Fall Internship - MileSplit/FloTrack

About the role

This internship offers a project-based role where your work will directly contribute to the portfolio of FloTrack and MileSplit content, giving you tangible outputs to showcase in your professional development. You will gain a holistic understanding of how storytelling and video production drive success within a fast-paced, performance-driven sports media organization that serves underserved athletic communities. Throughout the program, you will have a dedicated supervisor and mentor who will guide and challenge you to grow your skills and meet specific objectives. You will learn the internal workflows and nuances of operating as an OTT sports media company, from production to audience engagement. This internship is structured as a paid position, running from late August through December, and is based in Austin, Texas. It requires a significant commitment, with a minimum availability of 25-30 hours per week to ensure successful execution of demanding tasks.

Key facts

What you'll do

Investigate and create engaging cross-country and track and field content through written narratives and video storytelling that captures the essence of the sport. Conduct in-depth interviews with top-level athletes spanning various competitive levels, placing a primary focus on professional athletes to extract compelling insights and stories. Produce and edit built-for-social videos tailored for distribution across a wide network of channels, including Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, optimizing format for each platform. Utilize the MileSplit database to generate accurate and timely rankings content that reflects current performance and trends in the sport. Provide detailed recaps that analyze the biggest cross country and track & field events of the week, highlighting key moments and athletic performances. Implement editorial best practices for tagging, search engine optimization, and strategic crosslinking to maximize content discoverability and user engagement. Work collaboratively within integrated teams to support the overarching goals of both the FloTrack and MileSplit content divisions, ensuring alignment and synergy. Adhere to a strict availability schedule spanning from May to September to align with the peak competitive season and critical production timelines. Create content that meets high standards of quality, ensuring all materials are ready for publication and contribute to the growth of the audience. Apply analytical skills to monitor content performance and adjust strategies to improve reach and engagement in a competitive digital landscape.

Requirements

Must possess demonstrated subject matter expertise in cross country and track & field, allowing you to contribute accurate and informed content from the earliest stages of production. You must have a foundational knowledge of editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, with the ability to create compelling reels and a demonstrated desire to learn how to edit longer form, in-depth content for streaming platforms. Bring experience from a journalism background and a firm understanding of AP style to ensure all written content maintains professionalism and clarity. Show a proven ability to create engaging content that speaks authentically to a passionate and knowledgeable sports audience, resonating on both an emotional and informational level. Demonstrate excellence in writing, proofreading, and editing, with a keen eye for detail that ensures accuracy and readability in every piece you produce. Develop a strong working knowledge of SEO best practices to inform content strategy and help stories gain visibility in search results and recommendation engines. Become proficient in using industry-standard Adobe applications, including Adobe Premiere for video editing, Adobe Illustrator for vector graphics, and Adobe Photoshop for static image manipulation and enhancement. Strengthen your interpersonal skills, particularly listening and communication, to effectively collaborate with peers, supervisors, and athletes during interviews and production meetings. Cultivate excellent research, organizational, and time management skills to juggle multiple assignments and competing deadlines without sacrificing quality. Gain experience meeting tight deadlines in a dynamic work environment, learning to prioritize tasks and manage workflow efficiently. Master the ability to work independently and efficiently, maintaining a high standard of quality and accuracy even when working under pressure. Learn how to receive creative notes and feedback, implementing revisions quickly to align with editorial direction and team expectations. Expand your technical abilities by developing skills in graphic design, photography, and video production/editing, which are considered significant assets for this role. Maintain a high level of motivation to immerse yourself in the world of sports media and learn about the business models that support underserved athletic communities.

Nice to have

The role specifically values demonstrated expertise and experience in the niche sports of cross country and track & field, making this a primary focus for the work you will perform. A background in journalism combined with an understanding of AP style is listed as a preferred qualification for ensuring content integrity. Familiarity with the tools of the trade, such as Adobe Premiere, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop, is highlighted as a definite advantage for success in this position. The ability to produce content that feels authentic and tailored to a passionate audience is noted as an important trait for connecting with viewers. Previous experience in creating video content, editing reels, and managing social media distribution is considered beneficial for the role. An understanding of SEO principles and how they apply to sports media is listed as a helpful skill for increasing the reach of published stories.

Practical notes

This internship requires a commitment of 25-30 hours per week to fulfill the demands of the position and contribute effectively to the team. The role is based in Austin, Texas, requiring relocation or local availability to perform duties at the office location. The internship is paid at a rate of $18 per hour for the duration of the engagement. The timeframe for this internship runs from late August through December, meaning applicants must be available to start in the late summer and commit through the end of the calendar year. To ensure that the candidate can handle the seasonal workload, availability during the key months of May to September is mandatory, as this covers the most intense period of athletic competition and content production.