tuesday, april 20, 2004
news
the university daily kansan
3B
Nick Kailail, University of Kansas graduate and incoming law student, interned at the athletics department last fall. He continues to help out occasionally this semester.
Student pursues passion
Athletics Department intern loves his job
By Joe Bant
jbant@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
"I'm not big on work," said the Derby native who graduated from the University of Kansas in December. "I'd be glad to retire right now."
If Nick Kallail had his way, he would win the Powerball jackpot and sit around all day.
But if he had to work, he reasoned, he may as well do something he enjoyed — which is why he became involved in sports administration.
Kallail said he entered the University as a journalism student but switched over to sports management after realizing journalism wasn't for him.
A couple years and an Athletics Department internship later, Kallail has a sports science degree with an emphasis in sports management and a ticket to the University's law school in the fall.
Someday he hopes to use his degrees to work in the front office of a major league baseball team, ideally his childhood-favorite Boston Red Sox.
"I just can't think of anything I'd rather do with my time," Kallail said. "I just enjoy being at a baseball game."
a basketball player. Kallail said interning at the department gave him a taste of what sports management was like.
Kallail was a full-time intern last fall, working about 40 hours per week for 16 hours of credit. He worked in the marketing department helping to promote Kansas athletics.
"You do a lot of grunt work," Kallail said. "It's how you get into the sports business."
tive process.
Marchiony said limited funds kept the department from accepting all the interns it wanted. He said there were between one and two dozen interns working in the department. That number does not include those who help out with specific sports.
Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director for external affairs, said applying for the department's internships was a competitive process.
men's basketball game.
"I always get people coming up to me in bars, saying 'Hey, you're the T-shirt cannon guy,'" Kallail said.
with special sports.
"We look for students who are interested in various kinds of athletics — marketing, tickets, administration," Marchionys said.
"We try to give students a good taste of what it's like in an athletics department."
Kallail's claim to fame was operating the T-shirt cannon at men's basketball games.
responsibilities, he often felt like he lived at the office. As a marketing intern, he was obligated to attend all the athletics events because he was involved in promotional activities for the events.
As an intern, Kallail said, free time was scarce. He recalled the weekend when basketball's Late Night, football's Homecoming and a volleyball game all converged.
Kallail said because of his
For football games, he helped set up the Fun Zone, an area just southeast of Memorial Stadium where fans could play games.
verged.
Kallail said despite the hard work, being an intern for the Athletics Department was a memorable experience.
"It's Michigan State, and I'm out there on the court wielding the T-shirt cannon," Kallail said, remembering when the Spartans visited Allen Fieldhouse early last season.
"I was in the stands last year," he said. "Now I'm down here."
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Stoops: Defense fine despite losing 3 players
OKLAHOMA CITY — Even after losing top three defensive players, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said there was little to worry about with his defense.
Edited by Joe Hartigan
Stoops said new defensive coordinator Bo Pelini would bring new strengths to the defense that was the third best in the country last year.
the sound of "I love what we're doing," Stoops said. "He brings some
subtle wrinkles in the way structurally we're doing some things and I like it."
Pelini, who served as interim coach at Nebraska last year, was hired to replace Stoops' brother, Mike, who became the new coach at Arizona. Pelini will share defensive coordinator duties with Brent Venables.
Stoops said he didn't think it was necessary to make big changes to a defense that got the Sooners to the national championship game but then lost to LSU.
"We're playing a similar style
that we've always played," Stoops said. "There isn't any magic to it. The bottom line is how you play, how you perform, not what you're calling or what structure you're in."
The Sooners may have more questions on offense, with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jason White recovering from offseason knee surgery and the running back situation still up in the air until top-rated high school recruit Adrian Peterson arrives.
The Associated Press
Suited up
Andrew Crouch, Chicago senior, ran to catch a football yesterday in front of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house. Crouch is dressed as Paddy Murphy, a Sigma Alpha Epsilon alumi, who they honor with a "holiday."
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