Carolina Blue Fellowship

I’m excited to share my experience as a Carolina Blue Fellow at RDK Sports International in beautiful Gold Coast, Australia, during the summer of 2024. I interned here for eight weeks, working with a sports consulting company that primarily collaborates with the NFL. My role as a Sport Development Intern focused on helping the NFL expand its international reach through the NFL Academy and NFL Flag Programs. Initially, I thought I’d be working on the charity side of the company, connecting their annual sports conference to a non-profit. But when I arrived, I quickly learned that I’d be working closely with Jesse Joyce, the Sports Development Coordinator, on the NFL Flag Program. The NFL Flag Program aims to connect with schools and teach them how to play American flag football. Schools compete against each other, and the winners get to represent their country in the U.S. alongside teams from China, Canada, and Mexico. My main task was to get more schools involved. I researched schools across Australia, gathering contact information and reaching out to their sports coordinators. It was a time-consuming process—145 hours, to be exact—but I was able to contact over 2,000 schools! Numerous schools onboarded after this. I nearly doubled the program's reach in just eight weeks. While the research was rewarding, my favorite part was visiting the schools and collaborating with Jesse on drills. Teaching students tactics like defensive positioning and footwork was incredibly fulfilling. One of the highlights was the NFL Secondary Schools Tournament, the first of its kind in Australia. Twelve schools from the Logan City area competed, and the winner got to go to Dayton, Ohio, for the world championships. It was especially meaningful because the winning team was the first school I visited when I arrived! I also worked with the NFL Academy, which had just opened in Gold Coast. My role involved assisting the general manager with everything from facility setup to recruiting athletes. I even helped organize combines in Gold Coast, Sydney, and Auckland, New Zealand. Another exciting part of my fellowship was attending the Global Elite Sports Conference hosted by RDK. I met interns from various American colleges and made valuable connections with professionals from teams like the Lions, Raptors, and Bulls. This internship provided me with invaluable experiences and connections that will set me apart as I enter the workforce next year. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who supported me during this journey, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me next!