Shchennikova Interns at FIFA World Cup in Russia
7/23/2018 12:12:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics, Features
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan women's gymnastics junior Polina Shchennikova had a once-in-a-lifetime internship this summer, volunteering at the FIFA World Cup in Saransk, Russia.
Not only is the World Cup one of the premier sporting events in the world, but Russia is also the country where Shchennikova was born. She was born in Moscow in 1998, but left when she was 1 year old. She had been back a few times to visit family, but not in the last 12 years.Â
Sitting in her SM 203 class (Intro to Sport Management), Shchennikova heard an announcement at the beginning of class by professor Thomas George that the University of Michigan would have five internship spots for the World Cup if anyone was interested in applying.
"I don't think it really would have grasped my attention as much if I didn't hear Russia," said Shchennikova. "I hadn't been there in so long. I started the application process and ended up having a few meetings. Once I was selected for one of the spots, I had a Skype interview with FIFA and they selected me for broadcasting."
Shchennikova was placed in the infotainment facility at Mordovia Arena in Saransk. During games she was a translator for the main TV producer to translate communications between him and the infotainment crew. When there were no games, Shchennikova would go around and check computers and monitors to make sure everything was working properly.
"There were lots of little tasks," said Shchennikova. "One day I had to work on a script because the English wasn't written correctly. I checked the grammar for them."
Four World Cup games took place in Saransk. Denmark defeated Peru, 1-0, on June 16; Japan topped Columbia, 2-1, on June 19; Iran tied Portugal, 1-1, on June 25 and Tunisia defeated Panama, 2-1, on June 28. Shchennikova was very busy working but did have some chances to sneak a peek at the game action through a big window alongside the patio area at the top of the stadium where the infotainment facility was located.
The popularity of the World Cup left an impression on her.
"I knew football was pretty popular, but I didn't realize how big of a sporting event it is because it isn't as big in the U.S. as in Europe," said Shchennikova. "Seeing all the different countries coming together and supporting their teams, everyone was really supportive of each other."
The biggest takeaway for Shchennikova was the exposure to another sport outside of gymnastics.
"Gymnastics has basically been my whole life, so for me it was important to go out and experience something different," she said. "Even though I might end up back in gymnastics, I wanted to get a feel for how other sports operate."
Schennikova's career interests lie in television, media and broadcasting, so working in the broadcasting area opened her eyes to how much goes into a broadcast.
"I saw how much goes on behind the scenes and how much focus and time management you need to have so that if there is a problem, the viewers don't know about it," she said. "It was a cool experience and gave me a little more appreciation for what everyone does in the business."
What lured Shchennikova to the internship to begin with was being able to return to the country of her birth, and thanks to the internship she was able to spend time with her family as well.
She traveled to Russia one week before her internship began and stayed for two weeks afterward. She knew some of her family from them coming to United States to visit, but seeing them in their own element was different.
"I was pretty nervous because I haven't seen my family for a really long time," said Shchennikova. "It was really cool to learn my history and the history of my family roots. Going there and experiencing their lifestyle made me think about how it could have been my lifestyle and culture if my dad had made the decision to stay in Russia."
When asked about what the internship opportunity meant to her, Shchennikova replied, "I am so blessed to have had this opportunity. It has opened my eyes to a different world."
Players Mentioned
