Soccer, Smiles, Disruption, Excitement, Great People, and Real Impact: An Unlikely Internship
If having fun while getting work done is what you like to do, OpenSports is the job for you!
We were crazy and I wouldn’t change a thing
Whenever you get a job or an internship, it’s pure excitement mixed in with some nerves. What do I wear on the first day? Will I fit in? How is the work environment? How fast/slow paced is the environment? These are all questions I asked myself before my first day on the job at OpenSports.
Alicia was the point person with all the communication with OpenSports and gave me a heads up on certain tasks and projects I would be working on that all sounded amazing; creating marketing campaigns, engaging organizers, creating games and attending pick up, building OpenSports globally. These all sound like great tasks to work on right?
Well going back, these were probably the wrong questions to ask myself and not exactly the full depth of my tasks here at OpenSports. Now that it is all coming to an end, the questions I should have asked would probably go more like this… Will Alicia ever eat more than chicken and avocados for her breakfast/lunch/snacks? Where does Yi An find all of her amazing snacks she brings into the office? Does James run everywhere to get some exercise or because he’s excited? Do Yi An and James ever leave the office? (still not sure where they live) Does Gigi (Alicia’s alter ego) only stop by when we are filming? Is she too famous to just come to Iboost on a regular day? Does Alicia ever stop giggling? (It’s so contagious you can’t help but laugh when she does).
Along those lines, my projects and tasks did involve those typical assignments, but with a twist. Stalking, creating funky videos, laughing, and hopping onto a train to wait for hours at an Airport for top level CEO’s, were some other things I got involved in and would do it all over again.
OpenSports has been my home away from home the last 3 months and I couldn’t be more grateful for the people I met and got to learn from.
As my time here at OpenSports comes to an end, I would just like to say thank you. I don’t want this blog to be mushy or the length of a story, but more a short reflection on my experience and the awesome people I worked with. Three immediate things that come to mind are these:
- Sitting beside Alicia only means one thing — TROUBLE
And I mean trouble in the best possible way. Alicia is amazing!! So kind hearted, funny, nice, genuine and the list goes on. She was a laugh that is so contagious you can’t help but laugh when she does. She is very helpful when it comes to working on tasks and projects and is great at communicating even when it may not be positive criticism. Even though she is not a Manchester United Fan (but wears the jersey to bug me), distracts me when I try to work (or maybe I distract her with all my questions) she has been a great person to work beside and cause chaos with over the last couple of months. From eating oatmeal in the mornings or randomly eating her speciality of chicken and avocados and two smarties per day, Alicia is pretty consistent in her habits and is someone who you would want to work with even if she does stir up some trouble.
2. Yi An and James are work horses — They never stop!!
These are probably two of the hardest working people I have ever met, not to mention so efficient. When I started my internship, I worked the typical hours of 9–5 and usually when I got into the office James or Alicia would be there. I would leave at 5 and say my goodbye’s and repeat the process Monday-Friday. The only thing is, James and Yi An worked far from regular hours. Staying at our workplace, iBoost, until past Midnight or working on code into the wee hours of the night is a typical day for them. Their work never goes unnoticed and they do so much for the company and for that, I want to say thank you! They are amazing, and never stop trying to perfect the platform and their passion and persistence is something I really admire…and they also know how to have fun!
3. At OpenSports there is never a dull moment
From hopping on a train and heading to the airport within an hour of an idea being formulated, or filming a race outside in the freezing cold, there was never a dull moment here and I wouldn’t have it any other way. There is not a day that goes by where I’m not laughing hysterically or running out of the office because of one of James’ ideas. Being here has been such a pleasure. Being in an environment that challenges me with the work that I do but also strikes the balance of fun, is only a job I could have dreamed of getting. From “stalking”, to trying to submit reports with 30 seconds to go until the deadline, to daily “studio” setups and filming sessions, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Obviously I have learned much more than this lists, but to write everything that I have learned would take me days to finish. I want to say thank you to everyone at OpenSports for welcoming me with open arms, thank you to the pick up soccer community in Toronto for working with me and allowing myself to become an organizer and thank you to every organizer and player who uses our platform! OpenSports is more than just a start-up it’s a family and we care so much about our users and that will never change. It’s been a pleasure working here and an experience I will never forget. Signing off for the last time
— Alex Lamontagne ❤
