What can Jenna do?
Give a quick overview of your work experience (jobs, internships, volunteering)?
I’m currently completing a Bachelor of Sport Development at Deakin University while building practical experience across sport operations, event management, and community sport. I currently work in private school sport, where I work as a specialised Softball/Teeball coach. I develop and coach students in these sports, as well as assist with coordinating sporting programs, managing competitions, and supporting students and staff in the delivery of school sport activities. I have also worked with schools such as Black Rock Primary School and Mentone Girls Grammar, helping deliver and support sport programs and events at a grassroots level.
Alongside this, I have completed an internship with Softball Victoria, where I gained experience in sport development, participation initiatives, and the operational side of state sporting organisations. This experience strengthened my understanding of community engagement, event coordination, and how sporting organisations operate strategically behind the scenes.
I also volunteer with Hex Fight Series, one of Australia’s leading MMA promotions, where I assist with event operations, athlete coordination, crowd management, and VIP/general admission coordination on event days. Through these roles, I’ve developed strong communication, leadership, teamwork, and organisational skills, while gaining experience across both grassroots and professional sport environments.
I’m passionate about building a long-term career in the sports industry, particularly within sport operations and event management, and I’m actively seeking opportunities that will continue to develop my industry experience and professional network, especially in the sport event sector.
Do you have a track record of delivering measurable outcomes or KPIs?
During event operations with HEX Fight Series, I successfully scanned, wristbanded, and managed entry for over 1,000 General Admission and VIP patrons in under two hours within a fast-paced event environment, while maintaining efficient crowd flow, customer service, and safety standards.
In my receptionist role (non-sport role), I also answered and booked in appointments for over 200 clients within a 2–3 hour period during peak season (Christmas Eve), surpassing previous staff records while maintaining a high level of professionalism, efficiency, and customer service.
What technical or industry-specific skills do you bring?
I bring experience in sport operations, event delivery, customer service, and stakeholder engagement within both community and professional sporting environments.
Through my internship with Softball Victoria, I developed experience in sport development initiatives, participant engagement, competition support, and community sport operations. I also gained experience using RevolutioniseSPORT, an online sports management platform used for registrations, competition management, and participant administration.
Through my work with HEX Fight Series, I have hands-on experience in large-scale event operations, including crowd management,athlete coordination ticket scanning, VIP and General Admission entry management, customer service, and fast-paced event delivery.
Across my school sport and receptionist roles, I have also developed strong communication, organisational, scheduling, and stakeholder management skills while working in high-pressure environments requiring efficiency and professionalism.
What tools/platforms/software are they proficient in?
I have experience using RevolutioniseSPORT, Eventbrite, POS systems, and online booking platforms within sport and event environments.
I am proficient across the Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace platforms, with experience using Excel for data tracking and administration tasks.
I also regularly use Canva, Meta Business Suite, and SurveyMonkey to create presentations, promotional content, social media materials, and surveys.
Additionally, I have experience using Xero, Tradify, Payway, FieldInsight, and Clipboard within administration and customer service roles.
What qualifications, certifications, or degrees do you hold?
I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Development from Deakin University (May 2026 completion)
I also hold First Aid, Asthma Management, Anaphylaxis Management, Epilepsy Management, Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA), Employee Working with Children Check, Australian Sports Commission Coaching Essential Skills, Safeguarding Children and Young People in Sport, Softball Victoria Fundamental Skill Coaching, Sporting Games Coaching, and Sport Training Practice certifications.
I’m very self-aware. I know I’m still early in my career, and I don’t pretend to know everything, but I’m someone who listens, learns quickly, asks questions, and genuinely wants to improve.
Someone should take a punt on me because I’ve already shown that I’m willing to put myself into uncomfortable, fast-paced environments and learn by doing. A lot of people say they want to work in sport, but I’ve actively chased opportunities across completely different areas of the industry. Being a young girl like myself working in the craze of a male-dominated MMA environment, I do it because I have a vision and a passion. I’ve already shown that I’m willing to put myself into uncomfortable, fast-paced environments. I’m someone who pays attention to the little details that make a sporting event memorable, the crowd atmosphere, fan experience, organisation, accessibility, and how everything comes together behind the scenes. That’s the side of the industry I genuinely love.
Most importantly, I’m very self-aware. I know I’m still early in my career, and I don’t pretend to know everything, but I’m someone who listens, learns quickly, asks questions, and genuinely wants to improve. I think that mindset, combined with my willingness to work hard and keep putting myself out there, is what separates me from others.
What steps has Jenna taken to break into the sports industry?
I’ve taken a proactive approach to growing within the sports industry by researching and looking into relevant roles, networking with people within the industry, and building as much hands-on experience as possible through work, internships, and volunteering opportunities. I’m always looking for opportunities to continue learning and developing my skills within sport operations and event management.
I’ve built practical industry experience through my internship with Softball Victoria, my roles within private school sport, and my volunteer work with HEX Fight Series, where I’ve worked in fast-paced event environments involving crowd management, customer service, and event operations. These experiences have helped me gain valuable insight into the operational side of sport and live events.
I’ve also continued developing my qualifications and industry knowledge through coaching, safeguarding, First Aid, and sport-related certifications, while building experience with industry platforms such as RevolutioniseSPORT and Eventbrite. Alongside this, I actively attend sporting events, network where possible, and continue pushing myself outside my comfort zone professionally to create more opportunities within the industry.
Jenna's interest in sport all started through playing from a young age and working behind the scenes at events.
Sport has always been a huge part of my life. Growing up, I competed in a wide range of sports, starting with netball before eventually finding my way into playing baseball, which became a major passion of mine and still currently playing. Through playing sport from a young age, I experienced firsthand the sense of community, teamwork, discipline, and opportunity that sport can create.
Over time, my passion also grew beyond playing. I fell in love with attending and watching MMA, AFL and Baseball events, which sparked my interest in the operations and event side of the industry, seeing everything that goes into creating not only an exciting event, but an emotional experience for athletes, fans, and the wider community. That interest eventually led me to volunteer with HEX Fight Series and to pursue further experience in sports operations and event management.
Through my experiences in school sport, my internship with Softball Victoria, and my event operations roles, I’ve realised how much I enjoy being part of the behind-the-scenes environment and contributing to something people genuinely care about. I want to build a long-term career in the sports industry because it combines my passion for sport with fast-paced, people-focused work where I can continue learning, growing, and making a positive impact.
Since then, Jenna has gone on to work in sport operations, event management, and community sport, achieving things like
Achievement 1 | Achievement 2 |
|---|---|
Managed entry for 1,000+ General Admission and VIP patrons in under two hours at a HEX Fight Series event, maintaining crowd flow, safety standards, and customer service throughout | Booked and managed 200+ client appointments within a 2-3 hour window during peak season, surpassing previous staff records while maintaining efficiency and professionalism |
Where does Jenna want to go?
Next 6 - 12 months | Next 5 - 10 years |
|---|---|
Over the next 6–12 months, not only do I want to continue growing my skills in my current roles with HEX Fight Series and within private school sport coaching, but I also want to secure a full-time role within the sports industry, particularly in sport operations or event management. I am especially interested in opportunities involving game day operations, event delivery, fan engagement, and sport administration, where I can continue applying and developing my skills in fast-paced sporting environments. Alongside that, I am looking to continue building meaningful industry connections, gaining mentorship opportunities, and expanding my hands-on experience across different areas of the sports industry. | Over the next 5 to 10 years, I am working toward a senior role within sport operations and event management, ideally within the Australian Football League (AFL) or the Australian MMA scene, particularly in event operations or event delivery, as they are both sports I am extremely passionate about both professionally and personally. I want to be involved in leading large-scale sporting events, game day operations, and fan experiences, while continuing to grow my skills within fast-paced, high-performance sporting environments. Long term, I would also love the opportunity to work within the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) or another major MMA organisation as I continue progressing within the industry. Over time, I hope to progress into leadership positions where I can manage teams, oversee major sporting events, and contribute to creating memorable experiences for athletes, fans, and the wider sporting community. |
What sporting problem keeps Jenna up at night, and how would you solve it?
One problem in sport I’d love to help solve is improving accessibility at sporting events so that all fans feel included and able to enjoy the experience comfortably. I’m passionate about helping create events that are well-organised, inclusive, and accessible for people of all backgrounds and abilities, while still delivering a high-quality fan experience.
What is Jenna like?
What kind of environment do you thrive in?
I thrive in fast-paced, team-oriented environments where no two days are the same and there is always something happening. I enjoy environments that involve live events, problem solving, communication, and working closely with others towards a shared goal.
I also enjoy environments where I can continue learning, take on responsibility, and be part of a positive team culture, particularly within sport and event settings where energy, passion, and teamwork are a big part of the workplace.
When have you had to show resilience in your life or career?
One of the biggest examples of resilience for me has been through my volunteer work with HEX Fight Series, where I became one of the more experienced volunteers within my role and helped support and guide newer volunteers during fast-paced live events. This required me to stay calm under pressure, adapt quickly, and help manage challenging situations involving large crowds and tight timeframes.
During my internship with Softball Victoria, I also helped deliver softball programs to multicultural youth communities across inner Melbourne, while assisting with coaching and umpiring games. These experiences pushed me outside my comfort zone and helped me develop stronger communication, leadership, and adaptability skills.
Alongside this, balancing university, work in private school sport, volunteering, and actively pursuing opportunities within the sports industry has required persistence, time management, and resilience.
What about Jenna’s interests outside of work?
What are your interests outside of work?
Outside of work, a lot of my interests still revolve around sport. I enjoy watching AFL, MLB, local baseball, regional MMA events, and UFC fights with my dad, while also continuing to play baseball myself. Outside of sport, I love travelling, with trips to Mexico and parts of Africa being some of my most memorable experiences. I also enjoy walking my dog along local beaches and spending time with friends going out for lunches and dinners.
What is your favourite sporting moment?
I can't pick just 1, so here are 2 of my favourite sporting moments. The final minutes of the 2024 Carlton Football Club vs Sydney Swans semi-final still give me goosebumps and the other would have to be the final 10 seconds of Max Holloway vs Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, 2 strikers going absolutely at it!
What’s your ideal holiday?
My ideal holiday would either be going on a safari through East Kenya during the Great Migration (seeing the Big 5 in real life, seriously feels surreal), or travelling through the United States, attending MLB and UFC events.
If you had 30 minutes to pick the brain of anyone, who would it be and why?
Would have to be Dana White. I’d love to learn how he helped grow the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) into one of the biggest sporting organisations in the world and how the UFC consistently deliver massive live events and fan experiences globally. I’d also love to learn more about the operational side of running major sporting events, handling pressure, and continuing to grow the sport globally.
What’s one book or podcast that’s helped your career you recommend?
To be honest, I’m not someone who regularly listens to podcasts or reads career books (I do listen to the odd podcast here and there). However, I learn best by being hands-on, asking questions, and learning directly from the people I work with and the environments I’m in.
I also keep up with sports news and industry updates regularly, especially across AFL, MMA, and major sporting events, to stay informed on what’s happening within the industry. I’ve found that working alongside experienced people in sport and event environments has taught me the most about communication, operations, handling pressure, and how the industry really works day to day.
Additional details
Where in the world are you located, and where are you open to work?
Living in Melbourne, open to work mainly in Melbourne, happy to travel interstate if required!
What is the most important consideration for you in your next role?
What's most important to me in my next role is being in an environment that is well structured, pushing their employees to be the best version of themselves. This role will allow me to grow, providing me with hands-on experience and contributing to something I'm truly passionate about. I will be able to continue to grow my skills in the events space within the sporting industry.
What others say about Jenna
"Jenna is someone we continually want back at events because of her passion for the sport, attention to detail, and the way she connects with both guests and athletes. She brings a great attitude to every event and works well in fast-paced environments.” - HEX Fight Series Event Team
“Jenna was always eager to get work completed, consistently looked to take on more responsibilities throughout her internship, and was always willing to step in and help wherever needed. Jenna has a lot of confidence and uses her initiative to undertake tasks. She is reliable, adaptable, and always brings positive energy to the team.” - State Operations Manager, Softball Victoria
What questions does Jenna have for employers?
What does a typical game day or major event week look like behind the scenes within your organisation?
What are the biggest operational challenges currently facing live sporting events and fan experiences?
How does your organisation balance delivering a high-quality fan experience while managing crowd flow, safety, and accessibility?
What pathways have previous staff taken to progress within sport operations and event management roles?
What qualities do you think are most important for someone wanting to build a long-term career in live sport and event delivery?
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