Diary of an Intern at Cricket India Academy


Post 1

Hi Friends,
          I am Naresh Vijay Patil, a 24 years old sporty person pursuing MBA in Sports Business Management from Padmashree Dr. D.Y.Patil Department of Business Management in CBD Belapur.
          I still remember I was preparing for my 2nd semester exams & I received a call from placement coordinator of my college regarding an interview which was scheduled on April 20, 2012 at 2:30pm with Cricket India Academy’s office located in Dadar. The first round of interview was really good & knowledge testing; HR Executive told me that she will get back to me in few days. Finally on April 25, 2012 I received a call from Cricket India Academy asking me to come down for second round of interview which was supposed to be taken by the Operations Head Mr. Sanket Shetty as I opted for job profile in Operations. I was feeling bit nervous about how the Interviewer will be?
          I reached Cricket India Academy’s office on time. Firstly the HR informed me that I would be required to work partly in Operations & partly in Business Development. When it was fine with me, finally came in Mr. Sanket Shetty, a decently dressed gentleman greeting me in a very soft & polite manner. He went through my resume and asked few questions about my work at Dr. D.Y. Patil Stadium. Finally we were done with the interview & I was invited to join as an Intern at Cricket India Academy from May 7.
                                                                                           
Operations work to start off my Internship……….
It was the month of May when I started my Internship. According to the cricket calendar we consider it as the end of season for cricket because by this time most of the grounds men start preparing their new wickets & improve the field by putting extra soil on the playing surface. So from the 1st day I started off with the operations work. It was May 7, 2012 my 1st day at office. Being a new comer I was introduced with the functioning of Cricket India Academy by the HR.
Cricket India Academy, a division of Sports Education Development India Limited (SEDIL) is a cricket coaching service provider. It conducts various coaching programs for participants from various age groups i.e. Cricket Kids for 5-8 years, Cricket Education Program in affiliation with Cricket Australia for 9-14 years & Emerging Players  for 15+ years.   
After the lunch I was sent to deliver t-shirts at “Deutsche Schule Bombay” for Cricket Kids Program. When my family came to know about it they were worried if that was going to be the work I will do even after my MBA? But I am a person who is optimistic in every situation. So I found it the best way to get introduced to a program & venue affiliated with Cricket India Academy.
On the 2nd day, I went for an U14 tournament at Indian Gymkhana where our team was playing the semifinals. There I was supposed to report to Mr. Abhishek Shekhawat, the Operations Executive whom I had met after my 1st round of interview. He was the person who guided me very well during my initial days at office. On 9th May, 2012 Sanket Sir gave me some books which were part of Cricket India Academy’s Cricket Curriculum. I went through them & found that the books had some excellent information about Batting, Bowling & Fielding techniques.
 On May 10, 2012 Abhishek called me for a meeting & told me about our Summer Camp at different venues in Mumbai & then introduced me to my 1st major Internship Project: Summer Camp Tournament. He told me that I would be the person to handle the entire process of planning, executing & organizing Summer Camp Tournament. It included finalizing the teams, venue, dates, planning of format & fixtures.    
Cricket India Academy’s Summer Camp is one of the program conducted with an intention to teach participants the game basics and continue their development along with fun. It was organized at different venues in Mumbai and other states during the month of April – May 2012. Hence a decision to conduct a Summer Camp Tournament was finalized in order to expose Summer Camp Participants to match practice, to test their skills and co-ordination as a team.
I have been organizing University Level Sports Events for my engineering college since 2008 but this was my 1st Project with Cricket India Academy; a firm well known for professional set up in the Sports Industry of India, so it was going to be a tough challenge for me. On May 14, 2012 I reached office & saw a new person in the office sitting beside Sanket Sir. I was introduced to him in the afternoon. He was Mr. Greg Pereira (Assistant Manager - Business Development)
On May 15, 2012 Abhishek left for Jaipur as he was transferred to the Jaipur Centre so now it was me all alone to work on the Summer Camp Tournament. It took around a week for me to plan the entire structure of the tournament with constant guidance & help from Sanket Sir.
May 25, 2012……… 
          It is 9.00 am. I am at Kohinoor Cricket Academy, one of our coaching venue at Kohinoor City in Vidya Vihar. I had a conversation with the coaches, team & parents regarding the tournament that is happening tomorrow i.e. May 26, 2012. It’s the first time in my life that I am a heading a tournament alone but I know I have a good support team backing me named Cricket India Academy. So I am confident while discussing the details of the tournament along with the team at Kohinoor City. 
          At 3.00 pm I am at Indian Gymkhana to deliver the equipment’s required for the tournament & to check the status of ground. After ensuring the satisfactory condition of pitch and the pre-tournament preparations, I leave for meeting the coach & team at PJ Hindu Gymkhana, a wonderful CIA venue at Marine Drive. Details regarding the tournament are discussed with the team & coaches .I also answer some of the anxious participants regarding their doubt on the Man of the Match award, about size of ground & many more …… I amazed at how enthusiastic these kids are at this age & finally it’s the end of the day prior to the tournament.
Finally the Day Has Come ………..
          I wake up at 5.00 am. It’s a fresh & happy feeling that today I will be conducting the first tournament of my life. I reach Indian Gymkhana on time & I was surprised to see many participants along with their parents were present on ground by 7.00 am. I entered the Gymkhana building & saw coach Harshad Bhojnaik waiting for me. We quickly had discussion regarding the startup of the tournament & went on-field to discuss the rules & regulations with the teams for the final time. The 1st match started at sharp 7.30 am as we had to complete the entire tournament on the same day. Each team played two continuous matches without caring about thirst, hunger & the scorching heat of sun & they all were supported by the parents by constant cheer up & motivation to see their children performing well.
All the matches & prize distribution ceremony went off well. Constant help & support from coaches, participants as well as parents led to the successful accomplishment of the tournament objective. It was a great experience for me.

Written By: Naresh Vijay Patil



Comments

  1. Adam Smith 7 August 2013 at 14:42

    The Cricket World Cup is a prime one-day International (ODI) cricket tournament, which is organized by cricket's governing body - the International Cricket Council (ICC)

    ReplyDelete

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