Olympics 2012: Experience Of A Lifetime For Westport Student - The Daily Voice

Westport resident David Gofman, a senior at Ithaca College, spent three weeks in London as an intern with NBC Sports at the 2012 Olympics.

WESTPORT, Conn. – It's been more than a week now since the Olympics ended, and I still can't believe it's over. The three weeks I spent in London were truly incredible. I got to see the city, meet some fascinating people and live every sports fan's dream — being at the Olympics.

I went into my internship unsure of what to expect. What would my days look like? Would I be treated like just another intern or as a member of the crew? Am I ready for this? Whatever expectations I had were vastly exceeded.

I worked closely with Operations and Production for NBC at Earls Court, the indoor volleyball venue, and did a variety of things, none of which were glamorous. I did a lot of printing, stapling, cleaning, posting of signs, helping our talent and statistician with prep before matches, and a lot of traveling to and from the IBC, International Broadcast Centre, to get odds and ends that were needed at the venue.

Working at Earls Court was a dream come true. Not just because volleyball has been a huge part of my life for the past seven years, but because of the people around me. The crew I worked with was unbelievable. There were no egos clashing or tension anywhere in the 20-person group. I learned far more than I thought and asked questions whenever they came up. I consider myself lucky to have worked with a crew that exemplified professionalism the way it did.

I worked 12 to 14 hours a day and had two days off in my 25 days of work. One night I caught a beach volleyball match, and the other I caught a USA men's basketball game. I made the most of my time in London because I knew going in I was the smallest fish in a massive pond and was willing to do anything and everything to help.

This internship experience was completely different for each individual intern. Each venue was different, each crew was unique. For me, it solidified my passion for working in sports media, and I’m sure that looking back, I will see it as one of the greatest and most eye-opening experiences of my life.