Are there Internships in sports?
We pose this question first for those who doubt that internships exist in the sports world. Not all of these are associated with teams, professional and amateur, as they are available in other areas. One example is radio broadcasting and sports writing for sporting events. We will expand on internships in the media later in this article. Therefore, there are opportunities beyond those offered with a specific team or sport. Internships range from football and baseball teams to sports performance companies. Some stipulate a particular degree, whereas others require a current college student or graduate, regardless of the major. Although, we speculate that those majors that apply directly to the job may have a better chance of acceptance.
When are most Internships?
There will be more offerings in the summer months. If there is not an internship near your residence, you would have to live in another city for the summer break. A paying internship would alleviate the burden of living in a different locale for three or four months.
Team Sports
Since these words are in the captioned query, we will explore the possibilities of becoming an intern for a professional team. The best source is current or prior postings by a team – this should provide insight into the preferred degree for the specific internship.
NFL teams offer seasonal internships for graduates from an accredited undergraduate or graduate Athletic Training Education Program. As the name suggests, the position involves duties related to the athletic training of players, as you work alongside the rest of the training staff. Responsibilities may include rehabilitation protocols, pack, and prepare equipment for travel, setup, and breakdown practice apparatus.
A Bachelor or Master of Science in Athletic Training would suit the requirements of this internship. The undergraduate curriculum teaches emergency care, rehabilitation from various injuries, recognition of trauma, and critical problem-solving skills. Graduates from a bachelor’s program will have clinical examination skills based on an understanding of anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics. They will also be able to recognize abnormal social, emotional and mental behaviors in the athletes, which allow the trainer to formulate a diagnosis. The University of Nevada-Las Vegas, for example, offers a bachelor’s degree in the major. Lee University has both undergraduate and graduate programs in Athletic Training.
NBA teams also have summer internships. The Boston Celtics, as an example, posted openings for Summer 2020 in Marketing, Sales, Community Relations, Media Relations, Operations, and Basketball Operations departments. The job posting does not designate a preferred degree. However, successful candidates work in an array of areas, such as business intelligence, community relations, business development, and digital production. Therefore, an undergraduate in business management, communications, digital media, and business intelligence and analytics should apply. Or an MBA.
In Major League Baseball (MLB), some teams demand a degree in a particular major due to the functions of the internship. For example, the Washington Nationals has an opening for a 2020 Summer intern in Research and Development. Because the internship entails computer programming and data analysis, the preferred degree is a baccalaureate or master’s degree in computer science, statistics, or mathematics. Additionally, applicants should have a passion for the sport of baseball and an understanding of baseball operations.
Media is a huge part of the sports world, for professional teams, individual athletes, and amateur competitions. Television pays billions of dollars to cover NFL games. Fox Sports, for example, paid $550 million in 2018, just to for the rights to broadcast Thursday night football games. NBC has a $7.5 billion contract, signed in 2014, to air the Olympics through 2032. Further down the revenue list is the National Hockey League (NHL), which earns only $200 million from a ten-year television contract with NBC Sports – it expires in 2021.
The above massive media contracts translate to internships in the medium of television. NBC Sports Chicago offers a Summer 2020 internships in news production, marketing, creative services, sales, and research. The qualifications require applicants to be pursuing an Associate degree or higher. The posting does not mention a specific degree, although knowledge of the sports media landscape and technology is beneficial. Additional internships are available at NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises – its Spanish-language Network and Production division.
Conclusion
The diversity of internships affords opportunities for current college students and graduates as a means to gain experience, with pay, in the vast world of sports. Consequently, there is no best degree.
We have highlighted the alphabet leagues – the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB; however, a quick online search reveals a multitude of possible internships. These exist at universities’ Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, the WNBA, the United Soccer Leagues (in Pennsylvania), cycling, and sports performance products. Check out Chegg Internships for many more in numerous fields.