Network provides internships for student athletes

By Megan Parker, Transcript Correspondent

A new opportunity has arisen for Ohio Wesleyan student athletes who are looking for internships.

Athlete Network is a website dedicated to helping student athletes make career connections. It includes information about internships, graduate programs and other networking outlets.

“Athletes are at their best when they are in a competitive environment that propels that spirit,” said Chris Smith, founder and CEO of Athlete Network, on the website. “We feel we are able to positively impact athletes’ quality of life in three key areas: careers, networking and content.”

OWU freshman Tyler Mansfield, who is on the swim team and track and field team, began working as an intern for Athlete Network this spring.

“I have a series of tasks to complete every month, anywhere from four to five tasks, and basically it’s just getting the word out about the website … I’ve had meetings with Rock Jones and the athletic director, just so we can try and get the whole campus involved with it because it’s a really good networking site,” Mans eld said. Internships are becoming increasingly important, and only 38.6 percent of students who graduated college in 2014 were hired without having prior internship experience, according toU.S. News & World Report.

Students who use Athlete Network to find internships receive a direct response from the companies to which they applied 84 percent of the time, according to Athlete Network.

“It’s definitely helpful for nding connections in the field that you want to do, because companies have profiles on there and they have recruiters that you can contact. So, if someone wanted to get a summer internship for Enterprise, they could do that through the site,” Mansfield said. “Being on the site lets them know that you’re serious about a job offer.”

In order to work as an on-campus intern for Athlete Network, like Mansfield, a student can sign up for the site and apply from there. Benefits of the on-campus internship include college credit hours, personal introductions to potential employers and incentives like clothing and gift cards, according to Athlete Network.

Beyond helping with internships, Athlete Network offers content including advice on dieting and working out, athletes’ personal stories about their sports and opinion pieces about sports and school. The site also connects student athletes with similar interests and those who go to the same school.