Internships

UNH Cat Crew

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UNH Cat Crew

Written By Matt Garrison, Class of 2017

The marketing internship I took part in during my junior year at the University of New Hampshire was called the “’Cat Crew” and it consisted of about 12 students. Each ticketed sport (Men’s & Women’s Hockey, Men’s & Women’s Basketball, Football, and Gymnastics) was allocated 2 students who would be in charge of marketing that particular sport with the supervisor overseeing all of the students.

I was a Director of Marketing for Women’s Basketball and along with my co-director Taylor, we handled all of the marketing for our sport (planning promotions, creating flyers, organizing staff, managing and executing on game day, etc.). I learned a lot about working within a collegiate athletics department and how important communication is for not only marketing but all the departments in order to work together.

For our final game of the year we implemented a new theme promotion in an attempt to create a new tradition and bring fans to the event. We hosted a “Silent Night” game (modeled after Taylor University) for Senior Night and it was a great success. The department still utilizes the theme and we set new student attendance records for Women’s Basketball as well as set a season high for overall attendance.

This internship program at UNH is such a great opportunity and I would recommend that more universities adopt it to offer their students greater opportunity to gain valuable experience in the field as well as network within the profession. This was just one of the many opportunities I was able to take advantage of at the University of New Hampshire, but this experience really helped influence my decision to work towards a career in sports.

High Octane Internship at the Daytona International Speedway

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Story written by: Zachary Volo

I remember seeing “Daytona International Speedway Guest Relations, Spring 2016” so vividly. After relentlessly looking for internship opportunities where I would be able to extend my horizons, I applied on a whim knowing they were undergoing one of the largest renovations in sport history. Three weeks and two interviews later, I knew I was spending the spring semester of 2016 in Daytona Beach, Florida to be a part of one of the most iconic days in motorsports history.

During the twelve-week program, the experience encompassed a wide variety of work in the sport management field, specifically on the operations side. Most of my work focused directly on ensuring the newly built stadium was going to offer the best guest experience not only in motorsport, but in all of sport. In doing so, I was able to learn the magnitude of importance properly staffing an event holds in the bigger picture.

After countless hours of updating employee availability, building the schedule, and a whirlwind of unprecedented stress, I was able to take a step back and watch all my hard work pay off at multiple NASCAR events. The most notable of those being the Daytona 500, which required a grand total of 724 employees to staff the stadium properly. Although I have never been to a race before, I have been to multiple sporting events, and after this experience I will never look at them the same. I will forever appreciate the amount of work, time, and effort that certainly went into hosting that race, game, or match.

The University of Connecticut Sport Management program has molded me into a young professional equipped to take on any and all challenges in the sport business world. Over the course of my time at UConn, I have built relationships with the faculty and students that I know will last a lifetime. Whether working as an Athletic Administrative Assistant to the university’s Athletic Department to being a member of the Sport Business Association, UConn has allowed me to open doors I never thought imaginable. I guarantee I would not be where I am today without the help this program has provided me. An education experience like this comes few and far between, and I am both proud and grateful to be a Husky.

SMP student receives Honorable Mention in 2015 UConn Intern of the Year Awards

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SMP student receives Honorable Mention in 2015 UConn Intern of the Year Awards

The UConn Sport Management Program would like to congratulate undergraduate student Theus McBee on receiving Honorable Mention in the 2015 UConn Intern of the Year Awards!

McBee, a senior in UConn’s Sport Management Program, interned with the National Basketball Association at their headquarters in New York City in the summer of 2015. Click here for more details on his ten week experience with the NBA!

Student Focus: Theus McBee – Interning for the NBA

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Student Focus: Theus McBee – Interning for the NBA

This past summer, I was fortunate enough to intern with the National Basketball Association at their headquarters in New York City. As a senior Sport Management major, I was thrilled to join such a well-known organization in my desired field of interest. After submitting my application in the fall and going through a couple of interviews, I was granted the opportunity to work alongside one of the greatest sports leagues in the world. When I first received the offer from the HR Department, I was ecstatic and could not believe that it was really happening. So many positive emotions ran through my body and I happily accepted.

Over the course of the ten week program, I primarily spent my time working with the social media department, where I was able to get a deeper look on how popular social media platforms are used throughout the industry. Some of the biggest events that I got to take part in were the NBA Draft, a NBA Cares event, and the NBA Rookie Photo Shoot. Lending a hand in all three of these events really opened up my eyes to see how certain operations take place in the grand scheme of things. I’ve watched a countless number of NBA games on television and have even been able to attend a few games live, but seeing the behind-the-scenes aspect of it all, really made me appreciate it even more.

From an organizational standpoint, the employees that I worked with at the NBA were extremely helpful at all times and provided me with a terrific amount of guidance. Being an intern can be intimidating in some instances at particular organizations, but this was not the case. The people there were always willing to speak with me, whether it was giving me advice on life after college or simply telling me about their road to where they are now. They understood where I was coming from and they treated me with respect. The concept of “family” is truly portrayed at the NBA’s league offices.

There is no doubt in my mind that I would not have made it this far had it not been for the University of Connecticut’s Sport Management Program. The faculty, the students, and the overall staff have all played a huge role in getting me into the position that I’m in today. From spending time as President of the UConn Sport Business Association to being a manager for the men’s basketball team, UConn has definitely been a benefit to my overall success. The beauty of this great university and Sport Management program is that students are able to receive an enriching curriculum regarding business in the sports world, while still having the luxurious opportunity of getting quality experience at such a top notch athletic institution. The combination of learning in the classroom and being able to apply that knowledge right here on campus, is tough to beat.