Behind this school’s successful high school athletic program is not only the athletic director, but also a group of hardworking student interns who help keep everything running smoothly. These interns are often upperclassmen with a passion for sports management, leadership or communication.
Student interns for Athletic Director Alton Lightsey take on a wide range of responsibilities that help the athletic department function. Their work starts long before a game begins. Interns help with scheduling events, controlling the school’s athletics social media platform and learning how to become more like the athletic director, who has many responsibilities to take care of. They help organize team rosters, update game results, and handle communication between teams, referees and school staff. “As Mr. Lightsey’s student interns we organize and help set up for sporting events, manage Wootton Sports social media and assist Mr. Lightsey with tasks such as passing out merchandise or updating rosters,” student intern and senior Peyton Higgins said.
During game days, these students post on the school’s athletic social media platform, updating stats of games or when the event takes place. Lightsey’s interns handle media responsibilities, such as posting scores on social media, taking photos for the school’s athletic website or writing short game recaps for newsletters. They are the unseen hands that keep athletic events organized and professional. “They are in charge of lots of things, but primarily social media. They do most of the posts on Instagram, X and Facebook. They also help me set up events, they do inventory of items in the office and they help put together team banquet information, including letters, pins, etc.,” Lightsey said.
In addition to their daily duties, interns gain valuable insight into what it takes to run a large and busy athletic department. They see how an athletic director makes decisions about budgets, transportation and scheduling. They also learn about sports administration, communication and leadership skills that are useful not only in athletics but in almost any career field. For students considering sports management, athletic training, or physical education as future professions, the internship provides an early look into those worlds. “I hope they get a glimpse of what all goes into running an athletic department at a high school. There are all kinds of components at play every day in terms of questions from students, parents and administrators. They get to see the operations side working with building services, the business administrator, the athletic trainer and how we go about interacting with visiting schools,” Lightsey said.
However, being a student intern is not just about learning; it’s about responsibility. Interns are expected to be dependable, professional and respectful. They must maintain confidentiality, handle sensitive information and represent the athletic department in a positive light. The job can be demanding, but the rewards are just as great. Interns say they gain how to work with others through this experience and a deeper appreciation for how much effort goes into running school sports. ”Being a student intern has taught us many valuable lessons such as collaboration and the importance of a strong work ethic. We often communicate and work together to find new ideas and opportunities for Wootton Sports. These skills are something that we will definitely carry on with in our futures as we learned how important it is to collaborate with others in order to succeed,” Higgins said.
The experience also builds strong connections. Interns work closely with the athletic director, coaches and athletes, forming relationships that can lead to mentorship and future opportunities. They may go on to pursue college internships in athletics or become managers for college teams. “This internship has given us the opportunity to grow our collaboration skills by working with each other and our communication skills when we talk to Mr. Lightsey. This real life experience of marketing is so fun and we especially enjoy thinking of creative ways to advertise sports games and other athletics events going on at our school whether making videos or cool posts,” student intern and senior Jess Yielding said.
Ultimately, student interns for the athletic director play an essential yet often overlooked role in their school’s sports community. They are the organizers and the behind-the-scenes workers who make sure athletic events run smoothly. While the athletes compete under the bright lights, these interns work in the background, helping create fun and controlled moments that make school sports so special. “The whole point of having interns is to allow them to help, so once trust is established, which doesn’t take very long, they are on their own to do whatever projects we have for the day. Often I have meetings out of the building, and Jess and Peyton are both great at reaching out to find out what they need to do for the day,” Lightsey said.
