Situation
When doing an internship at a professional football organisation, one of the things that ultimately matters is the matches.

During the internship intake, it was already discussed that if the student demonstrated good work, she would occasionally be asked to attend the matches in the box and network with partners and other attendees. The FC Groningen Foundation has its own skybox on the second floor of the stadium. Besides being one of the largest boxes in the stadium, it is also the workplace of interns during the week and is often used for knowledge sessions. On match days, the Skybox often focuses on an inspiration session. Speakers are invited who fit an interesting topic related to physical activity and health. The guest list often consists of board members, several employees, partners, and other guests.

Task

Tasks

Matchdays

·       Present in de box o   FC Groningen – Fortuna Sittard (13/11/2022) o   FC Groningen – Spakenburg (12/01/2023) o   FC Groningen – Feyenoord ( 15/01/2023) o   FC Groningen – Excelsior (25/02/2023) o   FC Groningen – sc Heerenveen (19/03/2023) o   FC Groningen – FC Utrecht (07/04/2023) ·       Presentations ·       Other activities such as Fitbus ·       Collection ·       Networking ·       Inspiration sessions ·       Receiving guests ·       Away days (AZ – FC Groningen)

 

Action

During the course of the internship, in early November the student was asked for the first time if she would like to attend the Skybox for the match between FC Groningen and Fortuna Sittard. Of course, the student wanted to attend, and thus it was also the beginning of several times that the student was asked to be present in the Skybox. The more often the student was present in the box, the more natural the process of filling in certain roles became. For example, the student occasionally helped the catering staff where necessary, and she received guests at the main entrance.

Result

The knowledge sessions in the skybox have helped the student develop herself in the area of networking. Additionally, it provided the opportunity to get to know the staff during matchdays and understand their way of working. Multiple conversations were also held with connections that later proved to be valuable for the student's research, such as during the matches against Feyenoord and Excelsior. During the matches, the student also got to know the board members better, which has been of added value for the process of the policy plan.

Reflection

The first time the student was allowed to be present in the box, she wanted to make sure everything was well-prepared. Often, the student had formulated the task for herself to try to network. In the first few times in the box, this was mainly with board members, employees, and guest speakers. But from the session against Feyenoord, the student was familiar with the way of working in the box and wanted to also get involved in conversations with employees from other organisations. Especially because the student's network had grown in the meantime, it was easier to start a conversation. The first time in the box, the student was very curious about what the atmosphere would be like and what would come her way. As the game did not go as hoped, as has often been the case this season, everyone had to stay in the box longer than expected. This led the student to have a good conversation with Alien, one of the board members, about giving presentations. Here, the student gained certain knowledge and information that helped her in giving presentations throughout the rest of the internship. Looking back on the student's presence in the box, she can say that she felt more and more at ease and dared to engage in conversation with guests. It was very interesting, although the student also caught herself sometimes opting for standing with familiar people to speak more light-heartedly about the game. In hindsight, she could have done more, but on the other hand, it is also good to find a balance and just enjoy watching football with colleagues.