by Shelby Hodel

This March, the Gainesville Sports Commission, a not-for-profit organization that supports the Gainesville community through creating and managing sporting events, is partnering with the UF College of Health & Human Performance’s Department of Sport Management to help execute the World Masters Athletics (WMA) Indoor Championships 2025, giving students hands-on experience collaborating an international, large-scale sporting event. 

The event is organized by the Alachua County Local Organizing Committee and includes coordination from several partners, including the Gainesville Sports Commission, RADDSports, Celebration Pointe, Visit Gainesville, Viking Companies, CP Event Operations and more.

The championship, which will be hosted for the first time in the U.S. at the Alachua County Sports and Events Center, will feature 24 events, including indoor track and field, cross country, road race and throwing events.

In an effort to expose students to the inner workings of sport-related event management, students enrolled in SPM4940 Advanced Career Preparation are required to volunteer, shadow a professional or work in sports. In the Fall 2024 semester, the department paired students with the commission to assist with planning the WMA, setting up these students with real-world experience on their resumes before graduation. In addition to the Department of Sport Management, select students from the Department of Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management also serve as interns for this event.

Jessica Francis, Ed.D., instructional assistant professor in the Department of Sport Management, says that this opportunity gives students a competitive edge and insight into the industry. And since some of these students are former athletes with less prior work experience, Francis, who is also the internship coordinator and director of engaged learning & outreach for the department, shares that an internship broadens their lens to different areas within the competitive and recreational
sports industry

“When students graduate, we want them to feel prepared for the next step,” Francis said. “Identifying these opportunities, like working at the Gainesville Sports Commission, allows our students to take what they have learned in the classroom and apply these learnings to a real-life setting. We want them to know themselves and the industry well enough that they can make informed decisions about their careers.” Francis also mentioned that some students have secured jobs after graduation based on their exceptional performance during their internship.

As part of the internship, interns work months in advance to coordinate an event that is expected to host approximately 4,000 athletes. 

“I think it's wonderful that we have students who have an opportunity right here in their backyard,” said Stephen Rodriguez, executive director of WMA’s organizing committee in Alachua County and senior vice president of RADDSports, a full-service sport and entertainment development firm supporting the event. “By being involved in the planning, they gain first-hand experience with the logistics and coordination that goes on behind the scenes in pulling together a major event with many moving parts.”

Through this experience, interns not only see the level of detail and volume of work that goes into event planning and execution but also get to network and immerse themselves in different cultures and their local community.

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