The Best Path into Sports You've Never Heard Of

Most people don't spend four years in college and complete multiple internships, with the goal of graduating into a temporary, hourly position.

I certainly didn't.

When I graduated from Clemson in 2022, I thought my first opportunity in sports would be a full-time job. Instead, after months of networking and interviewing, I found myself accepting a temporary trainee position with Octagon that would only last a few weeks.

If I'm being honest, it felt like a bit of an ego blow at first, but looking back, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Trainee programs are one of the best entry points into the sports industry, and they're surprisingly overlooked. They're especially common at sports agencies, though you'll find similar programs across teams, leagues, governing bodies, and major events. Think of them as a post-graduate internship, except with more responsibility and a much clearer objective.

They're essentially a tryout.

For the company, it's an opportunity to evaluate young professionals before committing to a full-time hire. For you, it's a chance to experience the job firsthand, build meaningful relationships, and determine whether it's actually the career you want to pursue. If everything goes well, many trainees receive full-time offers. If they don't, they leave with professional sports experience that immediately makes them more competitive for other entry-level opportunities.

A trainee is a temporary, entry-level employee hired to gain hands-on experience while supporting an organization or major project. Most trainee programs are designed for recent college graduates and typically last anywhere from a few weeks to several months. They are especially common at sports agencies, but you'll also find similar programs with teams, leagues, governing bodies, and major sporting events.

Think of a trainee program as a post-graduate internship with a greater emphasis on long-term hiring. For the organization, it's an opportunity to evaluate young professionals before extending a full-time offer. For the trainee, it's a chance to build real-world experience, expand their network, and prove they can succeed in the role. Even if a full-time position doesn't immediately follow, the experience can make candidates significantly more competitive when applying for other opportunities across the sports industry.

While I was searching for my first job after graduation, a connection suggested I apply for Octagon's trainee program. I interviewed for several different positions before ultimately being offered a role supporting one of Octagon's clients title sponsorship of a PGA TOUR event.

A few weeks later, I packed my bags, flew to Wilmington, Delaware, moved into a hotel for a month, and spent the ensuing weeks learning more than I thought was possible.

Alongside four other trainees, I helped support the sponsorship activation for the tournament. The days were long (really long), but it introduced me to a corner of the sports industry I hadn’t previously considered building a career in.

Before that experience, I was convinced my future was in soccer operations. I had spent years working with Clemson Men's Soccer and thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Brand consulting had never really crossed my mind.

Six weeks later, that had completely changed.

When the trainee program ended, I began applying for full-time positions back at Octagon. A little over a month later, I accepted my first full-time role with the company.

Four years later, I'm still here.

What makes the story even better is that it wasn't just me. The four trainees who started alongside me all used that same opportunity to launch careers in sports. Two are still at Octagon, one now works for the NWSL, and another works in talent representation at a competing sports agency.

Not bad for a group of temporary employees.

That's why I encourage students not to overlook trainee programs simply because they aren't permanent. They may not come with the title or salary you imagined after graduation, but they can provide something equally valuable: a chance to get your foot in the door, prove yourself, and discover opportunities you didn't even know existed.

If you still aren't convinced, don't just take it from me.

I asked two other former trainees to share how those opportunities helped launch their careers.

Name: Tim Smith

Current Role: Senior Manager, Partnership Marketing | Barstool Sports

Q. Where and When were you a trainee?

A. I actually completed two trainee roles with Octagon. My first was a six-week contract supporting BMW's partnership with the PGA TOUR FedExCup Playoffs, where I worked remotely on the vehicle logistics team helping coordinate the tournament fleet for players, volunteers, and tournament staff. That experience led to a second opportunity as an Account Trainee on the BMW Golf team in Stamford, Connecticut, where I supported the agency's work across the BMW Championship and gained broader exposure to sponsorship activation, client services, and event execution.

Q. What was your trainee experience?

A. After graduating from college and completing an internship for a PGA TOUR event, I found Octagon's trainee program as I was specifically eager to find opportunities in the professional golf landscape. I landed a role on the BMW Golf team supporting BMW's PGA Tour event title sponsorship, the BMW Championship. In my role, I touched different aspects of the tournament, from brand activations to hospitality and vehicle logistics. What made the experience so valuable was the hands-on exposure I got working closely with the agency team, clients, tournament organizers, and various vendors. 

Q. What did you do that helped turn your trainee opportunity into a full-time role (or set yourself up for future opportunities)?

A. As a trainee, I viewed the role as an extended tryout with the goal of landing a full position at Octagon. I found myself always trying to find ways to provide value to the team and always being willing to take on new projects. Additionally, the trainee opportunity allowed me to volunteer and tap into staff and other teams' events to assist with on-site execution, which was a great opportunity to gain more exposure. 

Q. What advice would you give someone considering a trainee role?

A. The sports industry is incredibly competitive, and a trainee program is a great way to get your foot in the door. The trainee role is a fantastic entry point to learn the inner workings of the industry and build meaningful connections. My biggest advice is to show up eager to work hard and maximize every chance you get. Looking back, my time as a trainee was invaluable, and it gave me the clarity I needed to figure out where I wanted to head in my career. 

Name: Daniel Magen

Current Role: Boatwright Internship Program Administrator | United States Golf Association (USGA)

Q. Where and When were you a trainee?

A. I was a trainee at Octagon in Cary, NC for the PGA Tour Champions SAS Championship at Prestonwood Country Club, from August to October 2024.

Q. What was your trainee experience?

A. My trainee experience was on the Operations team, where one of my main responsibilities was co-organizing a 5K to be run on the Saturday of the professional golf tournament. That involved marketing, partnering with local race sponsors, and creating t-shirt designs. I will never forget seeing the annoyed faces of the older Champions Tour golfers like Vijay Singh and Bernhard Langer, who were trying to putt while we were blasting Miley Cyrus at 8:30 in the morning.

My other responsibilities included setting up the Pro-Am, moving rope and stake around the course with my team of other operations guys, adjusting flags in the 17th and 18th hole hospitality suites, and preparing the course to look its best from a visual marketing and fan engagement standpoint. This even included helping about 12 digital scoreboards get offloaded from the PGA TOUR Truck and make their way around the course with a team of 8 other guys. In the two weeks leading up to the tournament, I handled a range of operations tasks, including helping vendors bring porta-potties to areas on the course, setting up rope and stake, and putting up signage and directional arrows around the course.

It was fascinating to sit in on team brainstorming meetings where anyone could put forward suggestions on Pro-Am ideas and hospitality designs and to hear how the run-of-show was constructed. It made everyone so excited for advance week, and the tournament week itself was like our Super Bowl. By Sunday night of the tournament, it truly felt like a family that had just conquered a great deal together- long hours, sometimes thankless tasks, and detailed agendas, but we had made it through and got to celebrate that we had done it as a team.

Q. What did you do that helped turn your trainee opportunity into a full-time role (or set yourself up for future opportunities)?

A. A few weeks after my internship, I was in the mix for a few full-time roles at Octagon. That said, I wish I had started looking for full-time jobs even sooner, before the trainee period was over, because it goes quickly.

In the last week of the trainee role, we had a one-day charity fundraiser for cancer research that Octagon had been asked to support. It was a great event, and we were at the course from 6am to 6pm refilling water coolers, helping set up the tournament awards, and meeting many of the players.

That evening, there was a USGA Boatwright Alumni call starting at 7, so I stayed around to hop on and catch up with my fellow Boatwright cohort and others working at state golf associations. For context, I had been a Boatwright Golf Operations intern with the Carolinas Golf Association in 2023, working youth-to-senior amateur golf tournaments across more than 20 courses in North and South Carolina, supporting tournament operations and working alongside volunteer rules officials.

On the call, I ended up in a breakout room where I got to share about my role with Octagon, all while sitting on the back patio in the dark after that long fundraiser day. From that conversation, I stayed in touch with Tyler Riggin, the USGA's Southeast Regional Affairs Director, who serves as the liaison between the USGA and the 10 southeast state golf associations. We hopped on a few more calls in the weeks ahead, and he encouraged me to apply for the Carolinas PGA Section tournament assistant role. I was still applying and interviewing for roles with Octagon at this time too, somewhere between November 2024 and January 2025. Then the Boatwright Internship Program Administrator role, essentially overseeing the internship I had been part of in 2023, opened up later in January 2025, and I applied. I was offered the job in March 2025!

Q. What advice would you give someone considering a trainee role?

A. I would say this is your time to learn as much as you can. Soak up as many of the PowerPoint tools, meeting and conversation skills, and the agencies quick-thinking, problem-solving culture as you can. Network with people outside your own office but also take the time to get to know the people in your office really well. There are so many different routes to go within the agency, and people will be happy to give you 20 minutes for a quick conversation about what they do.

Another piece of advice: never assume a full-time job will come out of the trainee role. It's a fantastic opportunity, but you still have to be intentional about applying for jobs at your agency and elsewhere. Nobody is going to do that for you. This is also the time to hop on the trainee calls with the HR team and hear about new jobs that are opening up.

1. Temporary isn’t bad
Don't overlook an opportunity simply because it isn't full-time. Trainee programs can provide meaningful experience, expand your network, and often become the bridge to your first full-time role in sports.

2. Treat every day like an interview
The best trainees don't wait to be told what to do. They volunteer for extra projects, look for ways to add value, and build relationships across the organization. Your reputation during those few weeks can shape opportunities long after the program ends.

3. Keep the big picture in sight
A trainee program doesn't have to end with a full-time offer from the same company to be a success. Whether you stay or move somewhere else, the experience, relationships, and credibility you gain can open doors throughout the sports industry.

-Octagon Job Board - Trainee roles are posted on a rolling basis

-MKTG Job Board - Trainee program opens in October!

-Atlanta Braves Trainee Program

Thank you for reading this week’s edition of So You Want to Work in Sports. I appreciate you being part of this community.

If you have ideas, feedback, or future guest suggestions, feel free to reach out at [email protected].

If you want more hands-on support as you navigate the start of your career within sports, book a 1:1 session with me here. The sooner you start preparing, the more confident you will feel when opportunities come your way.