Sports management and physical education majors may be expected to complete an internship at or near the end of an undergraduate education. Individual colleges and universities outline their own expectations for these assignments, and many expect that students will be assigned to mentors. A sports management internship can unfold across any athletic activity and may involve tasks ranging from administrative work to supporting the presentation of major sporting events.
Given that internships have the potential to lead to full-time employment, students should pursue sport management internships in areas where careers are desired. Whether the sport is baseball, boxing, or basketball, for instance, interns can be exposed to anything from recruitment practices and agent responsibilities to marketing and advertising for major sporting events. For local programs, interns might help to coordinate summer camp programs for children in which a sport, such as basketball, is taught and played. Interns might be involved with everything from organizing camp sessions to participating in daily camp activities.
Promotion is an aspect of sports management where students can become involved. Sport management internships tied to marketing and advertising are common for events such as boxing matches. Interns may contribute to designing, creating, and distributing marketing material for high-profile sporting events. Ticket sales may also be a component of this type of internship program. Assignments like this might involve working in a team environment where communication and sales skills will come into play.
It's possible that sport management internships will be limited by the season in which the sport is played. For instance, internships that involve some type of participation surrounding live sporting events must be completed during the appropriate months. Being involved in a live sporting event, such as a baseball or basketball game, could be exciting, and subsequently the selection process may be highly competitive.
Interns for live sporting events could assist with a variety of tasks ranging from preparing a locker room to laying a tarp over the field during inclement weather. In fact, entire sport management internships could be devoted to maintaining the grounds or fields where sporting events are played. Tasks might include field maintenance, including fixing any ground impairments that might occur during games. Live event sport management internships may also involve the operation of scoreboards or assistance with personal trainers in the event of a player injury. Given that sporting events occur on any day of the week and many evenings, students should submit to being available during nontraditional business hours.