During the 2018 Spring semester, I was honored to intern at Athletes First, a full-service sport agency in Laguna Hills, CA.
Athletes First primarily focuses on football, representing more than 150 NFL players and coaches. Interns help the organization throughout the NFL season and off-season, including assisting with the rookie program, Super Bowl, NFL Combine, NFL Free Agency and NFL Draft. I helped secure items and work for Athletes First’s yearly Charity Auction to raise money for the Orangewood Foundation, which aims to provide foster children with a better life.
Highlights from my senior Capstone include working on the Charity Auction, Free Agency and the NFL Draft. I felt I truly made an impact on these events. For the auction, each intern was tasked with finding a high-profile item worth auctioning. My contribution was four tickets to a Monster Jam rally. During NFL Free Agency, I compiled statistics and information for New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard’s agent, who helped land Shepard a four-year $41 million extension this past off-season. The NFL Draft was exciting as I got to see athletes I helped and worked for during the semester have their lifelong dreams fulfilled.
I learned a lot about the agency side of football and how important agents are to players. They work hard behind the scenes in order to be successful. I will take all of the real-world lessons I learned at Athletes First and apply them as I begin my career in the sport industry, preferably in sponsorships or marketing.