Throughout this summer, The Daily Mississippian is publishing dispatches from our staffers about their vacation and study abroad experiences.
This summer I accepted an internship in Birmingham, Ala., with Versus, a venture that offers an app that connects professional athletes and coaches to young, aspiring athletes.
I began my internship on June 6 after finding out I got the gig only two weeks prior. Because my ultimate goal is to work in sports after college, this was the opportunity of a lifetime.
With Versus, athletes get access to training sessions and interactive expert advice from some of the greatest athletes of all time, such as Albert Pujols, Adam Wainwright, Jennie Finch and Kelley O’Hara. Being connected to some of the biggest names in sports is surreal.
In late July, we launched baseball, softball and soccer and will expand to other sports in the near future. It was exciting to join the team during the months leading up to the launch, a crucial time for the company.
As an intern, I am assisting with both written and social media content creation, along with testing the app’s performance.
Since my values and morals line up so well with Versus’, this has been the perfect fit. While Versus does want to assist athletes in training their bodies, we feel that training the mind is just as important because a winning mindset is everything. Versus aims to emphasize leadership, adversity, focus, strength, fundamentals and coaching.
I think that Versus will be a game changer for all athletes, but specifically underprivileged athletes that may not have access to personal training like some of their competitors. Versus also will provide a positive influence to athletes that may not have that in their lives.
In July, two other interns and I also traveled to Nashville for a week to get hands-on experience at a photo and video shoot. I was excited for the opportunity to see what goes into this and to meet the athletes.
I have enjoyed every second of my time here. Everyone has welcomed me with open arms and been extremely kind and helpful. I have learned so much already, while also getting the freedom to explore my creativity. Working alongside people who love sports just as much as I do makes it a fun work environment.
I am so thankful for Versus giving me this opportunity to get my foot in the door of the sports industry. I am also thankful that I’ll receive class credit at the university for this amazing opportunity.
