Bits and Pieces of Sports Information
If you work in the world of sports, it is a close knit community where everyone seems knows each other. If you are moving to a new team, city, everyone has a colleague, friend or buddy that they have worked with at a different destination. Here are a few changes I learned about this morning which includes a new chief at the AVP, a long-time Dodgers executive retiring, catching up with an old boss, The Masters begins and The Sports Job of the Day.
AVP News
The Los Angeles Times is reporting today that AVP Pro Beach Volleyball chairman, chief executive and commissioner Leonard Armato has resigned for unknown reasons. Sounds like big shoes to fill. There have been changes at the home of the Crocs tour. Industry friend Bruce Binkow, the AVP’s Chief Marketing Officer left a few years back and went into boxing with Golden Boy Productions. According to yesterday’s y AVP Press release, Jason Hodell, the Tour’s current chief operating officer, will become the new chief executive of the AVP while Paul Tedeschi has been named Chief Marketing Officer. Tedeschi was co-founder and CEO of Mr. Youth, a leading youth marketing agency based in New York. Here is the news story with more information on the promotion of the two executives.
The AVP was founded in 1983 and is comprised of the best men’s and women’s pro beach volleyball players in the U.S. and the world. On May 31, 2001 the AVP was reorganized with a new management team led by sports agent Armato and his company Management Plus.
Dodgers Make Change Too
Was reading the agate section of the LA Times Sports, yes, I still read a print edition as well as online news, and learned that long-time Dodgers employee Craig Callan has retired. Callan was the team’s Vice President, Spring Training & Minor League Facilities. I had the pleasure of working with Craig when he headed the spring training facility in Vero Beach. The Dodgers’ press announcement said that Callan would retire and return to Vero Beach, Florida, He served the O’Malley family and the team for the past 30 years.
Funny, I was in the car last night and heard my old boss Tommy Hawkins being interviewed on the radio. It had been a few years since we spoke so I picked up the phone with the former NBA player and Vice President of Communications for the Dodgers and caught up. That is the best part of working in the sports business. The people. Ken Gurnick, the MLB.com reporter on the Dodgers, filed this story about Callan. The team also issued an official press release and the link is enclosed.
The Masters Begins
The Masters gets underway today and there is a Tiger Woods feeding frenzy in the media. Nine months after surgery, I feel that you will be hearing a lot of news about golf from Augusta for the next four days. Welcome back, Tiger.
Sports Job of the Day
Found this online. DIRECTOR OF FACILITY OPERATIONS is open and if you are ready to work ay the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, here is a link to the job. The listing has these job functions required.
Job Functions:
- Oversees overall daily operation and maintenance of the arena and all systems. This includes HVAC, sound, lighting, ice making, fire protection, life safety, workplace safety, communications, scoreboard, etc.
- Oversees the advancing and communicating event information to the appropriate departments and staff.
- Oversees Custodial services for entire facility.
- Negotiates and administers labor group contracts (Stagehands).
- Ultimately responsible for installation and maintenance of ice surfaces.
- Oversees the operation of event set-up and tear-down, i.e. basketball floor, stage risers, chairs, signs, hockey glass, and dasher boards, etc.
- Administers and negotiates contracts with outside vendors including pest control, scoreboard systems, seasonal landscaping and snow removal.
- Acts as liaison with City Services for numerous facility related functions (City Codes, Parking, Licenses, permits, etc.).
- Oversees Event Service Staff; hiring, training, supervision
- Responsible for Health & Safety compliance.
- Other duties as assigned by General Manager
