The stars of an athletic game aren’t always players running up and down the court or field; sometimes it’s the individuals who help run the scoreboard, music and more.
Katie Bornstein, athletics internal operations coordinator, makes sure home games for all Dixie State University sports run smoothly. Some responsibilities her position calls for are completing scheduling for athletic facilities setting up for home games making sure there is staff to run the scoreboards, music and announcements; and coordinating events at DSU’s facilities such as the Harlem Globetrotters’ performance in October.
“My job demands communication,” Bornstein said. “You need to have positive relationships with coaches, athletes, administrators and other areas on campus.”
Besides communication, Bornstein needs to be quick on her feet if a problem arises. For example, she said if a scoreboard stops working during a game, she would need to know how to handle the situation by contacting an electrician or having an extra scoreboard controller ready.
Bornstein said there was one instance when the power went out during a basketball game. She was quick to tell the announcer to tell the audience to stay in their seats.
“When things like this happen, it is crucial that you know who to contact,” she said.
Braden Petersen, a senior business administration major from Draper, is a work study for Bornstein and said most of the time he handles music during home games.
“[The music] for the dance team, the cheer team [and] that kind of stuff runs through us,” he said. “I make sure it’s on time and it’s running correctly.”
Petersen is among the many individuals who sit behind a long table right next to the court during basketball season.
Steve Johnson, associate athletic director of media relations, also sits at that table and runs the statistics program, where he calls codes that become actual scores on the scoreboard. He also runs a live scoring program, which allows anyone from around the world to follow what’s going on during a game on their computer.
“When a shot goes in, within one or two seconds it registers online for the world to see,” Johnson said.
If an internal operations position wasn’t filled, Bornstein said it would be doable, but having someone dedicated to the operations of every game is crucial. Bornstein said this job requires time management and working with other people to make a home game go as planned.
She said: “I am always looking as to when the next two games are. It’s so important to plan ahead so you can figure out what everyone’s responsibilities will be since you can cannot be everywhere at once.”
You can catch Bornstein and other internal operation staff in action on Jan. 26 at the next women’s basketball home game at 5:30 p.m. and men’s at 7:30 p.m. against Fresno Pacific University in the Burns Arena.