Music City Hockey

By Matt Hawkins

Hospitality leadership graduate Sara Freck ’15 netted a career goal and watched plenty of others as an intern for the National Hockey League’s Nashville Predators during the Fall 2015 semester.

Freck, a Crystal Lake, Illinois, native, interned in the Predators’ fan relations department to cap her Bradley Experience.

Coming from a family of Chicago sports enthusiasts with strong loyalties to the NHL’s Blackhawks, Freck wanted a hockey-focused internship before she graduated. The semester in Nashville achieved that goal and affirmed her career interest in the sports industry.

“I never thought I would be given the opportunity to work for an NHL team, and after doing so, I can say this is the right place for me,” she said. “I didn’t have a day where I wasn’t excited to go to work.”

Freck worked with tickets, fan mail and social media on workdays, then assisted with fan services on game nights. She often assisted with promotions, including assisting fans chosen to sound the arena’s air horn during period intermissions. Plus, she helped out with preparations for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game, scheduled for late-January in Nashville.

Though skating between duties made for long days in the Music City, Predators’ supporters energized her.

“I really enjoyed interacting with all the fans at the games,” Freck said. “Having a little girl come up to you at the game talking your ear off because she is excited about sounding the horn during intermission and receiving mail from grateful fans is a rewarding feeling.” 

The intern appreciated experiences that showed her the full scope of team and arena management, as she shadowed several departments, met team leadership and networked with professionals in football, baseball, basketball and hockey. As an unexpected bonus, Freck also assisted with behind-the-scenes preparation for the annual CMA Awards, hosted by the Predators’ home, Bridgestone Arena.

Freck also gained wisdom from the club’s intern mentoring program. Though her duties focused on event and game day activities, she met regularly with Rebecca King, senior director of community relations. That relationship broadened her understanding of sports management and enhanced her personal growth through the semester.

“I valued Rebecca because she showed me day-to-day operations and gave me good advice for my future,” Freck said. “She was someone I could always go to and I’ve stayed in touch with her since the internship ended.”