Holy Cross students gain real-world experience that helps them explore their interests, strengthen their skills and prepare for life after graduation. This summer, Casey Tyrell ’27 stepped into the fast-paced world of sports business with Primetime Baseball in his hometown of Joliet, Illinois. As a facility manager and metrics coordinator, Tyrell helped manage tournament operations while gaining firsthand experience in leadership, communication and event management.

He shares his experience below.

What is your year at Holy Cross, your major and your hometown?

Casey Tyrell, Holy Cross ’27, business, Joliet, Illinois.

Where did you intern this summer? Please provide the organization’s full name, its location and your internship title, if you had one.

Primetime Baseball in Joliet, Illinois, as a facility manager and metrics coordinator.

How did you find and secure this internship? What interested you about this particular opportunity?

I knew that, in order to graduate a year early, I would need an internship this summer. I wanted to work near my hometown and remembered playing in Primetime’s tournaments myself. I saw Primetime as an opportunity to grow professionally while getting my feet wet in the sports business industry. After I applied, I received a message inviting me to interview. I was offered the position during the interview process and began working in mid-May.

What did a typical day or week look like for you? What were some of your primary responsibilities?

Youth baseball tournaments were held every week, mainly from Thursday through Sunday. Primetime hosts tournaments at its main Joliet complex as well as at more than 10 college and professional facilities. My responsibilities covered several areas of tournament operations, including managing admission fees, tracking in-game statistics, assisting with live camera production and updating each player’s recruiting profile with individual metrics for college coaches to see.

 

What is one project, assignment or experience from the internship that stands out to you? What made it especially meaningful or valuable?

One of the most rewarding aspects of this position was having the opportunity to lead an entire tournament facility on my own. This type of experience is rare at my age, and being trusted to oversee all aspects of a facility throughout a tournament weekend was extremely valuable. It gave me an opportunity to demonstrate my leadership, and I can carry that experience with me as I continue to grow professionally. Not many students can say they were responsible for running an entire baseball tournament for a weekend and, most importantly, making sure it ran smoothly from start to finish!

What have you learned through this experience, both about your field and about yourself?

This opportunity gave me a chance to strengthen my professional skills and grow personally. There were constant learning curves, and I learned the value of patience and delayed gratification. I am thankful that I was placed in an environment where I could develop new skills. Working in sports operations is honestly a blast. It reminded me that multitasking and time management are vital to success in the professional world.

How has Holy Cross helped prepare you for this internship? 

I will always say this: I owe so much credit to Holy Cross. I have only been there for one semester, but it feels like the whole community has welcomed me with open arms. I will always brag about the amazing faculty and my fellow Holy Cross students!

When it comes to the internship process itself, Wendy Chapman deserves all the credit in the world. She is the go-to person for networking opportunities. I remember walking into her office during my first week at Holy Cross and telling her about my interests. She immediately began brainstorming ideas for my internship and other potential job-shadowing experiences.

Has this experience influenced what you would like to do after graduation? What advice would you offer another Holy Cross student beginning an internship search?

As it stands right now, I know I want to pursue a career in sports business. I am leaning more toward the sales and partnerships side of the field, but it was awesome to experience the operations side of a business. I will always emphasize how valuable it is to explore every facet of the field you want to enter. Whether through a job-shadowing experience or an internship, seeing a job firsthand is the only way to truly gauge what you will and will not enjoy.

For other Holy Cross students, I would add that networking is our best friend at this age. So many mentors are open to helping students like us. It is our job to reach out to these professionals and absorb as much knowledge as we can to set ourselves up for success. An internship is just the first step in discovering what you could see yourself doing in the future!