Featured Image: Intern Crosson Miller films a Men’s Basketball home game against Salisbury University on Nov. 10. Colette Kearney | Marlin Chronicle
Athletic interns discuss the benefits and joys of the office
Behind the glass doors of the Athletic Department, there is a constant hustle to make all the events, games and advertising look effortless.
Much of what the athletic department does may go unseen. Behind the scenes of the athletics department, and outside of students’ direct experiences, there are many people who hold up the department.
Interns within the Athletics Department shed light on their experiences and perspectives working with Athletics. Crosson Miller, a junior Sport and Recreation Management major, plays on the Men’s Lacrosse team and works as an intern under the Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Andrea Hoover-Erbig. He provided insight into his role and responsibilities within the department.
“My specific tasks have included setting up TowneBank Arena, running scoreboards, visual display boards, tracking substitutions, live-stat tracking, filming for virtual streaming, running sideline balls, meeting opposing teams and showing them to our facilities/locker rooms and crowd management,” Miller said.
Miller plans to continue his career in sports following this internship. “I am hoping to get a career in coaching and/or professional sports game-day ops. This internship allows me to get valuable experience and knowledge in my desired field,” Miller said.
He encouraged anyone to go after a career that they feel passionate about. “Everyone I have talked to in the Athletics Department is extremely passionate about their jobs. They care about things like community outreach, sport specific ‘X’s and O’s’ and being genuine friends with others within the department,” Miller said.
Miller spoke about his positive experience while a part of the department. “My favorite part of my internship so far has been the new connections I have made and people I’ve interacted with,” Miller said.
He also shared the importance of meeting new people and how it has added value to his overall experience. “Getting to hear their experiences and stories from their careers so far has been extremely helpful,” Miller said.
Miller also spoke highly of the connections he has made and the people he has interacted with in the department. “Overall, the Athletics Department is caring and compassionate about themselves, their supporters and their community, and I think it shows,” Miller said.
Josh Heller, a 2023 alumnus of VWU, is a graduate intern under the Director of Communications, Tyler Costello.
Heller said that he acts as Costello’s second man. His job responsibilities include “updating our website, updating player rosters, sending the rosters to other schools, writing.” In addition, Heller said, “I manage the soccer games, typically what that entails is, I do statistics and I make contact with the other team and get their rosters before the game.”
Heller shared the value of his internship. “I think that my internship is good for anyone that’s interested in sports, like if you’re a person who is dedicated or knows a lot about sports,” Heller said.
Adding to that, Heller believes there are other ways an internship could be valuable, especially at VWU. It may be especially valuable “if you have any writing ability, and interact with people whether that be parents, colleagues, people who work at Virginia Wesleyan,” Heller said. He also mentioned it’s a way to see what the Athletics Department is like.
Heller expanded on this. “Without the coaching staff, the management, the Director of Communications and the Director of Athletics, you essentially wouldn’t have a way to communicate the message and what’s really happening in these games,” Heller said.
“Any big accolade or achievement, or really any stat that happens just kind of goes out the window and no one would really get the significance, so I’d say that’s a big positive to working in the Athletics Department,” Heller said.
Costello mentioned the importance of interns and the help they provide for every game. “At Virginia Wesleyan, it is important for me to have extra help at games because every extra person I get at the athletic event has the potential to become better,” Costello said. “If I am able to consistently have my interns and workers be hired in the sports industry, then I have done my job well.”
Another 2023 VWU alumna who has ties to working with the Athletic Department is Shirell Washington.
“What I took out of working in athletics is that it’s different from a typical 9-5, you get to bond with others who work in athletics and build lasting relationships,” Washington said.
The hard work of the Athletic Department may be unseen, but it’s never unappreciated, especially by those who have had the chance to work there.
By Issac Fick
