7 Sports Internships in Chicago for High School Students
Doing internships isn’t just for college students looking to kick-start their careers. Even as a high schooler, an internship can offer you many benefits. Such as a chance to gain hands-on skills unavailable in school, develop new skills, and meet interesting people. The situation is the same for all students, even if you’re interested in a slightly offbeat field like sports. Sports internships allow you to explore the various facets of the field like team management, event planning, or sports journalism.
Furthermore, early exposure to sports internships can enhance your college application by demonstrating a proactive attitude. Often, your work as an intern could help develop your portfolio, which will go a long way during college applications. So, without further delay, here are seven sports internships in Chicago that you should consider.
Eligibility: Students with basic journalism experience who are also familiar with Adobe Creative Suite, AVID and iNews
Internship dates: Dates are not specified but interns are expected to spend between 12-20 hours per week, with a few weeknight and weekend events
Location: Marquee Sports Network Headquarters
Stipend: Information unavailable
Marquee Sports Network is a regional sports network that along with live sports events and original programming, exclusively covers the Chicago Cubs. As a production intern at this company, you will assist in the production process for studio shows, monitor live channel feeds, support staff in the control room, and more. You will get a first-hand look at how a control room functions and how live pregame, game and postgame shows are developed. The day-to-day operations of the production department will set a foundation for a career in sports media.
Additionally, you will engage with various media professionals which could lead to valuable, long-term relationships. One thing to keep in mind is that this internship does require you to have prior journalism experience, so it’s ideal for those who have already had experience through school newsletters or otherwise.
Eligibility: No specific requirements
Internship dates: There are no specific dates but you will be expected to work in four-hour shifts after school
Location: SBS Headquarters
Stipend: The internship includes a few unpaid components and a few paid ones. For the latter, the payment will depend on certain factors such as the monetization of the company’s YouTube account. The general range provided is $1,000.00 - $2,000.00 per year
In this sports media internship at a broadcasting network, you will learn how to create professional sports content. You will engage in various elements of content creation like video editing, script writing, videography, field reporting, and providing voiceovers, play-by-play commentary and more. There could also be a bit of sales work and the internship will be a combination of remote and in-person work. The program also offers college credit on request, although it is unclear if this is limited to students already attending university.
Eligibility: No specific criteria, you just need to send a resume and cover letter to this email address
Internship dates: Not specified
Location: Not specified but it could be one of the two Chicago Crush headquarters in Oak Forest and Addison respectively, both about 30 minutes from Chicago
Stipend: Not specified
This internship offers you the opportunity to learn more about the sports industry while working with the Chicago Crush, a junior hockey team. As an intern, you will engage in multiple facets of sports management like marketing, event planning, player development, and game day operations. You can expect to work closely with professionals on the team and network with fellow interns as well as industry experts. This is a good opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at how a sports team functions.
Eligibility: No specific requirements
Internship dates: No specific dates but you must work a minimum of 15 hours per week
Location: The Chicago Sport and Social Club
Stipend: The internship includes paid and unpaid components
The Chicago Sport and Social Club organizes sports leagues and social events, one of the largest organizations of its kind in the country. Your work as an intern will include assisting with the daily operations of the leagues — coordinating administration, managing events, helping with marketing, managing databases, and even providing customer service. By interning with the CSSC, you will learn about sports management in terms of managing sports leagues rather than just one specific team. The CSSC also has other internship opportunities which you can find here.
Eligibility: No specific requirements
Internship dates: April 2024 – October 2024
Location: Sports World Chicago store
Stipend: Paid (Amount not specified)
Sports World Chicago is a store selling sports-related apparel, accessories, souvenirs and more. Like any other sales job, this in-store sales internship requires you to provide good customer service, from helping locate merchandise to ringing up sales and bagging items. You will also assist in floor moves, replenishing merchandise, completing price changes, and other tasks that fall under the store’s general management. Keep in mind that this internship would need you to be available at varied hours that could include weekends, nights and holidays.
Eligibility: You must have strong writing skills, a flexible schedule, and be able to work on multiple stories at once
Internship dates: No specific dates but you should be able to spend 10-15 hours per week
Location: Not specified but since SportsTechie is located in Seattle, this is likely to be a remote job that is looking for Chicago-based interns
Stipend: $500 per month
If you’re interested in the intersection of sports and technology or even if you have a flair for writing and journalism, this internship could be the right fit for you. SportsTechie is a magazine that looks at sports technology and covers topics like the use of green technology at the Olympics, new live broadcast technologies, or the use of technology to close the gender gap in Formula 1. As a reporter for SportsTechie, you would research and write 6-8 such sports technology stories per week. You will work closely with the managing editor and also execute interviews, get quotes, and cover breaking news. This internship is a great way to generate a portfolio of your own work, which could be useful while applying to colleges.
Eligibility: Students who are at least 14 years old can apply for apprenticeships while students who are at least 16 years old can apply for internships
Internship dates: Spring (late Feb to mid-May), Summer (late June – early August), and Fall (late September – mid-December) cohorts are available
Location: 362 program sites across Chicago are available
Stipend: Paid, amount varies by internship
After School Matters is a Chicago-based program that offers high school students enriching after-school and summer opportunities. The opportunities span a number of different fields, with sports being one of them (sports instruction, stadium management, and health are a few areas mentioned on the website). You can choose between apprenticeships that offer hands-on work in a specific area and internships that directly guide teens toward career pathways. Through this program, you can expect to gain insights into the sports industry, work alongside professionals, and contribute to real-world sports initiatives.
Other option - Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in doing a research project in various STEM subject areas, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students I founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.