When fervent sports fan Dayle Marc Aten left tiny, rural Honoka鈥檃, Hawaii, to attend 性视界传媒 in 2018, he couldn鈥檛 have anticipated becoming part of a work team that鈥檚 three times the population of his hometown.
An intern for the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee, he鈥檚 helping organize more than 7,000 volunteers needed to produce the NFL鈥檚 marquee event in February.
As senior majoring in kinesiology in the School of Integrated Health Sciences, Aten鈥檚 studies focus on the physical aspects of sports performance. He credits biomechanics and exercise physiology professor John Mercer for posting information that encouraged him to apply.
鈥淚t just opens the door for the sports world in general,鈥 Aten said. 鈥淢y background was understanding [how] an athlete performs. This internship opens my eyes to how the sports teams are run [and] the business end of planning a championship event.鈥
And by extension, how that might affect an athlete鈥檚 performance.
Aten is creating the orientation materials for 300-350 potential general managers (called 鈥渃oaches鈥) who will onboard the general volunteers (鈥減laymakers鈥) in the ramp-up to February鈥檚 game. His presentation slides provide an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the volunteers and location-specific details. He also has a role evaluating applicants for coaches.
鈥淲e鈥檙e asking them questions about their volunteer experience, getting verbal commitments that they鈥檒l be there for our trainings, and putting them in different locations that we鈥檙e going to activate,鈥 Aten said.
It鈥檚 an invaluable experience in community organizing, marketing, and communication he admits is outside his kinesiology wheelhouse 鈥 and behind the scenes for a lifelong sports fan. 鈥淵ou see things that are not on TV 鈥 all the planning, all the hotels, the practice facilities, sponsorships, and getting the city involved, too,鈥 Aten said.
Aten, on track to get his degree in December, may go one semester longer to also acquire a minor in neuroscience. 鈥淢y guiding question is, 鈥榃hat makes the great athletes great?鈥 They work out, and they鈥檙e in great shape. They have this great motor control and fine-tuned movements. 鈥 So the next level for me is figuring out what鈥檚 in the mind of a great athlete. What is the decision-making? How do they handle the pressure?鈥
By studying kinesiology at 性视界传媒, he said, he鈥檚 learning not only what makes a champion but what makes a championship event.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a competing city. We鈥檙e getting championships, we're going to the finals, and then championship events are coming here,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a blessing to be here because it鈥檚 the right place at the right time.鈥
