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Peeling Layers off the Dragon
July 28, 2004

Last year our panel picked the Dayton Dragons as the Best of 2003 Team Operations. Their operations have been oft talked about since the team debuted in 2000. The team is owned by Mandalay Sports entertainment which owns several minor league teams including the Roughriders and the Las Vegas 51's. This is part two of our story on the Dayton Dragons.

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Click to read Part One of the Gameops.com Feature on the Dayton Dragons

Preparation

Every game operations director plans and rehearses and the practice usually helps build and enhance the show. It was clear that Dayton goes beyond typical meeting discussion to fine tune their show.

Before the game Shari met with everyone involved in the show. She also split the presentation groups up so that the bulk of the meetings were relevant to the people in the room. Production and television met separately from the field entertainers, dancers and Emcees, the crossover was handled directly by Shari. Clearly earlier meetings were held and complete shows rehearsed, but at this point in the season the two groups were handled independently of another.

What was also clear was the responsibility of each element to have their portion of the show planned and rehearsed. The dancers had practiced their numbers and the studio choreographer reported to Shari on the progress and readiness of the team....and so on across all levels of performers. It was striking the level of understanding all groups had with each element of the Dragon's show.

This preparation was a testament not just Shari's attention to detail, but to each member of the teams attention to making their portion of the show as good as it can be.

With the many layers of the Dragons show, each member has a great number of small parts that make each inning break run smoothly and maximizes the entertainment value.

An example of the attention to detail and high level of preparation was their baby race. This repeating element of Dayton's show included the live component on the field with baby's racing. A large custom track was unrolled on the field as the hosts greeted the fans and introduced the contest. At that time the fans saw custom graphics on the scoreboard. These graphics not only showed a graphic for the Baby Race, but had individual shots of each baby that were taken during the pre-game run through.

Summary

The entertainment and operations of the Dragons are simply outstanding. This clearly starts from the top, as entertainment and fan-enjoyment are stressed from ownership to every game-night staffer. From there, the three aspects outlined here touch all across the operations and create the atmosphere for excellence: Preparation, the multi-layered approach to every element, and the presentation of the game as a natural extension of the Directors background and personality.

Awards are likely to keep rolling in for the Dayton Dragons as the many layers of their entertainment continue to impress other teams, journalists, and most importantly....the Dayton Dragon loyal fan base.

Gameops.com was not alone covering the Dragons. While we visited with the Dragons the local newspaper was also covering the Dragons operation.

Read Laura Dempsey's (Dayton Daily News) story on the Dragons here.

The Notebook from Dayton
 Interesting tidbits from the Dragons game night experience

  • Anthem Singers get tape of their performance before they leave the stadium.

  • Game packages reviewed and entertainment rotated based on the ticket holders who will be there. Shari reviews the game packages and plugs in entertainment accordingly.
  • The game staff was remarkably and it was clear they had the trust of everyone involved and were allowed to perform their roles.

  • Each year considerable effort is put into Opening Night and the presentation. Shari talked about the wild plans that in the past have involved helicopters, circus-style parades, a line of 30 Harley's and monster trucks. Clearly it was something that she and the fans looked forward to each season, and sounded like a fitting start to their season.
  • The team has 3 mascots now: Heater (left) who is the original, Gem (right) who was added as a secondary character, and a new giant one-eyed inflatable character Wink (center). Each has a distinct personality and is used in signature bits each night. i.e. Gem has a knack for Magic and performs magic tricks through-out the season.

  • New this season is the addition of the Pro Fence, which is A gorgeous outfield wall scoreboard from Daktronics. Shari was excited about the addition and the Dragons are still introducing new ways to use the feature through out the game. As you can see the sign is bright and colorful, allowing the Dragons to promote sponsors, add to the atmosphere, or motivate fans with the new tool.

  • The Dragons also feature a very nice and customized scoreboard. The Dragons on either side are active during introductions and Dragon home runs, as the eyes light up and smoke billows from the mouths.

  • Shari made it clear what her job is: "Make sure everyone has fun" and from all accounts, it's a job she does well.

We also had a chance to speak to David Raymond who toured for many seasons as the Philly Phanatic, Sport and Reggy. David has had the chance to work with Shari many times over the years.

David Raymond ;)"I think Shari Sharkins is the type of talented person that baseball needs.  She has done such a great job with the Dayton Dragons.  I know that they would hate to lose her.  She comes from an entertainment background.  That is the influence that is so valuable for baseball.  We need people like Shari because they don’t let the game negatively effect the fans experience.  If the Dayton Dragons lose their fans don’t go away unhappy and that is the true litmus test for any entertainment director."

David Raymond, Raymond Entertainment Group

Click to read Part One of the Gameops.com Feature on the Dayton Dragons

Special thanks to Shari Sharkins and the Dayton Dragons for their hospitality. Visiting their stadium and seeing their operation was a tremendous experience. Thanks also to Robert Murphy for taking the time to visit with Gameops.com during the game.

Thanks also to Gameops.com summer intern Courtney Spellacy for her additions to the story and for many of the photographs.
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