Peyton Finley – Tiger Paw Classic 2017
What was the biggest challenge running the Tiger Paw Classic, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge for me was personal time management. It was the first time I had a major project that I was overseeing without the structure that coursework normally provides, so it took a lot of learning to make sure I was managing my time wisely. A whole semester sounds like a lot of time to put together a golf tournament like the Tiger Paw Classic, but it takes a little bit of work every day to make sure it comes together like it should. I was fortunate in my first year to learn from Eileen O’Malley and soak up everything she taught me to put into practice when I ran the tournament the next year. I could tell early on how much work it was going to take to make the tournament great, so I made sure to put practices into place that kept me on track.
How did the experience help you prepare for your dream job?
I still think back on my experience with the Tiger Paw Classic and the things it taught me. I’ve worked across a number of industries in sports now (community impact, events, marketing, corporate partnerships, you name it), and I am grateful for what TPC taught me in all those spaces to give me a great base of knowledge and experience to land my dream jobs. Experience is so important in sports because it helps you understand what you enjoy and what you don’t as well as helps you bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the table, so supporting TPC for two years gave me a lot to learn from and a lot to speak to as I went through interview processes before graduating.
What valuable lessons did you learn while running the Tiger Paw Classic?
Three big ones come to mind: knowing when to use resources, the importance of detailed planning, and how to be creative and improve.
1) Knowing when to use your resources – I’m the kind of person who struggles to ask for help because I like to figure out things on my own and don’t like to feel like I’m bugging people. Knowing when to go to Professor Fine, others in the Marketing Department, or other students and ask for help taught me about the value of using those resources wisely and not trying to take on everything alone.
2) Detailed planning – I’m grateful for the detailed and organized planning that was necessary for a successful Tiger Paw Classic because I still utilize the systems I used when planning the tournament. From specific timing to points of contact to backup plans and inventory spreadsheets, staying detailed and making good notes can make or break an event. As I’ve gone through my career, leaders have talked about the importance of making sure to keep detailed and organized notes that others can follow. You never know when you may have an emergency or need to pass something on to someone else, so don’t hold everything in your head. Write it down and keep it organized – it makes the event run smoother the day of.
3) Be creative and always improve – being able to work on the Tiger Paw Classic for two years gave me a unique opportunity to have real-world experience in debriefing and making adjustments. For most projects in school, you do it once and when the grade comes through, that’s the end of it. There’s no chance to review, adjust, and do it again with changes. In reality, especially in sports, there are a lot of cyclical projects. Business planning, annual events, game days, etc., there is a constant cycle of noting what went well and what can be improved. Coming in with experience in that particular part of running events was huge.
How was your experience running the Tiger Paw Classic?
I had such a great time. I credit it for launching my interest in events and corporate sponsorships in sports, spaces I’m still in today. I think my experience with the Tiger Paw Classic was paramount in landing internships with Walt Disney Studios and the Atlanta Falcons, which were huge in landing my first full-time role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which launched me to where I am now with the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s such a fun event and that day-of feeling when everything finally comes together is so special.
How did it impact your time at Clemson?
I think the Tiger Paw Classic made my time at Clemson even more special. Getting to put on an event and work with 100+ students on the selling, planning, and executing of something that has come to be loved by the community was an incredible experience. I was able to grow my relationships with the Marketing Department, relationships I still love and value today, as well as interact with my peers in a professional setting for the first time. There aren’t enough good things I can say about the experience!
Alison Lyons – Tiger Paw Classic 2014
What was the biggest challenge running the Tiger Paw Classic, and how did you overcome it?
I would say the biggest challenge was scheduling and coordinating the student volunteers. While it felt like a fun puzzle, the constant changing of schedules and availability made it hard to keep up with. In the end, everything worked out though!
How did the experience help you prepare for your dream job?
Prior to being the Event Manager for the Tiger Paw Classic, I had meetings with several industry professionals (in the sports industry) and all of them told me I needed to get some experience working in sports on my resume. This was that experience! After being the Event Manager for the TPC, I went on to intern with a local non-profit, coordinating their charity golf tournament. Ultimately, I landed my dream internship with the Reds, and I attribute that to getting that sports experience on my resume. From there, so many doors were opened for me that hadn’t been before. I was offered other positions in baseball and ultimately accepted a position to work for a global creative agency, traveling the US and producing events for large corporate clients. It was my ultimate dream job (that I didn’t even know was a dream until I coordinated the Tiger Paw Classic). Being the Event Manager will help get your foot in the door and give you the experience, leadership, and skills to thrive in your dream job!
What valuable lessons did you learn while running the Tiger Paw Classic?
I truly learned to lean on and accept the help of others. Being the Event Manager of the Tiger Paw Classic may be a title for one person, but truly takes the help of so many classmates to produce a successful event. I learned the value of teamwork and also how to be a leader. I also learned that strong communication is key to a successful team.
How was your experience running the Tiger Paw Classic?
I loved my experience running the Tiger Paw Classic! I got to know so many people in the community by chatting with vendors, but I also got to know my classmates! As mentioned earlier, it really did help me build the skills and confidence to be successful in my career and land my dream job. It was a fun and rewarding experience and I’d do it all over again if I could!
How did it impact your time at Clemson?
Being the Event Manager for the Tiger Paw Classic honestly changed my Clemson career. I was able to develop new friendships that I didn’t have before. I also built stronger relationships with my teachers (Coop and Carter), who I still remain in touch with today! It also helped me land other internships which also impacted my time at Clemson and helped me build new relationships. Ultimately, it made my time at Clemson that much better and helped me build relationships with classmates and teachers that would last well beyond my time at Clemson!
Jordan Nairne – Tiger Paw Classic 2019
What was the biggest challenge running the Tiger Paw Classic, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge was that during the time I was running the Tiger Paw Classic I was not in the class currently as I had taken it the year before. The time spent running the Tiger Paw Classic was all basically on my own time, rather than having a dedicated time every few days to spend on it. It was my senior year second semester so sometimes the motivation was not all there!
How did the experience help you prepare for your dream job?
It gives you real-world experience, as you are dealing with salespeople, golfers, and corporate employees that sponsor different packages. You learn how to be collaborative and get visibility into many different aspects of the marketing/sports world- sales, sponsorship, management, etc.
What valuable lessons did you learn while running the Tiger Paw Classic?
I learned you must trust other people to do their job and even if it might not be how you had planned to accomplish it. If they get to the same end goal that’s really all that matters. They sometimes may come up with a better way of doing it or a better end goal!
How was your experience running the Tiger Paw Classic?
I had a really great time!! I got to apply all the skills I had been learning about and got to see a golf tournament come to life. It was a key time to make connections with classmates and professors that I probably would not have gotten to do otherwise.
How did it impact your time at Clemson?
It helped to tie a bow on my whole college experience and left me knowing I can do difficult things. I ran a golf tournament; from coordinating with the golf course, scheduling the timing of things, taking random sales items and creating cohesive raffle packages, and working with many different people. I get to look back and know I played a role in that. Made my last semester one of the busiest, but best!
