Through our Students' Eyes - I

Prospective sport management professionals from The University of Alabama had an opportunity to interact with the nation’s sport managers during a graduate-level, interim travel course at the United States Olympic Committee headquarters. Thanks to these students – Aminda Jakob, Collett Cogliano and Valyncia Johnson — for documenting their learning adventures.

Day One - Aminda Jakob
 
Let me preface this blog with the most important piece of information you need to know about me: the Olympics are my thing. They have been for as long as I can remember. Everyone who knows me knows of my deep love and devotion to Team USA. So this? This is an absolute dream come true. This is me spending the whole week with a grin on my face.
 
Some smaller, less important facts about me: my name is Aminda Joy Jakob, I am originally from Jacksonville, FL, and this is my last class to complete my Master's degree in Sports Business Management.
 
I'm writing this day one blog at 8:40 pm local (mountain) time, trying to hold my eyes open, because it's been a day. It started at 3:30 am Tuscaloosa time, first of all. After a flight to Houston and then another to Colorado Springs, we hit the ground running.
 
After an introduction to the Olympic Movement and the US Olympic Committee, we toured the facility. Even though the facilities were empty, it was incredible to just walk around and think about all of the people who have passed through these facilities and trained here.
 
After the tour, we got the chance to play sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball--which was an absolute blast. I played volleyball in high school, but it was a lot more difficult to play without being able to get up and run to the ball! Wheelchair basketball was also super fun, but my arms were burning by the end from pushing the wheelchair around.
 
After dinner and getting settled into my room, it finally hit me--I'm at the Olympic Training Center