When her college hockey career ended, Brenna Boulanger thought long and hard about her next step. Since moving from Dover to Durnham, New Hampshire, to play at the University of New Hampshire, she spent 20 hours a week training on and off the ice. With her skates tucked away in the closet, she needed a new focus.
A sports studies undergraduate major with a minor in business, Boulanger interned at the UNH Athletics Development Office. She assisted with projects and organized the senior gift donation for the Wildcat Fund prior to her graduation.
“I applied for MBA programs and looked at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln because many of my family members were graduates. When I saw Nebraska had a Master of Arts in Business Administration with a Specialization in Intercollegiate Athletics Administration, it was a no-brainer to apply,” Boulanger explained. “I also knew the Midwest would be a change of pace.”
Accepted into the second cohort of the MAIAA program and guaranteed an internship with the Nebraska Department of Athletics, she decided to aim for a career in athletics development.
“My first year in the MAIAA program, we toured colleges, universities and sports businesses. When I first walked through Hudl in downtown Lincoln, I knew it was the place I would love to work.”
A software company founded by three Nebraska alumni in 2006, Hudl offers tools to help coaches and athletes prepare for and stay ahead of the competition. With more than 160,000 active teams and 4.3 million unique users, the company serves clients from small youth organizations to professional franchises in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.
Having no dress code at Hudl appealed to Boulanger as the former student-athlete didn’t need to buy a new work wardrobe.
The opportunity to talk with coaches while not needing to buy a whole new wardrobe due to no dress code appealed to the athlete inside Boulanger. Add in the daily free lunch perk and Hudl offered the hat trick of benefits.
“Another modern offering at Hudl is Activity Based Working, meaning you can work where you get your work done best. No one at Hudl has their own desk, not even the founders,” Boulanger explained. “Everyone gets a locker where you can leave your personal things. Then you can work wherever you want in the building or from home if your work allows.”
Though she wanted to apply immediately, Boulanger knew she couldn’t skate by without finishing her Nebraska Athletics Strengths and Conditioning graduate assistantship and, of course, earning her master’s degree. After a short stint as a hockey coach in New Hampshire, she scored a job at Hudl.
Today she is an inside sales representative working with ice hockey and basketball coaches across the U.S. and Canada. She mastered the time zones and often contacts coaches while sitting on bleachers inside Hudl, on a bench near her locker or at an outdoor picnic table when the weather allows.
“The best part about working at Hudl is you are truly valued in your role. Your boss and teammates are always pushing you to get your best work done and want you to have a healthy work/life balance,” she said. “I use my business skills and sports experience each and every day.”
Published: February 12, 2019