One of our Internship placements that is growing in popularity, is the Sports Media position.
It is a great opportunity to gain valuable experience in the world of digital media in the sporting world. We had the chance to talk with one of our current interns who has spent the past 5 months as a digital media intern for Villarreal CF. A soccer club that competes in the top division in Spain!

1. Tell us about your interest in soccer and your background in the sport.

During my childhood, I played everything from baseball and basketball to tennis and golf. From an early age, however, I found myself gravitating towards soccer in particular. I joined a travel team when I turned nine years old. I played club soccer until the age of eighteen. I also played for my high school, where I was the Varsity captain for my final two years. I no longer play soccer competitively, but I have sought to couple my interest in working in digital media and design, with my passion for sports.

2. Tell us about your background in digital media and what you studied.

 I have always had an interest in movies, and I started making my own short films when I was in 8^th grade. I attended the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts to pursue my love of film and media. I was lucky enough to intern at multiple film companies in LA while I was completing by bachelor’s degree.

3. How long is your internship and why did you choose to do an internship with a soccer club in Spain?

I am interning for Villarreal CF for five months. I chose to do an internship for a soccer club in Spain because the top soccer league in Spain, La Liga, has enjoyed incredible success over the years. Being able to learn from a successful club in such a prestigious league provides me the opportunity to learn the work culture and club philosophies that contribute to creating success in such a league.

4. What skills have you had to use so far in your internship?

My tasks at the internship have included a lot of video work. I have filmed everything from tours of the stadium, youth team training sessions, to interviews with coaches and players. I have also done photo editing and graphic design as well.

5. What type of opportunities or experiences have you had while working with a professional team?

The experiences I have had as a result of being an intern with Villarreal are incredible. I have been able to watch first team training sessions, attend press conferences, watch La Liga and Europa league games, and even watch a game from the press box. I even got to shadow a photographer on the field during a Europa league match against Zenit.

6. What has been your favorite experience so far?

My favorite experience was definitely going on the field with the photographers during a match. It was cool to see behind the scenes and get to be that close to the action. It is an eye-opening perspective to see this level of professional soccer up-close, and I realized how it is much more difficult to follow the game when you are sitting in the corner of the pitch looking down a camera lens.

I also realized just how prepared the photographers have to be at every moment in case something happens and they need a shot of it. It was cool to learn the workflow used by the photographers and their editors during the match. The speed at which shots are captured, edited, and passed along to other departments for usage on social media during the game is incredible.

7. Are there any perks you hadn’t previously expected that have come from working with a professional club?

I don’t know if I would say there are any perks that I didn’t expect, but the perks I expected have been much cooler than I anticipated. Getting to see all the matches has been a super exciting experience. Watching the training sessions has also been pretty special. I suppose that while I anticipated seeing a first team training session, the more interesting part for me has been seeing how all the youth teams train. Seeing the entire development period has been a cool perk as I can compare it to the American development system and see how it differs.

8. How will this experience benefit your future career? 

I think the biggest benefit for me will be the international work experience. Getting to work in an international context is an invaluable experience. As there is a large possibility that my future jobs will be at least somewhat international in nature, the experience working with people from all around the world in a professional environment is extremely important.

To find out more about a placement like this, or something similar, right here.