Summer has wrapped, college students are buried in books, J1 visa students are back in Ireland, and the temperatures are dropping. In moments like this, we like to pause and look back at season, reviewing some of our favorite stats. In the past, we have looked at the number of stairs climbed, gallons of water consumed and number of competitors at the Head of Charles.
This summer, we look more closely at our people. Gentle Giant prides itself on hiring only the best and brightest with a strong athletic background and a good education. The quality of our employees is the foundation of our continued success. During the summer, our ranks swell with high school and college athletes looking to stay fit for the summer. It is a unique demographic and we are fortunate to work with exceptional teams and athletes year after year. So, who were the Giants this summer? Let’s look at the numbers.
116 – the number of different colleges and universities represented by our newly hired 2019 summer employees. We are fortunate to field many returning employees every summer, however we still typically hire around 150 new employees every year. This year our employees came to us from a staggering collection of different colleges around the U.S. and Ireland.
The University of Massachusetts school system is most highly represented, with over 20 employees coming from UMass Amherst, UMass Lowell, and UMass Dartmouth combined. Boston College is a close second with seven employees. In the Washington D.C. area, our seasonal staff was largely comprised of collegiate football players from Howard University and Bowie State University. Lastly, the strong connection with our J1 visa program provided 13 employees each from University College Dublin and University of Limerick.
35 – the number of different sports played by our impressive, athletically diverse staff. Most employees reported playing multiple different sports, some at a variety of levels. Three-season athletes and high school and college team captains were well represented in the new hire group. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular and interesting sports, below:
- 53 football players
- 36 soccer players
- 32 basketball players
- 31 rugby players
- 12 rowers
- 12 Gaelic football players
- 11 hurling competitors
- Seven golfers
- Four swimmers
- Three tennis players
- Two mixed martial arts competitors
- Two Jiu-Jitsu competitors
- One judoka (judo competitor)
- One water polo player
You can see the strong influence of our Irish students coming with unique sports: Gaelic football, hurling, and camogie. Other sports represented include baseball, lacrosse, hockey, track and field, cross-country, wrestling, volleyball, weight lifting, kayaking, sailing, mixed martial arts, alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, bowling, combat sambo, disc golf, competitive dance, roller skating, karate, and camogie.
Nest time you have Gentle Giant in your house, ask the movers what sports they have played; you may be surprised! If you are a student athlete looking for a job with a flexible schedule which allows you to work with athletes like you, look no further. With the wide and varied sports represented here, you are sure to find a place at Gentle Giant. Check out our careers page and come join the team!