This month we are celebrating two Good Sports MVPs: Samantha Christopher and Kelly Patterson. Sam is celebrating three years since she joined us immediately after graduating from Roger Williams University in 2014. Kelly joined the team in June 2016, and has helped fully immerse Good Sports into the New York landscape. Kelly and Sam help us keep kids in the game every day. Here are some highlights of their time at Good Sports, in their own words:
Kelly Patterson, New York Market Director
Joined Good Sports in June 2016
“I think a highlight for me was working with the NY Rangers, my favorite sports team, and helping them create greater impact in the community. What I’m looking forward to is working with more New York sports teams and helping grow their impact in the community.”
From left to right: Kelly, Jesse Palmer, Christy Keswick, and Mike Wright
Samantha Christopher, Events and Marketing Associate
Joined Good Sports in June 2014
When I started at Good Sports in June of 2014, I knew I had hit the jackpot. It was my first job after college, and I was immediately immersed in an exciting and positive office culture: I met Patriots Tight End, Rob Gronkowski, enjoyed the start of half day summer Fridays, and realized every day would offer a new experience. My boss reminded me in those first few weeks that it wouldn’t always be that easy or fun, but 3 years later and I’m still waiting for it to get difficult or boring!
Since 2014 I have seen Good Sports grow from 10 employees to what will be 25 by the end of 2017. I’ve been able to learn every area of the business from partnerships to warehouse functions to business development. I work directly with our COO and have seen my confidence, knowledge and abilities grow like I never thought possible. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to new places including Dallas, Houston, and Chicago. All of these experiences have influenced my professional and my personal life.
As with any job, there have been a few learning experiences along the way. Putting on the 500-person Legends gala, managing Young Professionals Boards across three different markets, or making sure our social media channels are up to date have each offered up a challenging moment or two, but that’s when I have grown the most. Working with a rapidly growing organization has offered learning opportunities that would take years of experience in other fields.
Three years goes by fast when you’re doing something you’re passionate about every day. A lot happens in three years, more than you realize at the time, but every experience here so far has shaped me into the young professional I am today.
From left to right: Harvey and Patti Cohen, Samantha Christopher, Trevor MacKinnon, and Laurel MacKinnon at Boston Legends 2017.