UA Grad Students Help Olympians Prepare for Beijing

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Seven graduate students from The University of Alabama are gaining valuable experience in sport management by helping Olympians and Paralympians prepare to go to Beijing.

Bryant Bruce, Zachary Crawford, Adam Lurie, Megan McGrath, Katherine Murphy, Lacy Prejean, and Suzanne Salvail began work at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center this week as participants in the Beijing Fellowship Program. The six-week experience, which continues through Aug. 18, includes a multitude of tasks and opportunities in venues, operations and aquatics.

The program, coordinated by Dr. Ken Wright, professor of sport management in the UA College of Human Environmental Sciences, is more than a summer internship. Students will be treated as normal staff members with the same expectation of hard work and success.

“The students are going to participate during a very dynamic time,” said Wright. “They will be working with Olympians and Paralympians preparing to go to Beijing. This is valuable experience for them.”

This will be a return trip for some of the students involved in the fellowship program.

“Last year, two students were sent to Colorado Springs and some went in May of this year to participate in activities and see presentations by U.S. Olympic Committee professionals,” said Wright. “A bright group of young people are going and I’m sure they’ll do well.”

U.S. Olympic Committee coordinator and program director Glen Werner Roseboom shares that sentiment, but she also sees a great challenge with training centers in Colorado Springs and Beijing that hold 500-plus beds each. “It’s a big thing to work for the Olympics, but big work. It’s not often glamorous, but it sure is fun to see your results. Just like football game day: it’s only glamorous when you score the winning touchdown, not when you lose or when you are the hot dog vendor in 90 degree heat,” Rosebloom said.