Athletics | January 15th, 2023
Lending a Hand: The Athletic Internship Program
By: Jada Pierre
Florida A&M University’s Athletic Department has experienced some hardships this past year. From players being ineligible to the department being understaffed, student-athletes are beyond needing assistance.
The student-run Athletic Internship Program was created to aid athletes and the department in recruitment, marketing, and operations. It allows student interns to experience what it is like to work in sports. Interns are able to make great connections and lend a helping hand.
An athletic intern, Taylor Adams, uses this program to gain experience for her dream career. When Adams graduates, she wants to be a sideline reporter for the NFL.
Since she was younger, Adams has always loved sports. Adams has assisted with football, volleyball, basketball, and softball press announcements. She has also recorded a fall update video and worked with HBCU GO, a streaming service that broadcasts all HBCU sports live.
Adams said that one of the best things she has experienced was “taking the production team of HBCU GO to Set Friday, Convocation, and the step show during homecoming week.
“I made new connections and got to experience a different point of view from entertainment and sports production,” Adams said.
The Athletic Internship alleviates the small tasks of the department so that more significant tasks can be prioritized.
Fayth Kemp, another intern, explained that this program “helps FAMU athletes because it allows the Athletics’ staff to handle the bigger responsibilities and challenges the department may face while the interns help to relieve the load. The interns help with set up and take down, post-game meals, band and DJ assistance, and so much more.”
Kiahra Wood shared some advice for students wanting to work in sports.
“Keep an open mind that is willing to learn and adapt to certain things,” Wood said. “Throughout this experience, I thought I would come in and work hands-on with the sports team as that is what I want to do later in my career; however, that was not the case! I work diligently behind the scenes to make sure that everything people see on gameday is smooth, and I love that.”
Kemp who was full of advice also shared, “Keep your mind strong and remember your why. In the world of sports, it is very easy to lose track of why you are there because of the excitement and madness that goes on during the games. Your why should be your motive as to your reasoning for wanting to work in this career field.”
