Summer Internships Prepare Students for Careers in Sports

Interested in turning your love of sports into a career? At Dean, we offer a wide range of sports-related majors and real-world experiences to make that dream become a reality. This summer, many of our Bulldogs found internships in sports broadcasting, sport management and athletic coaching roles. We caught up with a few of them to learn more about their experiences.

Sports Broadcasting

Going live on air, several of our Sports Broadcasting majors interned at various collegiate summer baseball leagues. Their roles covered a wide range of media-related tasks, including play-by-play broadcasting and color commentary, interviewing coaches and players, setting up broadcasting equipment, editing highlights, creating graphics, photography and much more.

Sports Broadcasting major George Hathaway ’23 was the lead play-by-play and color commentator for the Florence Flamingos (formerly Florence Red Wolves) in South Carolina this season. “I love the art of sports broadcasting because we tell a story and the athletes are the main characters,” he said. "When a big play happens, people hear my voice and that will stick with them, so being able to have that impact is an amazing feeling.” George credits his classes, professors and on-campus broadcasting opportunities with growing his skills and standing out from the crowd. He explained, “There are other broadcasters competing at one position from other schools and other teams, but going to Dean gives sports broadcasters an advantage because we are on the air since day one of our freshman year.”

At the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, Austin DeCouta ’23 has been working as the play-by-play broadcaster using skills he started developing as a Sports Broadcasting and Sport Management double major. In addition to calling the games live and other broadcasting tasks, Austin hosts a pre-game and post-game show. “I always wanted to work in the sports world, and after commentating games in high school and attending Dean College's sports broadcasting pre-college summer program, I knew this was the right major for me,” he said. “I have learned a great deal in the set-up and production side of a broadcast and have improved on the mic through the 40-game season. This has given me a chance to develop my skills on air, which should help to add to my reel of work for when applying to a job down the line.”

The Brockton Rox broadcast team this summer includes Brett Chaves ’24, Ben Pope ’24 and Ryan Coughlan ’23. Brett, a Sports Broadcasting major in his first year with the team, spoke to us about his experience. “Every day I am constantly surrounded by people in the broadcasting industry who are willing to help one another for the better of the team,” he said. “The internship has taught me how to be a true team player. Making a successful broadcast cannot be done by one person. It takes a collective effort to put a show together, and I’m thankful to have guys like Ben Pope and Ryan Coughlan helping me. Lastly, it’s taught me to be myself. This job is all about having fun, and that’s what I’ve been doing.”

Sport Management

But the Brockton Rox are home to more than just sports broadcasting interns. Mikayla Godding ’22, a Sport Management major, Psychology minor and member of the women’s soccer team, is also interning with the Brockton Rox on the business side of things. She’s been doing a little bit of everything, from marketing to gain sponsors and coordinating group tickets, to interacting with fans and using customer service skills to help game days go smoothly. “I’ve been able to see a lot of the behind-the-scenes work that no one even knows about, I have seen some of the tasks that our general manager does on a game day, and I have developed my people skills even more,” she said. “By developing and gaining those skills, it will help me reach my goal and help me be more hireable when the job search begins for me. Some of these skills I can even bring back to my team as a captain and implement them there.”

Mikayla, who’s been playing sports since she was five, chose to pursue Sport Management in order to combine her love of sports with the ability to tailor her courses to her interests. “I wanted to focus more on the marketing/sponsorship and promotions side, so with the help of my advisor I was able to take some Arts and Entertainment Management classes that pertained to marketing for live events and sports,” she said. “Taking the vast offering of Sport Management and Psychology classes has helped me understand the operational and business side of a sports team. Getting to see it firsthand at my internship is really cool.”

Athletic Coaching & Recreation Management

Griffin McDonald ’22, an Athletic Coaching and Recreation Management major, interned with both the Eagle Hill School Athletic Department and the Worcester Red Sox (WooSox). After taking two coaching classes with Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach Matt Schairer, Griffin was able to apply what he learned in class as an assistant physical education teacher in Eagle Hill’s summer school program, teaching soccer, mountain biking and physical activity classes. Griffin stated, “I have always had an interest in sports and enjoy working with people in an exciting environment. I have learned so much this summer, especially at Eagle Hill. I have learned that physical activity can be adjusted for everyone, and if you, as the adult, are engaged and enthusiastic, it can be contagious. I know from my experiences this summer at Eagle Hill and at the WooSox that I have chosen the right major at Dean for me.”

With internships like these, our students are gaining valuable skills and experience as they prepare to launch their careers in the competitive fields of sports broadcasting, sport management, coaching and more. Learn more about careers in sports.