Whitecaps Community Relations Internship

Job Description

Job Description

Who we are : We’re the West Michigan Whitecaps, High-A Minor League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. The Whitecaps are in the fun business and our mission is to provide affordable family entertainment that strengthens the West Michigan community.

We create memorable experiences by offering a fun, friendly and inclusive environment. We pride ourselves on our stellar customer service and our dedication to providing friendly faces, open minds, and our time and energy to our fans.

We’ve been here for more than 30 years and are ready to be here for at least 30 more.

Why we want you : The Community Relations Intern will be responsible for assisting the Community and Media Relations Manager with a variety of activities on game nights and at special events during the months of January through September.

Detailed responsibilities are listed below, and we encourage those of you to apply who have a desire to grow your knowledge of sports marketing and hone transferable skills in this position.

We will provide an overall learning experience that establishes a solid foundation for understanding the Marketing and Community Relations side of professional sports and entertainment.

The internship will have the unique opportunity to be a part of the marketing of a sports franchise and contribute to the creation and execution of marketing to a growing fan base.

Why you want to work here : We sum up our mission in three words : Fun. Community. Experiences. The Whitecaps internship program is designed to provide an extensive hands-on career development training and job shadow program for those navigating the selection of appropriate careers.

We provide internship positions that are meaningful and compatible with education and aspirations. We work very hard, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously;

we realize how important things like office darts and puppy visits and staff happy hours are. You will also receive a monthly stipend, free baseball tickets & food (your friends will love you!), a free health club membership, and opportunities to get discounted or free tickets to various shows and events in West Michigan.

We’re also pretty great people to work with.

What you’ll do : The Internship runs from mid-January 2025 through mid-September 2025 with expectations to be available for 9-5p workday operations and all game nights and special events held at LMCU Ballpark and availability to work evenings, weekends and holidays as required.

The Community and Media Relations Intern is expected to be at all home games as well as play key roles in executing special events taking place at LMCU Ballpark and community events throughout West Michigan.

Days off are granted throughout the season to help alleviate the challenging schedule. We love to have fun, but please note, there are 66 home games throughout the season plus weekly community events which can sometimes be a challenging schedule.

Like the rest of us, you’ll also wear many hats for different games and events, and you’ll also tarp the field a few times .

You’ll have fun doing it all!

Let’s do this : If you’re ready to apply, we look forward to getting to know you. Submit your resume and drop us a cover letter letting us know why you’d be a good fit. We’ll be in touch!

Here's the extra-innings info :

Duties Include

• Assist in the coordination of all Community Relations home game day activities; (50 / 50 Raffle volunteer program, Live Player Jersey Auctions, Fan Experience opportunities, player / coach interactions, etc.)
• Coordination of Reading Month initiative by working with Ticket Sales Department, local school districts in West Michigan, scheduling mascot / player appearances, etc.
• Assist in planning and facilitation Whitecaps Community Foundation special events (Caps Kids Clinic, MLB Playball Weekend, Golf Outing, Winter Gala, Community Mascot and Player appearances, etc.)
• Assist with Community Relations Manager with documentation and data tracking of community involvement for the West Michigan Whitecaps
• Assist with organization and inventory of all Community Relations program items (Ordering give away items, distribution of auction items, storage facility, etc.)
• Represent the Whitecaps within the community and at events and games, interacting with people in a professional, customer service-oriented manner, ability to interact with professional baseball players and managers in clear and focused manner
• Assist as needed with generating content for Whitecaps Foundation and Whitecaps organization, including taking photographs, filming / editing / producing videos, writing copy, creating graphics, social posts

Requirements

• College Junior or Senior within 3 semesters of graduation. Pursuing a degree in a related field such as Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Business Administration or related preferred
• Available for 9-5p weekday operations and all game nights and special events held at LMCU Ballpark; availability to work evenings, weekends and holidays
• Skilled in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere Pro) to design graphics and videos for social media and other digital platforms
• Excellent oral and written communication skills including Microsoft Office
• Professional appearance and conduct with positive attitude as well as demonstrate initiative
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Ability to meet deadlines as they are presented and be detail orientated
• Produce an end of season re-cap of all achievements met during internship program to present to Front Office team

Whitecaps Professional Baseball provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.