardships and expectations as a firefighter. I lost almost all the confidence that I had been building since I was a child and suffered from a great deal of depression. At the same time, I was intimidated with challenging myself again and had tried to avoid working in a serious environment, which caused me a lot of pressure until joining Football BC. So, working in Football BC was extremely important turning point to getting myself back.

 

 

I feel like I have gained so much of my confidence back since joining Football BC. From experiences such as going on business trips, interviewing with a Japanese player, and so on, I am trying to challenging myself all the time even though I still struggle sometimes to communicate like native English speakers. That’s because Daniel helps me grow as a communications assistant by giving me informative advice. In addition, he puts a lot of trust in me which makes me want to live up to his expectations and contribute to Football BC.

 

 

Let me tell you what makes him different from other supervisors.

 

1. He is a role model as a supervisor.

 

He never blames me for making mistakes and praises me after I have done each task, which helps me work smoothly and comfortably because I can challenge myself without being afraid.

 

 

2. He is an extremely reliable individual.

 

When I went on a trip to Kamloops by myself, I encountered a lot of challenging experiences I had to deal with. But, I was able to complete all my tasks because Daniel supported me all the time even though he had a lot on his plate at BC Place at the same day. I must say without him, I would not have succeeded in the trip.

 

 

3. He is an amazing writer.

 

Some people might think I am good at writing blogs. The reason is he always proofreads my draft after I have finished up. Therefore, I am able to enhance my writing skills and familiarize myself with a more reader-friendly writing style day-by-day. At the same time, I learned I should not compare someone with others and try to avoid stereotypes when I write.

 

 

 

4. He is an efficient and organized person.

 

I learned from him that I have to be familiar with computer skills, especially Excel, coupled with enhancing my typing speed if I want to be a competent business person like him (His typing speed is outstanding). In addition, he taught me I had to compile every file I worked with neatly just in case. I think I am getting to be an efficient business person little by little trying to imitate his work style.

 

 

5. He is courteous and generous.

 

When I look like I’ve been working too hard, he definitely worries about my condition and tells me to take a break. Also, he is often generous whenever we are traveling or working long hours and will treat me to meals. What is more, he gives me a ride whenever we participate in any events. I realized that style is a common practice among Canadians and helps encourage socializing.

 

 

Let me take the time here to give advice for people looking for a job. In my opinion, the best way to recognize what companies will be a good fit when you job hunt is not the size of the company or the amount of salary, it is the reputation and personalities of your potential supervisor. When finding these type of people, you will be able to take full advantage of your skills like I have. In my case, I hesitated to apply for Football BC because I had no knowledge about football but I heard from former interns working at Football BC a lot of positive things about Daniel, which means if there had not been a great supervisor, I would not work here now. Even after I joined Football BC, what I heard from people who know Daniel is only amazing feedback. I must say I am a very happy person because I work with him all the time while growing as an individual. Thanks to Daniel, I was able to learn how to be not only a competent business person, but also a successful individual. I hope you can find outstanding supervisors that can change your life in a positive way. Daniel is definitely one of my mentors.

 

 

Finally, I really appreciate all of his kindness. I must say without him, I would not have regained my confidence, while improving my English and business skills. In the meanwhile, I would really like to show my appreciation for him in the future. So, what I have to do is to absorb everything I learned and make the best of these to contribute to my future job. I believe I can do it because Daniel is always on my side. I hope I am a competent business person like him and can work together with him again in the future.

 

I think my next blog might be my final one as an intern. So, I hope you are looking forward to reading it. If you have any requests or topics you want me to update, please feel free to ask me. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. Have a great day.

We love "Football"

Hello everyone,

 

You are not going to believe this, but I have watched over 20 amateur football games so far since I joined Football BC. Thanks to this unforgettable experience, I have been able to learn the rules of football, even the differences of each league. In addition, I was motivated to work hard and see my personal motto (“all my efforts will pay off as long as I do my best and not give up in the face of adversity”) being put on display from the players I watched. Thank you, BC football players.

 

How about you?? After you watch football games, how do you feel? Do you see yourself sometimes in the players?

 

Today, I’d like to introduce you to my friends who came to BC Place over the last month to help me shoot videos and take pictures during the high school playoffs.

 

Not only did my friends come to help, but I made them do a survey for my purposes because I wanted to see what they thought about football. In my opinion, every comment I received from them is to the point and concise. My goal, since learning about football, has been to try and show all my friends how amazing the sport is. Do you remember my mission I wrote in the previous blog?? After reading today’s blog, I hope you see that I am well on my way towards that goal.

 

1 Nozomi (Noelle) Araki

My friend Noelle came to volunteer all three weeks of the BC High School Football playoffs that were at BC Place.

 

In my opinion, not only is she a pretty girl but she also has a very strong mentality and huge potential to succeed in anything she does. The reason why I can say that is she is one of the most versatile girls I have ever met in my life. In other words, she has a lot going for her, which makes me envy her. In addition, she contributed to our efforts to cover all the high school games greatly and I know even my supervisor was impressed.

 

When I asked her about feedback of these games, her answer was very analytical. She found the most interesting part of football being the fusion of intelligence and power that is on display. Moreover, she was overwhelmed by the environment and surroundings such as having professional referees, announcers, and coaches which is different from a lot of high school sport events in Japan. Not only did attending make her interested in watching football, she even said she wanted to learn how to play football. What is even better is thanks to her experience volunteering, she became even more interested in working in a sports management field just like me. I was so delighted to hear that from her because I feel like I gave her a great opportunity to make her dreams come true.

 

2 Jihee Olivia Jeong & Mizuki Kaji

My friends Olivia and Mizuki both came to the semi-final day at BC Place, although Mizuki actually also volunteered on quarter-final day.

 

I really appreciated both of them coming to help us because I know how hectic their schedules are.

 

Mizuki was preparing to go back to Japan, while Olivia was actually studying for a big examination.

 

Both of them used to work at Vancouver International Airport as interns for WestJet so their communication skills are amazing. Even though I have difficulty in explaining the tasks I wanted them to help with, they could understand what I meant very quickly by asking for questions to avoid any misunderstandings. I was able to learn from them about how to make people I talk to feel comfortable.

 

With Olivia, she was able to learn the basic rules about football and changed her point of view about the sport. Before watching, she thought it was a very dangerous sport but afterwards, she understands how sophisticated it actually is and how much attention is given to make sure that the players are protected. In addition, she learned the importance of the team work that is needed to win each game. I hope that watching the team work that the players had on the field inspires her to translate it into her future career.

 

As for Mizuki’s feedback, she found the whole experience very touching. She was on the field in the game where Terry Fox lost to Mt. Douglas and she was able to see the tears in the players’ eyes. I think she understands how quickly dreams can be taken away and I hope that encourages her to pursue her dreams as hard as she can because if you don’t, you may lose that opportunity. Her dream job is to be a flight attendant and, I must say, with her drive and customer service skills, she will be able to live out her dream. I will keep my fingers crossed for her.

 

 

3 Narumi Yuki, Moeko Maeda & Kazuki Okumiya



My friends Kazuki and Narumi both came to the semi-final day at BC Place, although Kazuki actually also volunteered on quarter-final day and final day, when Moeko came and join us.

 

First of all, I have to apologize to Kazuki and Narumi for making them wait over 30 minutes outside the stadium. Unfortunately, with the games progressing inside, it was hard for me to meet them right when they arrived. However, both of them were very patient and did not blame me at all. On the contrary, they expressed their thank you for me to give them a chance to watch a live game in BC Place. I was touched by their courtesy.

 

Narumi is a very hilarious person because she has a special talent that is to lighten up everyone’s mood around her by telling jokes. She is a very quick-learner and she’s very fun to be with because her mentality is to work hard and play hard.

 

When it comes to her feedback, it seemed to me that she was most excited to watch the game and tried to really learn as much as she could by asking a lot of questions. I also let her try her hand to take some pictures which can be challenging but she got the hang of it quickly. I hope the experience helps her future career out after going back to Japan.

 

Moeko had been really interested in watching football live since she was in Japan. I’m not sure how it happened, but she seemed really in love with the sport of football which is odd because football is not that popular of a sport in Japan yet.

 

She has a special eye for seeing talented players which she was able to point out to me while watching these games. I think it shows that she can be a very detail-oriented person because she can see things that maybe other people do not. I knew she was interested because after she finished the first game she watched, she quickly asked me about when the next game would be. I think I was able to grab her attention very well.

 

Kazuki is one of the most passionate and diligent people I have ever met. He has only been in Vancouver for a short time but his goal is to learn to speak English as well as even native speakers.

 

He used to be a very good soccer player and that experience led him to be interested in watching football because it reminded him of his childhood. In watching how hard the players worked to achieve their goals, Kazuki felt motivated to continue to work just as hard towards his own personal goals. Because of his hard-working nature, I think if I ever need volunteer workers again, I will definitely invite him first because I can trust he will always do his best.

 

4 Kazutaka (Kaz) Kobayashi

My friend Kaz came to the semi-final day at BC Place.

 

Kaz is one of the best English speakers among my Japanese friends. He has been the longest among all the people I know, but he is a very humble and courteous person so he never tries to show off.

 

When it comes to his feedback, I realized that how diligent he is. He really thought about every question I asked and gave a very careful answer. He said that he not only enjoyed watching the game, but also learned about skills like shooting videos. I must say without his help, I would not have been able to cut the great highlight videos that I did. I cannot thank him enough for his great efforts. He also said that he could catch up with the complicating rules from just watching one game. I am glad he was able to have this experience under his belt.

 

5 Maki Matsuda

My friend Maki came to the final day at BC Place.

 

Among all my friends, Maki is the most familiar with football. She really marveled at the atmosphere and the sophistication of the game. She was particularly impressed with the state-of-the-art technology for coaches to convey tactics and strategies to the players. One thing she wondered, however, was if all the technology meant that there was less interaction between players and coaches, or players and spectators.

 

She also wondered why there is no national competition after deciding a provincial champion. I understand it is so challenging because of the tremendous size of Canada and the budget for holding competitions would be very expensive.

 

In Japan, there is a national baseball competition named Koushien, which is the most prestigious high school baseball tournament. It is extremely popular and equivalent to American College Competition because of the media attention as well as having each game being broadcasted commercial-free.

I think she wondered why there could not be something similar in football, but I know from experience because of the physical demands of football, it is impossible to have a tournament in a short time. From her comments, I must say Maki has a different perspective from others and thinks outside the box.

 

I am so delighted that everybody got a positive image of football after watching these games. At the same time, I really appreciate their contributions to Football BC as volunteers. Without their support, I would not have been able to have such a great time working. After reading their comments, I realized again how wonderful football is and it made me even more enthusiastic about wanting to convey just how attractive amateur football is to people by providing opportunities for them to watch it. I hope I have a chance again in the future to do this.
 

 

Thank you so much for reading my blog. I hope you understand just how important this blog meant to me. If you want to re-live all the great memories from Subway Bowl, please check out the official newsletter. Have a great day.