Working toward her dream sports job

By Casey Krautkramer

The Wausau Woodchucks have the best record in the Northwoods League this summer and Celina Ellenbecker of Athens is part of the team’s success. She isn’t a player but rather an intern who operates the electronic scoreboard during Woodchucks games at Athletic Park.

Ellenbecker graduated from Athens High School in 2023 and she attends Northcentral Technical College (NTC) in Wausau. She already has 1-1/2 years of college credits after earning dual college credits in high school. Ellenbecker will graduate from NTC in December with a two-year associate’s degree in marketing. She’ll then attend Northern Michigan University to earn a bachelor’s degree in marketing with an emphasis in sports.

Ellenbecker is learning a lot while working as a video board production intern for the Wausau Woodchucks this summer. For example, last Wednesday she arrived at Athletic Park at noon to get prepared for the Woodchucks’ 6:35 p.m. game against the Lakeshore Chinooks. She obtained the probable starting lineups and player statistics for both teams off the Northwoods League website. Ellenbecker then used Adobe Platform to download graphics to use on the scoreboard during the game.

She also downloads images and creates messages for fans to see during the pregame. For example, she made a welcome message for the County Materials group outing at last Wednesday’s game against the Chinooks.

Ellenbecker works in the main press box during games with other video production people and the team photographer and public address and play-by-play announcers. She also has extra work duties like setting up chairs, helping pull out the tarp for rain delays on the field and sweeping the floors at Athletic Park.

She knows that her summer internship with the Woodchucks is giving her valuable experience working in the sports field that’ll help her land a good job in the industry after she earns her bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University. She wants to eventually work as a social media content marketer for a professional sports team like the Milwaukee Bucks because basketball is her favorite sport.

“I will go wherever life takes me in the future,” Ellenbecker said.

GAINING VALUABLE EXPERIENCE IN THE SPORTS INDUSTRY- Celina Ellenbecker of Athens is working this summer as a video board production intern for the Wausau Woodchucks.

PHOTO BY REESE KUPSKY