International Journal of Sport Management

The Sport Industry Internship Paradigm: Defining the Role of Internships
 in the Sport Labor Economy

Mandy Barefoot, J. Michael Martinez

Abstract: This article examines the relationships and forces impacting on and resulting from the prevalence of internships in the sport industry. Many sport management degree programs require internships as key facilitators of experiential learning. Similarly, internships are both valuable resume-builders for students and a source of crucial seasonal labor for sport industry employers. While the outcomes of internship experiences on both employability and student learning are comparatively well-explored, outcomes for employers and the sport labor market represent a gap in the existing sport management literature. This paper presents a conceptual framework of these three relationship actors placed uniquely into the context of the commercialized sport industry.

Keywords: sport internships, internship labor, labor economy, professional sports, internship placement

Citation: Barefoot, M., & Martinez, J. M. (2023). The sport industry internship paradigm: Defining the role of internships in the sport labor economy. International Journal of Sport Management, 24(3), 221-236.

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