The Last One

Posted on April 25, 2011 by

Five weeks from tonight my friend is getting married.

In the past I have looked forward to weddings as a time to see friends I don’t normally get to see.  Especially with this group since we live all over the country and have not all been together at the same time in five years…since another wedding.  This wedding will be bittersweet.

Although I am looking forward to spending the weekend with my friends I can’t help but feel a little upset too.  You see we all always thought the friend that is getting married would be the last one to do so, if ever.  Well, that title has now been bestowed upon me. Something I never thought would happen.  For the most part I have been friends with this group since high school we are up to about 19…that’s a lot of weddings.

When I received the save the date card it was addressed to me and guest.  Of course I laughed it off because I didn’t have anyone in my life at that point.  I later found out that my friends were inviting everyone with dates.  Which of course is a wonderful and uncommon gesture considering how expensive weddings are.  My friend Alison said “You have plenty of time to find a date.”  I laughed again knowing my history.  I also decided that with this group of friends I wouldn’t bring just anyone.  He would need to be special.

Days, weeks and months passed, dates happened, guys came in and out of my life, some for longer times than others.  The invitation came in the mail a few weeks ago, tomorrow I get to send the response card back without a “guest” to take.  I keep telling myself that I’m ok with this.  That it doesn’t matter.  That I will get to spend a great weekend with some of my closest friends and not have to worry about them bombarding a guy with a thousand questions.  That since I have known most of the husbands longer than they’ve known their wives, I can steal them for a dance or two.

The truth is, I hate the fact that I will be going to the wedding without a guest/boyfriend/someone special.  No, I wouldn’t bring someone just to bring a date.  These friends mean too much to me and I never feel like a third wheel around any of them.  However, I would prefer to be caring enough about someone to want to introduce them to these friends.  Well, my friend’s son’s Bar Mitzvah is only a few years away…

Posted in Uncategorized | 12 Comments

The Perfect Position

Posted on January 27, 2011 by

Some of my earliest memories involve ice hockey rinks, baseball, and softball fields. Through my father and grandfathers, I was raised not to be a fan of a specific team, but to appreciate all forms of sporting. They taught me the rules and encouraged me to ask questions.  Why did a play have a certain outcome?  Why did a referee or umpire make a certain call?  This is why I decided in elementary school that I wanted to work in professional sports, and, more specifically I wanted to be a color analyst for the New York Rangers.

Many cultural influences are generational whether it be music, clothes or television shows.  Sports, however, brings generations together.  My grandfathers and father forged a stronger bond when they taught me about sports.  When I look around the stadiums I visit, I see parents and grandparents teaching their children about the team, the play, the sport, and using sport as a metaphor for life.  Sports teaches teamwork.  Even in individual sports it takes a team of coaches, trainers, and supporters to make the athlete successful.  Sports teaches values.  It proves that if a person works hard enough and puts in the time and dedication almost anything can be achieved.

A summer internship with the Tampa Bay Storm while attending the University of South Florida led to a pivotal change in my career ambitions, and led to a decision that broadcasting was not in my future.  For one season I was mentored by the team’s Vice President of Operations.  Twelve years later, I still believe this was the best internship I could have asked for.  I had the rare and educational sports organization internship: a hands-on opportunity to learn the assortment of responsibilities that go along with working in a ten-person front office.

My biggest accomplishment came halfway through the season. My supervisor had an idea for a cheerleading clinic and she asked me to manage its creation, without dedicated funding. I was tasked with finding participants, sponsors, food, and giveaways. Since the season was during the summer, I contacted local dance and cheerleading camps and asked them to tell their campers about our clinic. I reached out to team sponsors for aid in providing food and giveaways. A few weeks later, with the help of the teams cheerleading squad, over 300 local girls and boys performed during half-time of a Storm game.

For me, one of the most gratifying aspects of working in sports is interaction with the fans and being an ambassador for the team or league I work for.  While working for the Miami Dolphins, I was able to use another skill, my comprehension of Sign Language, to improve the experience of some hearing-impaired fans.  The group had approached customer service seeking help.  Instead of requiring them to write down their questions, I was able to converse with the fans and serve as an interpreter to ensure that customer service could meet their needs.

Everyone has a dream.  Their dream wedding.  Their dream house.  Their dream vacation.  My dream is to work in sports and events, to support the work of teams and players, and enhance fans’ experiences.  I find the work extremely fulfilling when I see a child enjoying not only the plays on the field, but also the promotions and entertainment that I have worked so diligently to prepare and see come to life.

Posted in career, Football, Hockey, Social Media, Sports, Uncategorized, Yankees | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Amazed

Posted on December 21, 2010 by

I started my blog back in August to give myself an added voice.  I have been able to share the highs and lows of my life here on this page.  Sure I already do that on Twitter, on my Facebook page and in general to my friends and family, but on here it seems a little different.

For some reason, although I am quite the talker, I have always found it easier to express myself in my writing. Maybe it’s because through writing I can let go a little more.  I can express myself without being interrupted by suggestions, oh that reminds mes, phones ringing, OH MY GOD DID YOU SEE THAT PLAY?, internet crashing, and…well…you get the idea.

I know I don’t post that often.  When I started the blog I told you all, and myself, that I would NEVER post blog just to get hits on my site.  I still feel that way.  Why should I post because it’s a certain day of the week or because I haven’t posted in a while?  If I were to do that everyone would probably get bored and never want to read what I have to say.  That is why I wait until I have something to say.

Without this platform I would have probably never received the response, and outcome, I did from my Delta airlines “adventure” this summer. If you don’t know what the I am talking about, look to your right and select “August” from the archives and learn ALL about it!

So today I wanted to take the time to thank you for coming to NotYourTypicalGirl.com, reading what I have to say, commenting, giving suggestions and praise, not only here but on my twitter page and through private messages and conversations.  PSA time: You can subscribe to my blog right there on the right and have my postings delivered directly to your email inbox! Thanks to those who already have! I honestly never thought when I started this that people would actually want to read what I had to say. I’m still shocked and amazed everyday that people care to read what I have to say and that so many people follow me on twitter and RT my quirky little sayings, feelings and observations.

Lastly, thank you to those who suggested I start this blog in the first place.  You know who you are, and I appreciate it.

In the upcoming year I will to continue posting my thoughts and experiences to share with all of you.  You have been warned!

Posted in Social Media, Twitter, Uncategorized, Yankees | Tagged | 1 Comment

Funk

Posted on December 10, 2010 by

I’m in a funk.  I hate this feeling.  It is a feeling of emptiness, feeling of being unfulfilled and knowing something is missing.

I know some of it has to do with my professional life, I’ve been working for the same company now for almost three years with no hope of advancement in a small department.  I never planned on being with my company as long as I have.  It is a position I took on to gain more experience and hoping that working full-time would help attract other positions.  Before you start the “well look for a new job” comments,  I have…unfortunately finding a fan development or event planner position in sports isn’t like applying for a job as a bank teller.  Sports is one of the hardest industries I break into and although I have the experience and the degree, the opportunities just are not there.   Lately I have been going to work, and going through the motions of the day and that is not what I want for my daily life.  I want to wake up every morning and look forward to going to work, like I did when I worked for the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Storm.

I know some of it has to do with my personal life.  Moving on…

I know it doesn’t have to do with my friends.  I am friends with some of the greatest people you could ever hope to meet.  Too many of them live far away, but I know if I need any of them, they are just a phone call, away and if I need them to be by my side they will be there for me in a heartbeat.  Some of them I have known almost my whole life, some I have only known for a few months, but I cherish each one of the personal relationships I have.

All I know is I need a change.  Maybe more than just changing jobs.  Maybe I should move somewhere else.  I love living in the NYC area and all that it has to offer.   I love living so close to some of my family.  But maybe NYC is not offering me the right things. I just don’t know where I would move to.

I need to get out of this funk.  I wish I knew how to get out of it but what I do know it needs to happen sooner rather than later.

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Newest Additions To My Sports Wardrobe

Posted on November 23, 2010 by

Before the New York Rangers season started I began a love affair with their newest rookie, Derek Stepan.  Not THAT kind of love affair, but the kind of love affair where I appreciate what he does on the ice.  He worked hard during the preseason and fought to make the opening night roster (in which he became the first American and Ranger player to score a hattrick in his first NHL game).  Earlier this year he was the Captain of the USA team that won the Gold Medal at the IIHF World Junior Championships.  Oh…and he also played two years at the University of Wisconsin.  If you follow my Twitter account you know I’m a huge Wisconsin Athletics fan as my brother is an alumnus.

Before the season started I decided I would purchase a Stepan Wisconsin hockey jersey. Unfortunately, the school does not sell player jerseys, so I bought a blank jersey and had letters and numbers added thanks to Gerry Cosby & Co., Inc. Sporting Goods on West 31st Street a block from Madison Square Garden.

 

Front of my New Wisconsin jersey

Back of the jersey. Yes, Stepan also wore #21 at UW

Now for the really exciting story:

Then, on November 17th, ,while watching the Rangers take on the Bruins, I noticed others on Twitter were using the hashtag #amexsports.  A few minutes later some followers won tickets to a Rangers game or the brand new “heritage” 85th Anniversary/ 3rd jersey.  So I began to send tweets about the Rangers and included #amexsports.  Next thing I knew…I received this tweet:

@Stefmara Well, SURPRISE! You won @theNYRangers 85th anniv jersey! Thx for tweeting with us….. #AmexSports
Needless to say, I was just a little excited.  So what does the jersey look like? Is it a blank jersey or does it have a player’s name/number on the back…see below to find out!

Front of my brand new Rangers Heritage Jersey

I didn't get to choose the player, but it's fitting since I wanted Ryan Callahan's Olympic jersey

The unseen details are amazing!

Official jersey means...FIGHT STRAP!!

The numbers above are the Rangers retired jerseys:

1- Eddie Giacomin
2- Brian Leetch
3- Harry Howell
7- Rod Gilbert
9- Andy Bathgate
9- Adam Graves
11- Mark Messier
35- Mike Ritcher

Size 56 jersey means it's HUMONGOUS on me!

I would again like to thank American Express for the jersey, although I will never wear it I will treasure it as it is my first official Rangers jersey…my Lundqvist jersey is a replica.

Posted in Hockey, Social Media, Sports, Twitter | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ghosts of IMs Past

Posted on November 2, 2010 by

I just found myself searching for an semi-recent email within my gmail account.  What a mistake!  While searching for the email, I came across some old IMs from someone I used to be quite close with, ahhh…..the wonders of gmail and gchat.   Anyway, seeing just a tease of what we used to spend our days and nights talking about was hard.  You see, we don’t talk anymore besides the once in the blue moon exchange, so I decided to search for all of the IMs with that person and delete them.

Why is it, if we don’t talk anymore, and this person is all but out of my life, did it hurt so much to see and then delete the IMs? Maybe I miss them. Maybe it’s because for a while they were a major part of my daily life and now they’re just a memory and a sidebar.

I don’t know.

I wish I knew.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 8 Comments

Ladies and Gentleman..I present: No Puck Bunnies 2010-2011

Posted on October 9, 2010 by

So I know what you all are thinking….wasn’t your fantasy hockey draft supposed to be Monday?  Well yes loyal readers….it was supposed to be Monday but it happened last night.   We had to postpone because of lack of teams and then something called the American League Division Series, more specifically the Yankees games.

With the 10th pick in the draft, No Puck Bunnies Here chose:

Center:
Henrik Zetterberg- Detroit Red Wings
Ryan Kesler- Vancouver Canucks
Stephen Weiss- Florida Panthers
Derek Stepan- New York Rangers

Left Wing:
Ilya Kovalchuk- New Jersey Devils
Rick Nash- Columbus Blue Jackets
Brenden Morrow- Dallas Stars

Right Wing:
Nathan Horton- Boston Bruins
Mike Knuble- Washington Capitals

Defense (or Defence for my friends to the North):
Christian Ehrhoff- Vancouver Canucks
Zach Bogosian- Atlanta Thrashers
Marc Staal- New York Rangers
Dustin Byfuglien- Atlanta Thrashers
Jack Johnson- Los Angeles Kings

Goalies:
Henrik Lundqvist- New York Rangers
Jaroslav Halak- St. Louis Blues

Yes…Lundqvist was my first pick.  Kovalchuk was my second. It was between Ilya and his former Atlanta Thrashers teammate and current San Jose Shark, Dany Heatly.

I’m pretty happy about my picks.  Would I have liked Alex Ovechkin?  Sure.  But he was the 1st overall pick.  Many of my players also play multiple positions…well Left or Right Wing. BUT, Dustin Byfuglien plays Defense and Right Wing.

For those of you who follow me on Twitter, taking Derek Stepan should be no surprise. I am a huge fan of his even though he is only a rookie.  Earlier this year he was the captain of the U.S. World Junior’s Gold Medal winning team.  He also played for my brother’s Alma mater, University of Wisconsin.

As I suspected in my last post, I am the only female in my ten team fantasy hockey league. Time for me to take on the boys….

Posted in Hockey, Sports | 3 Comments