Kelly Dolan '17 Checks in From London Working With the NFL

Hello from London!!

Hi everyone - my name is Kelly Dolan and I'm a junior on the women's lacrosse team. This fall I'm living and working for the NFL in London. After participating in our fall ball season at Dartmouth, I jetted off to London to take on a completely new adventure!

My goal for the first few days was to get my bearings and become familiar with the layout of the city. I'm living in a small borough outside of downtown London called Islington. I live right next to a beautiful park called Hampstead Heath, which includes the iconic London landmark, Parliamentary Hill, which overlooks the entire city. It's also a great place to go for a run!

Before work started I tried to familiarize myself with the different sections of the city. I learned how to use the tube (which was new for me) and how to get around. I also toured Buckingham Palace, the Horse Guards Parade, Oxford Street, the Marble Arch, Regents Park, the Mayfair district, China Town and much more.

On Monday, I started work at the NFL offices on busy Oxford Street. The area where I work reminds me of Times Square with a lot of stores and people packed along the sidewalk. Working at the NFL has already been very exciting. Right now the push for the NFL international series is very strong since their goal is to expand their influence and reach a broader audience to create a bigger fan base. For the past few years London has hosted the international series games for the NFL. This fall London hosts three games, bringing over six NFL teams and their fans to compete at Wembley Stadium. The first game was just a few weeks ago when the Jets took on the Dolphins, defeating them, 27-14.

Getting exposure to the sports industry through the NFL has been a dream come true for me. The office is filled with people passionate about football and sports, even some ex-NFL players. We get daily updates about the league and different teams, and talk around the office always revolves around scores, players, and game results. Right now we're preparing for games two and three of the international series. Next weekend the Jaguars will take on the Bills and the following weekend the Lions will take on the Chiefs. Too bad my Patriots won't be here this year, but it's still exciting!

My work at the NFL office is mostly focused within the marketing and finance departments. I've already had the opportunity to work on some exciting projects with the social media campaign team to enhance awareness of the NFL in the UK. I've also worked and met with multiple sponsors of the NFL and learned their plans of how to promote the league. In preparation for the upcoming games I've worked on promotional events that we're holding for fans before each game. The next few weeks are going to be very busy at the office as we prepare for the teams to come into London and make sure that everything runs smoothly at the stadium.

Last night I went to a play with some other Dartmouth students who are studying in London through FSP programs which was really fun. This weekend I'm continuing to explore London and will be headed to the London Eye, Westminster and Big Ben for some more sightseeing.

More updates to come as I continue to take on more London tourist attractions and as I prepare for the next two NFL international games!

Cheers!!!