While interning with the America East Conference, an NCAA Division I athletic conference, communication major Michael Clapprood ’25 had the opportunity to learn about many different areas in athletics—from leadership and compliance to financial management and communications. Exposure to these diverse areas gave him great insight into the inner workings of a Division 1 athletic program, and the experience convinced him that this is the career path he wants to pursue.
What was your internship & what were your primary responsibilities?
I interned as a Sport Administration Intern with America East Conference, an NCAA Division I athletic conference, where I was exposed to several different aspects of athletic administration. My broad responsibilities included everything from assisting with compliance and generating press releases and content with the creative services team to expand our brand awareness on social media to recording card infractions and sending them to Athletic Directors and Sport Administrators for weekly review.
How did your internship relate to your major or career goals?
I want to be in athletic leadership, and my goal is to be an athletic director at the high school or college level.
Can you describe a project you worked on during your internship that you found particularly challenging or rewarding?
The bi-annual institutional survey I completed was quite challenging, but in the end, it was rewarding. The survey is conducted with all nine athletic departments in the conference (Albany, Bryant, Binghamton, Maine, UMBC, UMass Lowell, New Hampshire, NJIT, and Vermont) who fill out a Google form to provide data on their independent athletic departments. I had to use their responses to compare and contrast membership data across various topics such as salaries, scholarships, and budgets. This gave me great insight into the interworkings of a Division 1 athletic program.
What skills did you develop or improve during your internship?
I developed my interpersonal communication and collaboration skills in a professional environment during a busy time in the athletic calendar year.
How did your internship help you understand the industry or field you're interested in?
It provided me with many contacts and people to talk to from different colleges and universities. The relationships between different conferences play a major role in developing the NCAA.
What was the most surprising thing you learned during your internship?
During staff meetings, I was shocked to see the direct contact a low-major Division 1 conference had with the NCAA headquarters. There was a lot of planning for future months and years that showed strong collaboration and teamwork skills.
How did the internship environment compare to your expectations of a professional workplace?
It was great to be in the office and socialize with everyone but also have remote days as well. In the office, I could ask questions and get to know people personally. Remotely, meetings were very productive, and people were focused and capable of doing things outside the office.
Did your internship help you confirm or reassess your career path or aspirations?
Yes, it confirmed that I belong in Division 1 athletics. This opportunity was great because it exposed me to various athletics areas, such as leadership, compliance, financial management, communications, operations, and content strategy. Connecting with everyone in the office of 10 people allowed me to get a great perspective of what they do daily and weekly.
Were any specific courses or knowledge from your major particularly useful during your internship?
Sport in the Media gave me great insight into how formats and language go a long way in the sports industry. This course was great and taught me about what appeals to sports fans journalistically and verbally.
How will this internship impact your future job prospects or academic pursuits?
The connections I made with everyone in the office will continue to help me in the future, as most staff members also worked at specific colleges.