Since spring break I have been an intern with UNI Football. And, yes, I still have the pleasure of working for them over the summer.
When I applied, I was in a panic because I was going to be closing out my junior year of college and I still didn't have an internship to slap on my résumé. This was scary to me because you're practically required to have some sort of internship experience to get any job and I was finishing my third year of college. For senior year I was supposed to be looking for a job, not searching for an internship, so finding the football internship was a blessing.
I got the call for an interview while I was waiting for someone in the Wellness and Rec Center (WRC) and was told that I was high on the candidate list. My interview went really well too (which is great because I always get nervous in interviews). Then the biggest test came: go to a morning winter workout to get pictures for a test graphic. Mornings are not my friend. But I got up and did it anyway because I wanted this internship.
And now here I am, one of four graphic design interns with UNI Football. I am often introduced as the recruiting intern when introduced to members of the team or to recruits that are visiting.
Honestly it's not easy working with a sports team. But here's what I've learned so far.
Football never sleeps.
You think college football ends in November/December (maybe even January if your team gets lucky and gets some sort of bowl game). NO. THOSE ARE LIES.
Football never sleeps (literally and figuratively). Sometimes I'll be up for a considerable amount of time working on a graphic, to get called into the office or to make revisions in the morning. Once I was up until 2 AM writing the script for my Chinese II final and I got to go into the football office at 7:45 AM the next morning.
And once there was Dance Party, which went until midnight and then there was Junior Day the next day with a 8 a.m. start. (I survived.) 
Slayed it even.
Communication is KEY.
Yes, it is. My cell phone actually gets used now! I noticed how much more my phone is getting used. I have to charge it more frequently than I used to.
This is how I get assigned graphics, how the coaches and I talk out an itinerary, and how- in the middle of a visit or making a graphic (mostly during an actual visit though)- things may need to change or adapt.
Flexibility.
Along with the idea that football never sleeps, it's been imperative to be flexible. Most times I get called into the office at the drop of a dime or have to have time to escort a recruit to their SAA tour. And sometimes when there isn't an SAA tour, I give the tour.
There was also a time when one of the bigger visit days was way ahead of schedule, and we all had to be flexible to make it work.
And sometimes, the little designs get forgotten in the long run and we have to get it designed on the spot.
Interaction.
To be enthusiastic you must act enthusiastic. And to act enthusiastic you must be enthusiastic. (You're probably like, what does this have to do with football?)
Well, I deal with new recruits a lot. I make graphics to help them envision themselves at UNI as well as set their itineraries for their visit. So, when they actually come- and if I actually have to meet them- it's important to be enthusiastic about the football program as an intern and a fan. (Hopefully) then they'll get enthusiastic and see themselves a little better in that purple and gold.
Knowledge of the University of Northern Iowa is important.
Once, I scheduled a recruit for a noon SAA tour.
There was no noon SAA tour.
So, thankfully being at least alumni tour trained (the DAY BEFORE) I ended up giving a full tour of campus.
Once I had a recruit that had to be pulled out of a SAA tour halfway through for a meeting with the head coach. So I gave the rest of the tour as we headed back to the Dome.
And there was one time, the day of the Spring Game, where I got to go around campus with probably 13 recruits and their families in gameday bibs (because, as a Pep Crew exec, I was promoting the Panther Pep Crew). And on the way back to the Dome we ran into the president of the university's wife.
It's important to know about campus and share your own experiences as well. It makes the visit more personable and it's a chance to share your own history at UNI. It gives them an idea of what they can achieve during their time here as well.
The river of ideas.
I follow Clemson, the University of Houston, Mizzou, and Arizona State on Twitter. Not because I like them. Honestly, it's kind of a weird collection of teams beside my own.
But why?
These are the sources of inspiration the coaches encourage us to tap into. I've also gotten graphics from Oklahoma and Alabama to draw inspiration from.
But it's good to see what other designers are doing, to see what successful and powerful. You wouldn't think that a graphic is very important in the big scheme of athletics recruiting, but something to keep in mind is that a deciding factor (in a lot of things) is how it is presented to you.
It pays to be connected.
Being super involved on campus can be exhausting, but so rewarding. The real important thing here is the people that were also involved in all the student orgs I was in. With all these connections I could easily get information I needed in a timely manner like: when SAA tours were so recruits (and sometimes me) could jump in on them, or who a good professor to talk to would be for a recruit, or if people could help out at Junior Day, or if Pep Crew could show up at the Spring Game.
(Coach Farley was veryhappy that Pep Crew was at the Spring Game)
"Are you getting paid for this?"
LOL no. I'm not.
Which is unfortunate, sometimes. I tell my friends what I do, what the hours are like (all over the place actually), and they're always surprised that it's an unpaid internship.
It's not exactly true, that it's unpaid. Sure, I'm not getting dollar dollar bills y'all, but I am getting paid in experience. Which sounds really cheesy actually, but that's okay, I am at least gaining something. It's definitely not money.
Even though I'm an intern, I've been asked what my 'big picture goals' are and one of the coaches is willing to help me with them. My work is being posted on the UNI Football Twitter and getting exposure, which is good in the long run.
Our proud tradition starts in the classroom. #UNIFight pic.twitter.com/CsCHsPofKz
— UNI Football (@UNIFootball) May 23, 2016
Eventually we'll get polos.
It's always funny when coaches ask us to "wear UNI polos" for an event. And we interns are like "yeah, we don't have those." I was told to keep reminding the coach in charge of that.
One day, some day, we'll have polos.
Until then, we get to drive and ride around in the official UNI Football golf cart.
Or, until then, we get to meet famous alum.
(Yes, that is Kurt Warner. Yes, that is Deiondre' Hall. Photo Credit: Roland Ferrie)
So, that's cool.
You have no idea how much of an impact you can make.
One time in a meeting, one of the coaches showed us an interaction with one of the prospects. They showed how they showed that prospect a graphic one of us had made and show how the prospect was excited to be in that purple and gold jersey. It was really cool.
Initially you think you're just making a graphic, it's no big deal. But really, it is.
Coaches really are grateful for the work you do.
I love it when I send graphics off to coaches. After keeping up with the craziness of Draft Day, I got a text from one of the coaches saying "You have done a game changing job!" That really meant a lot considering I had yet to eat that day (of course, the moment I made a sandwich, a UNI player got drafted), and I was in a panic. I mean, Draft week was crazy! We had templates ready, then there was the actual draft, THEN there were undrafted agents! We had a solid six panthers that made it into the league (which is just three short of Clemson's nine, which was the second most NFL draft picks in the nation. Just, sayin').
Good luck to our former players taking the next step. Your work ethic carries on @UNIFootball tradition. #UNIFight pic.twitter.com/2D10WMsrkW
— Mark Farley (@CoachMarkFarley) May 2, 2016
Sometimes they'll say, "it's magic." And, it's awesome to know that the work that we interns put in, really is appreciated.
It takes #GRIT to be part of a team.
The coaches always say that we are part of the team. They've introduced us to some of the players, and of course, the staff. I wouldn't doubt that when you hear "UNI Football team" you think solely of the coaches and players. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Yes, there are the players and coaches- the "stars" of the team if you will- but there's a whole behind the scenes team that are rarely highlighted as much, such as: the strength and training staff, the academic advising staff, the marketing team, and lastly, us interns.
#GRIT.
