As part of the Rams' celebration of Women's History Month this month, the organization wants to inspire Angelenos through stories of female staff impacted by sports and now changing the game.
We continue the series with Ticket Operations Coordinator Amanda Soper.
As a former volleyball player, Amanda Soper finds a lot of those experiences from her playing career translating to her role with the Rams. That especially holds true when it comes to how much rewarding victories are after working through the tough moments as a team.
"Nothing will beat all the huge wins (Kansas City, NFC Championship, Super Bowl, etc.) and having the Ops team there to cheer and embrace those moments with," Soper said. "Before, I use to cry, sweat, and bleed with my teammates to prepare for a game and the adrenaline is unmatched after a huge win. I have found I can match that feeling at work because the 'practice' of working long nights and taking any changes that come my way is rewarded with a full stadium and a team win."
It's the attitude and approach Soper takes to her job as the Ticket Operations Coordinator for the Rams, in which she will be entering her sixth season in 2022.
Besides helping everyone get tickets, Soper helps process new Stadium Seat License (SSL) sales each day and ensures a Season Ticket Member's account is ready to purchase tickets and step into the Season Ticket Member experience. She also assists the sales and service team with anything related to tickets, parking or operations on the back end.
"I would describe Ticket Operations is like the offensive line," Soper said. "A lot of movements that go unnoticed behind the scenes, but the glory of the QB, aka the sales, and outcome of a full stadium means I have done my job well."
The ability to successfully execute those duties ties back into another lesson she learned while playing volleyball: The necessity of communication and trust in teammates to win.
Whether a close game or a stressful situation at work, communication can make or break those moments. She said that there have been times where work has seemed endless, but having help and talking it out with colleagues helps her gain clarity on a situation she didn't know or relieve the pressure of handling it on her own.
"Again, as an athlete the goals were bigger than me, but I knew that I am a huge part of the team and what I did affects the outcome," Soper said. "But it can never be done alone, so I should always trust and communicate with my teammates."
Fittingly, Soper said the best part of her job is the process that leads to that outcome, the outcome itself, and her team she works with.
"The best part of my job is on game days, after assisting people with ticket issues coming out of the box office, and walking into a full stadium, hearing and feeling the energy of thousands of people and knowing all the behind the scenes work that I did have the outcome of a large crowd cheering for the Rams," Soper said. "The other greatest part of my job is my Ops team, the support and relationship that we have is something I am grateful for especially with such rough times in the world."
Both volleyball and work have provided a solid foundation for Soper to do her job, but by no means does it make her complacent. Her biggest motivation is never wanting to settle, whether inside or outside of the job.
"I believe there is never a maximum amount of knowledge to have," Soper said. "In life, I believe that as well. I should be never stop learning new skills, how to communicate and how to be a better person. I want to achieve as much as life has to offer and will never settle for a life that is dull or mundane."
In that vein, it helps that she has seen an increase in the number of examples within the Rams' organization.
"I sincerely look up to Sophie Harlan, Keely Fimbres, Meagan Roberts, and Joanna Hunter for being women who have proved football can have room for women and I hope in the future we continue to have great female leadership," Soper said. "Although football is a mostly male-dominated sport, the Rams have made it a point to give the women of the Rams a voice and followed through with actions by rewarding those women with leadership roles to make those changes."
When it comes to celebrating women's history month, Soper offered these simple suggestions.
"We can celebrate women's history month or women always by supporting women-owned business. It's never a bad time to support a local, small, women owed business," she said. "Another small way to celebrate the women in your life would be to write a thank you or reach out to a woman who has influenced you, whether they are a role model, coworker you appreciate or a friend who has been there for you. Celebrate and be grateful for the women in your life!"
