Robert Fletcher learns the ins and outs of sports agency on internship
Alcorn State University senior Robert Fletcher has had a busy summer. Not only did he help his Collegiate League baseball team, the Northwest Indiana Oilmen, win the Midwest Collegiate League championship, but he also spent his days working as an intern at the Independent Sports and Entertainment Agency in Chicago, Illinois.
The Independent Sports and Entertainment Agency is an integrated sports, media, entertainment and management company that represents more than 300 of the best athletes in the NBA, NFL and MLB. As one of the largest sports agencies in the world, the Agency provides each client with superior playing contract negotiation capabilities, as well as business, marketing and brand opportunities globally.
Robert, who also plays baseball at Alcorn, got the opportunity to enhance his skills in the world of sports agency. After having a great experience with the company, he has placed it on his list of job opportunities that he may explore after he graduates.
“My experience at the Independent Sports and Entertainment Agency was great,” said Robert, a Chicago native. “I got the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the sports agency world. I also met some great people. I feel that it would be a great career to pursue, but I haven’t made up my mind yet. I’m also considering being an agent, scout or a front office representative for an MLB team or the MLB itself.”
Part of Robert’s daily duties included scheduling radio appearances for the agency’s clients and delivering items to MLB stadiums. He was also responsible for updating a list of supplements that professional baseball players are allowed to use. His final project of the summer was to make an excel sheet of sports memorabilia stores in every city that has a professional baseball team.
One of Robert’s challenges during the summer was getting used to his hectic work and traveling schedule. He said that the distance between his internship and baseball team was two and a half hours.
“Playing baseball and having an internship was very tough to handle. It was tiresome, but I was able to find a way to do both. The owner of my team and my head coach were both very lenient with me because they knew I had a rough schedule. At the end of the day, I was able to still get better at baseball while working and gaining experience.”
Robert sees his internship as an experience that he’ll always remember.
“The internship allowed me to add another weapon to my arsenal. The internship was in the field of baseball, which I love. I would like to thank Luis Hernandez and Laina Meyers for giving me such a great opportunity. I enjoyed my summer.”
