Sooner Sports Property Intern: Katelyn Foster

If you let it, your Gaylord experience will open doors to unimaginable opportunities

Sweat glistens on my forehead. It drips down my arms, my legs. Perspiration from the midafternoon September sun plasters my game day dress to my frame. Even on the season opener, the late summer, Oklahoman heat is unyielding. It is relentless. It scorches a freshly painted field and sweltering stadium stands filled with overheated spectators. 

I can feel the oppressive heat during the presentation of the flag and as low rumblings of “Live on University” echo across the Palace. I still feel it during kickoff and well into the first, then second and third quarter. But any discomfort from this weather is overshadowed by a ubiquitous feeling of awe and astonishment.  

I was never one to enjoy my high school football games from the student section. No, I preferred to be pacing the sidelines, white notepad in hand, observing the scene, working to capture every facet of the team’s essence down to the most minute details. But never in my wildest imagination did I think I would be doing this at the collegiate level and for a D1 team with such a rich program history.

Now, I get to spend every game on the field with an all-access pass. I am maneuvering up and down the sidelines, escorting clients and business partners from a suite down to the endzones to watch, up close and personal, some of our Sooner Magic. I am walking amongst sports legends, high-profile executives and even the University President. It is surreal, the opportunities and experiences I have been gifted as a member of the Gaylord Family. 

This privilege to intern with Sooner Sports Properties impacts others at Gaylord too. I am lucky to share these game days with Acacia McDonald and photographers Noah Bryan and Katie Dolberry. Although I cannot speak for them, I am certain they mirror my sentiment surrounding this incredible opportunity: a position we all earned through our hard work and ultimately a connection from a Gaylord event. It’s simply remarkable what one can achieve by intentionally investing in the Gaylord community, this family of ours. It is still hard to fathom that yes, this unbelievable experience is my reality, but I know without a doubt, I am exactly where I belong.

 Being able to be a part of the internship has been a really great experience. Before the game, I get the opportunity to go to Fan Fest and take photos of the players getting off the bus and heading into the stadium in their suits. Walk of Champions is something I’ve always dreamed of being able to shoot, so it was a surreal experience that I’m very grateful I got the opportunity to do through the internship.

Katie Dolberry, SSP Property Assistant and Game Day Photographer