Sport Management Internships
A critical component of the Sport Management curriculum are the experiential learning opportunities offered through the practicum and internship courses, and our program stands out in its focus on real-life opportunities for students. Unlike most programs where faculty members juggle classroom responsibilities with oversight of practica and internships, Fisher’s Sport Management Program offers a dedicated staff member whose primary responsibility it is to assist students with pairing their interests with the vast practical opportunities available throughout the sport industry. Sport Management requirements dictate students take a 120-hour practical experience in a students’ junior year and a 400-hour opportunity during the senior year of their studies. Practicum and internship credits allow students to learn more effectively by applying classroom theory to real work experience. These courses also provide continuous feedback on the academic training students receive throughout the program.
Various on-campus internship opportunities for Sport Management students include the Athletic Business Office, Student Life Center, Growney Stadium, Media Relations, Intramurals, and The Cardinal Courier (campus newspaper). In addition, the College’s location provides a unique opportunity for valuable internship experiences off-campus. Numerous opportunities exist in the Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse areas. In Rochester alone, a number of minor league sport teams exist offering potential internship experiences in soccer, baseball, ice hockey, and indoor/outdoor lacrosse. Beyond professional sport, students have garnered experiences with private high schools athletic departments; not-for profit organizations like the Monroe County Sports Commission and Boys’ And Girls’ Club; as well as municipal recreation departments in the region. In addition to the varied experiences available within the Rochester area, St. John Fisher College serves as the site of the Buffalo Bills’ preseason summer training camp.
Below is a partial list of placements sport management students have participated in:
- United States Olympic Training Center, Lake Placid
- Phoenix Coyotes, National Hockey League
- Monroe County Sports Commission
- 85th PGA Championship, Oak Hill Country Club
- Arena Football League Office, Chicago, IL
- Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America
- Syracuse University Athletic Department
- Rochester Americans, American Hockey League
- Buffalo Bills, National Football League
- Monroe County Special Olympics
- Brighton Parks and Recreation Department
- Mid-town Athletic Club
- Total Sports Experience, Facility Management, Rochester, NY
- The Golf Channel
- American Junior Golf Association
- Madison Square Garden
- Florida Marlins, Major League Baseball
- WHAM-TV Sports department
- Delaware North Company
- Eastside YMCA
- Cleveland Cavaliers, National Basketball League
- Turning Stone Resort PGA Championship
- Troyer Motor Sports
- Empire State Games - New York
- Disney Hilton Head Resort
- Canisius College Athletic Department
John Concordia '08
I came to the St. John Fisher Sport Management program differently than most students. I was a transfer from Finger Lakes Community College and even in the short time I was part of the program, picked up many valuable tools that were essential to my early career success.
The department has professors with actual industry experience that offer the necessary insights into the sports world, preparing you to compete for jobs after graduation. The class sizes are also small which allows for individual attention from the faculty. With all that said, the single biggest strength of the program has to be the networking opportunities it provides its students.
Majors are involved in every sports organization in the Rochester area and graduates are employed in each of them as well. Every year that passes, graduates are spreading nationally, creating more and more networking opportunities for current students. In addition, alumni like myself continue to maintain strong ties to the program. When in a position to hire, I first look to the Sport Management majors at Fisher because I am confident that they possess the necessary skills and are prepared to help the company I work for.
I credit the networking opportunities and the strong personal relationships I have with the professors as one of the major reasons I landed a job two months prior to my graduation. Looking back I am thankful that I made the decision to transfer into St. John Fisher's Sport management program.
John Concordia is the Box Office Manager of Blue Cross Arena and CMAC Amphitheatre.