From Trainee to Full-Time: Rick Fultz

The path to a full-time position in professional baseball is different for everyone. Long and winding with many teams and levels for some, short and direct with the same team for others.
For a few members of the Gwinnett Stripers' front office, their journeys to full-time status with the club started with a pivotal stint as a Trainee.
Trainees are employed each season from January through September, and work alongside a specific department head to ensure off-field success while also learning and developing important career skills. Previous Trainees have worked in Stadium Operations, Ticket Sales, Corporate Sales, Sports Turf Management, Creative Services, Media Relations, Community and Promotions, Social Media and more.
Part one of this Q&A series features Rick Fultz, who served as Gwinnett's Stadium Operations Trainee in 2014 and 2015 and was promoted to Stadium Operations Coordinator in December 2015.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What were your responsibilities as the Stadium Operations Trainee?
My main duties were to help with the upkeep of the stadium, schedule staff for our games, supervise staff during events, and help to coordinate non-gameday events.
Had you worked in sports before joining Gwinnett?
While attending the University of Georgia, I worked with the UGA Athletic Association's Event Management department during Men's and Women's Tennis and Women's Volleyball events.
What were some of the biggest things you learned as a Trainee?
I learned how to maintain and operate a large facility, coordinate with numerous contractors, and to see events through from start to finish.
What were your favorite parts about being a Trainee?
My favorite part of being a Trainee was being able to work with the other Trainees. Now I am able to look around the country and see my former co-workers working at other facilities.
What was the biggest challenge you faced as a Trainee?
The biggest challenge was getting acclimated to life in baseball. Long and continuous days took some time to get used to, but now I can't think of any other way to be.
As a Trainee, what was your interaction with the full-time staff like?
I think our organization does a great job of giving Trainees a lot of responsibility and including them in big-picture plans. As a Trainee, I constantly interacted with all full-time staff across departments.
Moving up to the Stadium Operations Coordinator role, how much different or expanded are your responsibilities now?
Since Ryan Stoltenberg (Director of Stadium Operations), Gary Hoopaugh (Facilities Engineer) and myself work hand-in-hand with our Trainees, most day-to-day duties are very similar. However, I am now more responsible for events that I plan or oversee, and the situations that may arise.
How did your experience as a Trainee prepare you for your position?
I would not have been able to get my current role without having at least one year as a Trainee. The second season in 2015 really helped me learn even more.
What advice would you give to someone applying for the Stripers' Trainee Program?
Something that helped me as a Trainee (that I still do to this day) is come to work and try to learn something new every day. Some days I'm successful, some days I fail. But I try to keep that mindset each and every day, always actively trying to improve my knowledge and skillset.
The Gwinnett Stripers are currently accepting applications for the 2019 Trainee Program. Submit your application via Teamwork Online.