With Concordia University Wisconsin being located just north of Milwaukee, some students have had the opportunity to start their careers with professional sports organizations in the city.
Jacob Tietyen, a current junior at CUW, had the opportunity to work with the Milwaukee Brewers as a member of their Brew Crew for the 2021 season.
“It’s been really good for me,” Tietyen said. “Being a baseball guy and watching and knowing baseball since I could walk and talk, being able to go to one of my favorite places in the world – the stadium – every day for work has been awesome.”
A current sophomore at CUW, Bryce Karrels has had the opportunity to be a Team Attendant for the Milwaukee Bucks.
“This job has changed the way I look at the NBA and at the Bucks. Coming in as a huge Bucks fan previously, it was crazy to be so up close to the players and working with them. It has taught me a lot about staying professional in the workplace as well,” Karrels said.
Tietyen recalled some of his fondest moments working for the Brewers. From working with many prominent figures in baseball to doing many behind-the-scenes tasks, Tietyen described the highlights of his experiences.
“My happiest moment with the Brewers would be as a ball attendant, which is one of my responsibilities. We sit on the foul ball line and field foul balls and help warm up the outfielders,” Tietyen said. “The person on the third base line will play catch with the left fielder and the person on the first base line will play catch with the opposing team’s right fielder if they choose to do so. I will say my happiest moment was that I got to play catch with Ronald Acuña Jr. who is a MLB all-star, a phenomenal baseball player. That was probably my best moment from the Brewers.”
Karrels also shared one of his fondest moments: being able to sit on the court with the trophy after the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA finals in 2021. Another fond moment Karrels recalled was the ability to experience through “being up close with the players is that most of them participate in a prayer circle after every game. Win or loss. It’s cool to see many of them carry their faith into their careers.”
Looking to get started in these organizations? Karrels had this piece of advice for students looking to start their career.
“Stay persistent while working to get the employer’s attention,” Karrels said. “If you get the job make sure you always stay respectful of the athletes and professionals. Learn from the people who have been there longer.”
—Emma Druckmiller is a writer for The Beacon, the official student newspaper of Concordia University Wisconsin. She is currently a Junior and loves sharing stories and getting people’s voices heard.
This article was originally published on November 22nd, 2022.