Vikings at Minnesota State: Training Camp Experience

Hello from MavBlog!

For my very last and final post for Vikings at Minnesota State I’d like to reflect on my experience these past three weeks.

Blogging during training camp has been one of the best experiences of my life. It may not seem like blogging for a couple weeks out of the summer could be such an experience, but it was during the Minnesota Vikings training camp, and I got to do things, see things, go behind the scenes, be on the sidelines, things that no one else can come close to doing unless you are working for the Vikings.

To start off, when I heard Paul wanted me to write a blog for training camp, I was a little nervous but very excited. I was slightly worried however, because I really didn’t know the game of football very well. I’ve always been a Vikings fan, but not a die-hard, and do not know the sport to the nitty gritty; the rules, calls, different plays, all the positions.. etc… but luckily I heard another intern would be helping me out. I thought oh phewfta. That makes me feel better.

Well, as it turned out, the first day I came in I heard that the other intern would no longer be helping me. My stomach dropped. How does Paul think I’m going to write a blog about Vikings training camp all by myself? One, I don't know football that well, two, I don't have experience in journalism or blogging, and three, this is nerve wrecking, help!

So you could say I was a little nervous. I didn’t have much time to think about it though because Paul handed me a “Media Pass,” and said "okay Lisa follow me!" He brought me to the media room where the crews and reporters hangout and keep their gear. He introduced me to Daniel House, and said I'd be shadowing him for the day. Daniel created his own blog called Vikings Corner which was established in 2012 and is now one of the top blogs about the Vikings on the web, and he's 17. So he introduced me to Daniel and then left.

Paul Allan Media Pass

So on day one, I was shadowing a 17-year-old Vikings guru around. We went to morning practice and got to use the media and press entrance. We got to go onto the field and watch from the end zone and sidelines. After practice, we waited by the press conference tent, where I was able to watch as players exited the field towards campus. It was exciting because some of the athletes were pulled aside by reporters and interviewed right in front of me. I felt a little out of place, surrounded by the press, with their giant video cameras, microphones, and tripods, and then little me standing there on the side with my satchel and my iphone.

I knew people must be wondering how on earth this girl got to be here.

Media Entrance To Fields

After the two practices that day, I went home and got to work. I had to download all the pictures, edit them, transport them, and then start writing. It was extremely hard and I didn’t really know what to write about for practice. I was stressed and worried and called up my friend to vent about how I didn't know what I was going to do or how I was supposed to do it.

His response; “Lisa, do you realize you are literally living my dream? I should be there getting to be on the field, being five feet away from the players and writing about practice! People would love to be doing what you're doing. Please act excited for me!” He was right, this was an experience people would kill for so I should embrace it and be excited about it, so I shut up and got back to work.

With my change of attitude, the next couple of days got better and better. I got used to where I was allowed to go and what to do, and I felt more comfortable doing it. I had also talked to Paul about what stories he wanted in the blog, and many were focused background information so I didn’t need to know as much about the actual game as I thought.

He started having me interview certain people that he wanted me to highlight. I got to interview Bruce Leivermann, the head of the grounds crew and Shirley Piepho, the Assistant Director of Scheduling and Conference Service for MSU. I also got to interview Chad Lundeen, Director of Operations and Facilities for the Vikings. I realized that this blog was less on the actual Vikings team, but on how training camp comes together and how the Vikings coming to Mankato affects the people of training camp and the community.

Besides the people listed above, he gave me the freedom to do what I wanted. One day I told him I wanted to do a business in U-Square, and he suggested interviewing Steve Wegman from Weggy's. So I did that and that was one of my favorite stories I got to do. Another day I got to go and interview the fans standing and waiting in line for the quarterbacks autographs. Another story I really enjoyed was highlighting Ventures Travel, which is an organization that provides trips for people with disabilities. It was very touching to see.

Getting to interview all of these different people was a really good experience. I had to push myself and go outside my comfort zone when trying to contact them and set up interviews, and then follow through with them. I had never had to do so much professional connecting/networking and getting in contact with people in business before.

It was also an amazing experience getting to see the Vikings organization at such an up close and personal level. I got to be on the sidelines and end zone watching the players practice, I got to see the coaches in action, see the players interacting with their fans, and hear the coaches talk at their press conferences. I got to see the media crews interviewing players, I got to see the recording of press conferences and just how everything works.

One of my favorite parts about this experience, is how much knowledge I gained about the Vikings organization and their team. Before, when I watched a Vikings game, it was just a regular old football game. Now when I watch Vikings games, the game is personal to me and it comes alive. I've seen those players! I heard those coaches! That guy was really nice! He interacts really well with the fans! I got to meet him! I saw him being interviewed! I have knowledge that I never had before. It's exciting for me to be able to name the coaching staff and know what they're like when they talk in press conferences, it's exciting to be able to name the different players and positions. It's exciting to know what goes into the stories and the videos that get posted on the website. It's all really exciting. Now I am a full fledged die-hard Vikings fan. Nobody better interrupt me during any Vikings games anymore. Let me watch and enjoy.

So I want to thank Paul Allan, for giving me one of the most amazing experiences I will ever have. I will always look back on this experience and remember the days that I got to call myself part of the media crew and an intern for the Athletic Communications Office.