5 The Supervisor/Intern Relationship

While there are numerous benefits to the supervisor-intern relationship, you must also be mindful that there can be several challenges. Listed below are some of the more common ones I have dealt with in working with my University of Cincinnati sport administration interns.

• Miscommunication and Expectations

  • Misunderstandings can occur due to unclear communication about roles, responsibilities, and expectations. Interns may make assumptions about tasks or responsibilities, which can lead to frustration if they do not line up with the expectations of the supervisor. Are you the only person working on the project? Is there a hard deadline? Sports internship work may be supporting a specific event where completion prior to the deadline is essential.

• Workload Balance

  • Finding the right balance between challenging tasks and manageable workload can be awkward. Some interns may feel overwhelmed by too much work, while others may find themselves bored with not enough to do.

• Fear of asking questions

  • Interns may hesitate to ask questions, fearing they will appear inexperienced or consider themselves a bother to their supervisors. However, seeking clarification is vital for development and understanding. Supervisors working with interns understand that you will have questions and may need additional guidance. Do what you can to reduce asking the same question more than once by taking good notes, and asking for clarification upfront when you something seems confusing or unclear. As mentioned before knowing how and when questions should be asked can reduce fear. For instance, does your supervisor prefer to have a touch base once a day, or receive questions by chat, email, or going to their desk.

• Unrecognized or unused work

  • In some instances, interns complete “busy work” types of tasks that go unrecognized or unused and as such, they feel that their efforts are not contributing to the sport organization. This can be disheartening, but this is not unique to interns. Even permanent employees from time to time may experience these feelings if their work is not acknowledged. Remember these experiences because you will be a supervisor someday and these situations can help you to become a great supervisor to a future intern.

• Lack of Feedback

  • Frequent feedback is crucial for the development of the intern. If supervisors do not provide constructive criticism or praise, interns may struggle knowing what to improve upon. If you are not receiving feedback, ask to schedule a meeting, perhaps once a week, or once a month, to solicit feedback. Managing an intern takes work, and time, and your supervisor may not have had much experience managing student employees before, or may be juggling a heavy workload, or a deadline. So, while a supervisor may not be able to give you feedback in the moment, scheduling time to revisit work outcomes can be helpful and lead to improved work and job satisfaction down the road.

• Time Management

  • Balancing internship tasks with other realities of life (e.g., part-time job) can be demanding. As such, time management becomes a critical skill set to develop even further.

To help interns along in navigating these challenges, at the mid-point of their internship experience, I meet individually with each student and discuss how things are going for them, “coach” them on how to take more of an active role in building that relationship with their supervisors, and “listen” for any concerns regarding the challenges previously mentioned.  Each intern I have guided over the years was nervous and, in most instances, apprehensive about the internship.  What amazes me every time is how well they hide it and then acknowledge that admission later during our mid-point or our end of internship follow-up meeting.  Remember, addressing both the personal contributions as well as navigating the challenges requires open communication, adaptability, and a willingness to learn and grow. Both supervisors and interns play a vital role in nurturing a successful relationship.  

Another component regarding the supervisor/intern relationship involves working under stress and pressure situations, which is something that occurs often in the sport industry. Handling pressure and stress during an internship is essential for maintaining well-being and productivity. Some important strategies that are effective in terms of handling pressure and stress can include but are not limited to:

1. Setting aside time for mental rest.
2. Breaking down large tasks into smaller more manageable ones.
3. Developing techniques to manage anxiety and stress such as mindfulness meditation or listening to soothing music.
4. Prioritizing tasks. Starting small and working your way up can help you avoid unnecessary stress. Remember that self-care and adaptability are keys to a successful internship experience.

As it pertains to the fear of asking questions, I want to share a personal reflection of a time I was guiding a student of mine who I will refer to as Alex.  Alex, a passionate sport administration student, seized opportunities within our UC Society of Sport Leaders and the Bearcats Sports Marketing Association.  These experiences included organizing student activities on the football field as well as throwing T-shirts with the sponsor logos into the crowd.  However, when Alex secured an internship with a professional basketball team, the fast-paced environment and seasoned professionals triggered fear of asking “dumb questions.”  After our mid-internship conversation, I advised Alex to reframe inquiries as growth opportunities.  He began conversations with “Out of curiosity, what’s the best approach for handling this situation?”  Alex’s confidence grew.  He actively engaged with colleagues, attended team lunches, and demonstrated eagerness to learn.  His improved performance led to an entry-level sales position in the ticket office.  The lesson?  Every successful professional started as an intern with questions.  Acknowledge them, learn from them, and go for it!       

In chapters three and four, we explored how networking happens every day and is a key to finding success in the sport industry.  Networking leads to collaboration.  With that being said, your supervisor can help you grow in this area just as he or she can aid in helping you learn how to collaborate on projects, share ideas or contribute to the sport organization itself.   Networking helps you tap into the hidden job market.  Many job openings are never advertised publicly.  Therefore, the more people you get to know, and that get to know you, your skills and your work ethic, the more likely they will recommend you for open positions in the sport industry.  Remember, when developing the relationship with your supervisor, networking with them is more than doing the work and collecting their business card at the end of the internship. It is about building a meaningful relationship with your supervisor so that they can aid in propelling you and your sports career forward! Also, keep in mind that they may be supervising several interns at once, and approaching your supervisor-intern relationship as a long-term networking opportunity will make you stand out from others. This can lead to a more enhanced and long-term relationship called “mentorship” which will be thoroughly explained in chapter six.