Charley Pride Fellowship Program

Charley Pride Fellowship Program

Background

Charley Pride is an American icon and Texas treasure that has exemplified military service, music entertainment and America’s Pastime — baseball. Having recorded over 30 number-one hits with Grammy and Country Music Association Awards under his belt, Charley’s first love was always baseball. Playing in the Negro Leagues displayed Charley’s passion for the game. His dreams of one day playing in the Majors were derailed due to injury. However, in 2010, his dream of being a part of Major League Baseball came true when he joined an ownership group which went on to acquire our very own Texas Rangers Baseball Club. Charley, through his experience in the Negro Leagues and in the world of country music, came to deeply cherish racial diversity as a cause which was dear to his heart. The Rangers lost a beloved and revered member of our family when Charley passed away in December of 2020.

Program

To honor Charley, and in the spirit of creating a more diverse and inclusive ball club by actively recruiting the best and brightest from diverse backgrounds, the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation, in collaboration with the Roland Parrish Foundation, has created a 10 week paid internship program for juniors and seniors currently enrolled in an undergraduate program. A “Charley Pride Fellow” will be able to select three departments of interest in which to work during their time with the Rangers. This person will be able to experience firsthand what front office executives experience daily while exposing them to the professional baseball industry. This unique opportunity will place candidates in entry-level roles with the Rangers while providing them with valuable cross-disciplinary experience which will benefit them whether they choose to pursue a career in baseball or not.

Below are the departments that Charley Pride Fellows will have the opportunity to work with:

Everything and anything that any business does including the Rangers ultimately has a financial impact and flows through the Accounting and Finance department. We are made up of 12 smart, fun and happy staff counting the beans and so much more. Each Pride Fellow that tours through the department will have an opportunity to work on a special project likely involving a review of specific business process with a chance to provide input for improvement.

As a Charley Pride Fellow, you will have an opportunity to broaden your knowledge of both the Production and Promotions aspect of game and event presentation. The Production side will give you insight into the day-to-day operations of the department, what we do to prepare for a game or event, as well as an opportunity to sit in on games and events to see the department in action. The Promotions side of the department will allow you to learn more about how a fan giveaway such as a bobble head is created, purchased, and then delivered to the fans on a game day, as well as insights into our Six Shooter promotions team, National Anthem selections, execution of pregame and in-game presentations, and more.

A Charley Pride fellow would assist with the coordination and execution of the 2022 Amateur Draft, responsibilities related to the trade deadline, operating daily in-game tracking technology, and research projects as needed.

The Business Analytics department works with numerous departments (sales, marketing, partnerships, foundation, events, game day operations) to analyze data, present usable reports & dashboard, find meaningful trends, and highlight actionable areas for increased revenues or efficiencies. The Business Analytics department is also heavily involved in the Ticket Strategy space which includes pricing, special offers, and overall inventory management. The Charley Pride Fellow would have the opportunity to attend high level meetings including Sales & Marketing, Sales/Operations check-ins, weekly department meetings, and others.

The Texas Rangers Business Partnerships team is responsible for prospecting, securing, and maintaining relationships with local, national, and international brands via integrated marketing partnerships that result in revenue generation for the club and ROI for the brand. The Rangers Business Partnerships department is managing all partnerships for the Texas Rangers Baseball Club, Globe Life Field, Texas Live! Entertainment District, Choctaw Stadium, Lockheed Commanders’ Classic, Dallas Jackals Rugby, and much more. A Charley Pride Fellow would serve and support to all members of the Business Partnerships department to gain insight and experience into the operation of a professional sports organization, particularly as it relates to its Sponsorship development and execution environment.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

  • Assist the client services team with daily tasks under the supervision of team representatives.
  • Assist in organizing and executing Corporate Partner activities and events.
  • Track and manage Corporate Partner promotions and prize fulfillment.
  • Execute game night duties as directed, including but not limited to capturing photos, concourse table and set-up for sponsors, assist department with sponsorship contest fulfillment, etc.
  • Assist renewal and new business team with the creation of proposal presentations, including research of prospective partners, compiling support metrics/data and copywriting.
  • Assist with activation tracking and contract fulfillment as requested.
  • Attend client meetings with department representatives as requested.
  • Assist client services team with Season Recap presentations.
  • Make all necessary deliveries and fulfill any internal or external requests in a timely manner.
  • Work in conjunction with the Creative Services and Marketing departments to fulfill partner related signage and promotional needs.
  • Maintain awareness of sponsorship/market trends and knowledge relative to what Texas Rangers corporate partners and their competitors are executing in other markets and/or professional leagues.
  • General office duties: Data entry, copying, filing, faxing, maintaining mailing lists, ordering office supplies, and collecting and distributing departmental mail.
  • Attend and participate in weekly departmental sales, activation, and game-related marketing meetings.
  • All other duties as assigned.

The Communications department oversees baseball media relations, broadcasting, business pr, publications, photography, and Alumni relations for the Texas Rangers Baseball Club. Participants in the Charley Pride Fellowship Program would be involved in some or all the following elements for Rangers Communications:

  • Work with EVP, Media Relations on a communications strategy.
  • Write a story for the program.
  • Assist baseball media operations with stat packs, minor league report and pitcher page
  • Attend a pre-game media session
  • Observe TV, Radio & Spanish radio broadcasts with talent and production.
  • Review the process building of radio logs and the Network/Skyview operations.
  • Contribute on media outreach for a special project.
  • Aid in discovering and tracking data for media reporting.
  • Assist Alumni relations on project management.

The HR department for the TX Rangers is primarily responsible for driving employee engagement and is a core pillar in helping foster a positive and impactful company culture. Of course, HR handles the benefit plans, employee data, recruiting, onboarding/offboarding, etc. but more importantly are keenly focused on providing valuable service to the entire organization. A Charley Pride Fellow were to choose would have an opportunity to engage with employees and be apart of how we serve our employees.

Our Marketing team provides strategic marketing and creative support across the organization. We are the stewards of the Rangers brand and work collaboratively with our partners internally to build that brand and drive revenue. The department is comprised of 3 verticals: Marketing and Advertising, Creative Services and Digital and Social Media.

  • Marketing and Advertising provides the strategic and operational support of all marketing projects across the organization. This includes both General Market and Multicultural Marketing initiatives. This team also lead all our media planning and buying.
  • Creative Services: includes graphic design, content development, copywriting, and creative strategy.
  • Digital and Social Media: responsible for all digital and social media strategy, planning and content deployment. This team works collaboratively with our creative team to create and produce all our social media content.

REV Entertainment is the exclusive events company of the Texas Rangers, Globe Life Field and Choctaw Stadium.

The team is responsible for all events in and around GLF + Choctaw Stadium, outside of TXR Home Games. Events range from corporate meetings to full stadium concerts.

Departments within REV are:

  • Major Events
  • Sales
  • Operations
  • Event Services
  • Globe Life Field Tours
  • Sales
  • Operations

If a Fellow were to choose REV, they would get an in-depth experience of the many different events our two stadiums execute daily. From Sales to Operations to Service, the Fellow would get to see everything that it takes to bring events to life. Couple of events to highlight coming in 2022 (starting in May).

  • Big 12 Baseball Tournament
  • Outdoor Music Festival
  • High School Graduations
  • Celebrity Softball Game
  • 3+ Stadium Concerts

Have you ever wondered how you're able to buy tickets online, use that coupon code you received, or gain access into an event with your barcoded ticket? Maybe you haven't even thought about the processes required for a sales staff to sell season and group tickets or the gate attendant to scan you into a venue. Ticket Operations is the engine that makes all of that (and more) possible.

During your time with the Ticket Operations team, you will be able to shadow different positions, part time and full time, and get a glimpse into the many facets of the department.

Shadowing Opportunities:

Ticket Operations Assistant

This part time team of 10-12 answer our Season Ticket Member hotline, assist customers with the MLB Ballpark app, and provide ticket resolution for all fans. They work game day and non-game day shifts in our Southeast Box Office.

Coordinator, Group Tickets

This full-time position works with our Group Sales department to ensure their theme nights, discount codes, and loaded value are setup and working correctly.

Manager, Ticket Administration

This full-time position creates and maintains various ticket offers within the ticketing system, builds season ticket packages and other events as needed, and works directly with MLB to ensure our fans can buy tickets.

Manager, Ticket Fulfillment

This full-time position manages the Ticket Operations Assistants, assists the season ticket sales staff with various requests and resolution, and works directly with the Corporate Sales and Sponsorship team to fulfill all ticket requests.

Coordinator, Event Tickets

This full-time position builds out ticketing and pricing for all non-MLB related Rangers events and meets regularly with the Events department to ensure their events are ready to sell and box-office staffing needs are met.

Welcome to the sales and service team! In your time with our department, you will learn direct functions that include development of customer sales and service. Our team deals with the heart of the Texas Rangers fan base, selling season tickets, groups, suites, and other experiences. Every day is forever changing when you are part of our team and brings a new challenge daily. From helping a season ticket holder with ticket questions, to helping a new fan find a plan or suite that fits their needs, or even helping suite holders build their food options for their upcoming event. Our team works together every day to make our guest experience the best they can be.

Eligibility

Seeking employees from diverse backgrounds to apply

Candidates must be rising college juniors or seniors (enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program)

Minimum GPA of 2.5

A passion for and knowledge of baseball is helpful but not required

A 10-week commitment to participate in Pride Fellows program

Deadline to Apply: April 1st, 2024

Program Start Date: May 27th, 2024

Program End Date: August 2nd, 2024

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

RAY CASAS AT [email protected]

Parrish Charitable Foundation