Organizations are establishing internship programs and offering great opportunities for college students, and even high school students, to learn job positions within the sports tourism industry. Internship programs have become popular year-round rather than just during the summer.
Last summer, the Snohomish County Sports Commission started an internship program. The program was successful enough that we wanted to repeat it, while expanding on the best parts of it. For us, the most important thing was to create an internship program that imparted valuable experience for the students and allowed them to make useful contributions to our work as well.
Is your company considering an internship program? Are you looking for ways to give future leaders an opportunity in the sports tourism industry? We’re glad to share some of our tips, as well as those of some of our colleagues, who weighed in for this article.
What should an employer consider when creating an internship that has a two-way value? The best way is to look at the end result. In other words, concentrate on the outcomes you want to achieve, and use those to craft the program that best meets your needs and the needs of the intern.
1. Learning Opportunities
An internship program should create opportunities for a college student to gain hands-on experiences in the career field the student is interested in pursuing after graduation. For example, the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) has a summer intern program for students to receive hands-on experience with the business side of golf, on and off the course.
“Students receive the opportunity to experience tournament operations, digital communications, sales/marketing and finance.” states Patrick Cansfield, AJGA Director of Business Development. “In addition, students learn time management, public speaking, teamwork, leadership and customer service.”
In other words, students in the program are allowed to have real, meaningful experiences in the field; they are not left in the office to do administrative work while the staff goes about the business of the organization.
These learning opportunities allow the student to gain skills to be a future leader, as well as to have real work experiences to use on a job application after graduation. Nathan Caferro, Snohomish County Sports Commission sports events coordinator, offered this insight about internships he had while a student at Gonzaga University. By participating in the internships, he learned from his director at Bloomsday Run that “no job is too small” to be addressed correctly. He learned to be well prepared and disciplined as there are many goals to reach with working in sporting events and there are many moving parts with coordinating events. This learning experience has allowed him to grow and remember the valuable lessons to this today.
2. Networking
Interns can network with others in the industry and within the community in which the organization operates. For example, AJGA interns can build relationships with junior golfers, golf course and facility staff, local tournament committee members, volunteers and AJGA stakeholders and sponsors, as well as with other interns. Interns working for a sports commission or convention and visitor bureau create relationships within the destination’s community and assist with creating a partnership for the destination.
Networking lets the intern be engaged within the work environment and within the local community. “Creating relationships is something that I really strive to do,” states Nathan Caferro. “I am lucky that the internships I had enabled me to make and sustain so many valuable connections.”
3. Competitive Advantage
Internships create a competitive advantage for the organization and for the intern. The intern is learning about the organization’s business, building relationships with community leaders, and gaining valuable experiences. A resume with internships showcases the intern’s work experience to future employers.
A competitive advantage is gained whether the intern is working in a specific department or being cross-trained.
“We challenge interns to get the most out of their experience and are open to cross-training. Since the AJGA hires full-time from the internship program, the more knowledgeable an employee has become from their internship, the easier the transition.” states Cansfield.
What should an organization provide to create value for an intern?
To gain insight on this perspective, I asked Dr. Patrick Rishe, Director, Sports Business Program, Washington University in St. Louis, this question, “What should an organization provide to create value for an intern?”
Dr. Rische believed that two things an organization should provide are mentorship and duties with substance. Mentorship is valuable as it guides and trains the intern. The hope is to teach the intern more about the business, whether tournament operations, sales, finance or digital communications. These are all useful skills for the future.
The intern generally is interested in applying his or her learnings to a real-world experience. Most internships include college credit, and the student may need to author a report to fulfill the credits. Intern assignments that are everyday tasks, such as endless administrative work to update computer mailing lists, will not benefit the student or the employer.
Dr. Rishe also offers a couple of tips for starting an internship program. First, look at both past and current workflow internally where needs might arise. Are you weak in social media or promotions? Do you need assistance with event management? Second, what are your short-term future needs? Is there a need for a summer internship to help balance out a higher demand on the calendar caused by one event, or are there numerous events where you anticipate the need for help? If yes, then there is a strong indication for an internship program.
The third question is the most important. You must honestly ask yourself and your staff whether you are going to have the ability to offer the intern a strong learning opportunity and whether someone on staff will have time to mentor them. You should also ask whether that intern will be a valued member of your team.
If the answers to the questions above are no, then you shouldn’t proceed. But if the answers are yes, then write a one- or two-page description of your internship needs, the tasks the intern will be doing, the hours required, and whether the internship is for pay, for credit, or both.
The last tip from Dr. Rishe is “plan ahead.” Have the intern position description posted several months in advance of when you are wanting the intern to start. For example, if you want to find a summer intern, then you should have the position posted no later than the middle of January.
There are many ways for organizations to promote the internship program. One way is to work with your local university. Connect with the university to find out which college programs require internship as part of the student’s course requirements. Promote the intern position through platforms such as Handshake and attend recruiting events.
For example, AJGA promotes their internship program in multiple ways. The ways AJGA recruits students each year include sharing the internship opportunities to over 900 colleges and universities through Handshake and utilizing the TeamWork Online platform. Additionally, AJGA staff members attend up to 30 recruiting events throughout the country to talk with students about their internship program.
Fun and innovative ways to recruit interns include using social media channels, as well as your organization’s website. AJGA created an Instagram account, @AJGA Careers, and promotes on the website at www.ajga.org/careers. Feel free to check out how AJGA recruits college students.
Organizations that have an internship program may find their next future leaders. American Junior Golf Association considers its internship program the backbone of the organization. AJGA has a professional development program in place for the interns. The program allows for growth and learning opportunities in all aspects of the business of golf.
By starting in advance, asking yourself the right questions and creating a strong and meaningful program, you will be able to offer interns an experience that lasts a lifetime. You will also be able to usher in the next group of leaders in the sports management industry.
A huge thank you to the contributors of the article, Nathan Caferro, Dr. Patrick Rishe and Patrick Cansfield, all of whom provided their valuable time and insights. SDM
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