Thursday, November 12, 2015
Sporting events at SDSU aren’t only about the athletes, but also about the fans that support them. A lot goes into ensuring games run smoothly outside of the competition itself, and student interns are the people responsible for making this happen.
Every March, the SDSU Athletics Department selects 12 to 16 undergraduate volunteers to participate in the Aztec Athletics Marketing Internship Program for the upcoming year. These interns gain invaluable experience, while developing themselves for the next level.
Responsibilities
Under the supervision of Todd Greenbaum, director of marketing for SDSU Athletics, the student interns’ main responsibility is game day production. Football games are the most time consuming,” said former director of the internship program, Christian Deleon, who also interned during his undergrad seven years ago.
During football season, interns are tasked with setting up and managing the Aztec Village tailgate, as well as student tailgates. They also provide assistance to officials and make sure that timeout and halftime performances run according to the script. All presentation components of the game are on the interns’ list of responsibilities, right down to the fog Aztec football bursts out of before each game.
During basketball season, student interns make sure The Show — SDSU's famous student section — is equipped with everything they need to cheer on the Aztecs, including the flag that swallows the student section at the five-minute mark.
Interns are the backbone of the operations side of the game, but they have just as much responsibility in keeping the crowd energized, according to Deleon. They achieve this by encouraging fan involvement during game breaks, keeping their eyes open for participants to play halftime games, spirited crowd members to show on the big screen and coupled fans to display on the “Kiss Cam.”
“As a fan, you never really think about what goes into putting together an athletic event outside of the game itself,” said Jessica Valo, an alum of the program. “The SDSU Athletics internship opened my eyes to everything behind the scenes."
Experience gained
With regard to the crowd, football and basketball games are huge events for the interns. They learn how to follow a game script and create a seamless game experience for thousands of fans allowing interns to gain the knowledge and skills needed to produce a game on their own.
“Students run volleyball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, baseball, softball, and lacrosse under my supervision,” Greenbaum said. "Interns who put in the effort, do office hours and show that they want to be in this business will rise to the top and gain more leadership responsibility to produce those events.
This internship provides preparation for jobs after college. “In an internship like this, you get out what you put in," Deleon said. "The experience will be as important as what’s gained in a paid position."
Students gain autonomy as they demonstrate the leadership needed to produce games on their own. “Within six months of the internship, I became the lead marketing intern for the 2015 Aztec Softball season,” said Gabby Gray, a current intern. “Having this independence proved to me that a strong work ethic and a willingness to succeed can pay off in many ways in the future.”
Valo, who graduated from SDSU in spring 2015, is currently the event marketing assistant at FOX Sports San Diego. After one semester with the sports marketing internship at SDSU, she was recommended for an internship at FOX. Upon completion of both internships, she was offered a full-time job. “Being an intern with SDSU Athletics had everything to do with me getting this position,” she said.
SDSU Athletics does work with the San Diego sports community, so students are able to make contacts and set themselves up for jobs and other opportunities in the business.
“We learn the operations side of any athletics game very well, and we are forced to work under high-pressure situations,” said Kyle Murphy, another student intern. “We gain strong work experience, and our supervisors share their vast professional networks with us. There are always opportunities to meet other sports business professionals."
How to get involved
Students interested in applying to the program don’t have to have a marketing background — knowledge of sports and the ability to do well under pressure is a start for prospective applicants. An interest in a career in sports is also a benefit.
Applications for the Aztec Athletics Marketing Internship are due in March, and interviews are completed by April. Interested applicants should e-mail Todd Greenbaum with any questions.
