One of the things that make the Sport Management program at Florida State University one of the best in the country is its focus on connecting students with a sprawling network of professionals and internship opportunities. Of course, COVID-19 made this more complicated; however, not even a global pandemic can stop the program’s commitment to providing students with this hands-on experience. Many students chose to do their internships online. Those who did intern in-person adhered to safety guidelines and made sure to respect the health of others. Students worked with athletic organizations near and far from the safety of their homes. Through these efforts, students logged hundreds of internship hours and became even more prepared for exciting careers in the sports industry. We asked students in the program what these internships meant to them. Here are just a few of their experiences:
Erica Orensky interned at Georgia State Games online. She says: “I have been working on projects within the departments of sport/event management, volunteer management, and public relations/social media. These projects have honed my skills in researching, developing, and creativity. This experience will benefit me in my future aspirations in the sport industry by giving me insight, allowing me the opportunity to learn about every department of an organization and how they work together and are each affected by change. It also gives me the unique opportunity to see how an organization is affected by and efficiently handles change, thus giving me invaluable tools that I can use in my future endeavors.”
Lia Drivas also interned at Georgia State Games and says about her internship: “During my virtual internship, I worked on multiple projects that will benefit the future Georgia State Games. I gathered data on multiple counties’ Chambers of Commerce and used the collected data to formulate Excel sheets in which the data can be easily found for specific use. Being able to find specific data will further my career in the sport industry because the information you are looking for is not always in the most accessible place. Looking for data is being a detective on the internet and this skill will come in handy looking up anything in any industry, not only in sports. Having an online internship has made me become more efficient on my own and any employer is going to want an efficient employee on their team.”
Adam Nazworth interned with FSU Football as an operations intern. He says: “Through working in this professional environment, I have worked closely with the senior executive assistant on all matters impacting the football program. I have assisted in recruiting efforts for spring practice, processed travel expenses, helped create an FSU Football booklet for the families of the coaching staff, and processed additional reimbursements. By doing this, I have learned how the coaching staff and support staff interact with each other on a daily basis while also understanding the way a Power 5 program operates.”
