Women in sports isn’t just the athletes—it’s the administrative staff, operations, media communications and so much more.
If you had told freshman year me that I would spend the summer before my senior year on the sidelines of soccer games, interviewing coaches and players, creating content and learning what it actually takes to run sports social media, I would have been excited. As a communications major who wants a career in sports media, getting hands-on experience was exactly what I was looking for.
Then I actually did it.
I spent my summer 2026 with Lionsbridge FC as a digital content intern. The experience gave me a behind-the-scenes look at the kind of career I had spent so much time imagining. And, more importantly, it confirmed that this is what I want to do.
One of the biggest things I learned is that sports media is so much more than what fans see on game day. There is planning, writing, photography, video, social media, interviews and a million little details happening before, during and after the final whistle. Game day can feel like organized chaos, but somehow, that became one of my favorite parts.
I also learned that interviewing people is a skill you develop by actually doing it. Before an interview, you can have a list of carefully prepared questions. Once you’re standing in front of a coach or player, those questions might change. It’s their responses and asking what naturally pops into conversation. My post-game interviews taught me that the best question isn’t always the one you planned ahead of time. Sometimes, it’s the question that comes from genuine listening.
And then there was content.
Being able to take something happening on the pitch and turn it into something fans could experience though a phone screen was one of the most rewarding parts of the internships. Whether it was capturing a moment, creating a social post or figuring out how to tell the story of a game, I started to understand that sports content isn’t just about showing people what happened. It’s about making them feel like they were there.
For the sports media girlies, I think that’s one of the biggest lessons I can share: you don’t have to know everything before you start. I certainly didn’t.
Internships are where you’re supposed to learn. You’re supposed to ask questions, make mistakes, try things you’ve never done before, and discover what you actually enjoy. I walked into my experience as a communications student and walked away with a much clearer idea of what I wanted my future to look like.
Working in sports can feel intimidating, especially when you’re trying to find your place in an industry that can sometimes feel like it already has its own rules about who belongs. But there is a place for you.
You don’t need to have your entire career figured out. Sometimes, you just need someone to give you the chance to get started.