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KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Dreaming of the big leagues, working with a non-profit was not part of Gracie Shettler's original game plan in Western Â鶹´«Ã½Ó¦Óà University's sport management program. However, through the Broncos Lead Internship Program and a 12-week internship at Kzoo LEADERs she discovered how to infuse her passion for sports with uplifting youth in the community.

"The other internships that I've done in the past haven't been community related and this one has just given me a different perspective," says Shettler. "My ultimate career goal is to one day work in the MLB (Major League Baseball) as a scout or data analyst, and I think that the internship gave me a greater appreciation for where all of the athletes come from."

A non-profit organization, was established to empower underprivileged youth in the community to become leaders in their own lives. Through Shettler's internship, she helped them in this mission and simultaneously sharpened her professional skills.

"We've had free sport clinics where we teach basketball skills and do speed and agility training, and I was one of the trainers for that," says Shettler. "We also teach them about basic life skills, like how to play chess and writing in cursive. And we brought in guest speakers that talk about the importance of mental health.

"From this internship experience I also learned how to write grants and create content for social media, like fliers and videos."

According to Shettler, the staff at Kzoo LEADERs also gave her the opportunity to make the internship her own.

"They really allowed me to take the internship and run with it," she says. "My supervisors also listened to my feedback and if I had an idea for a project that I wanted to do, they were more than willing to let me try it out. It was a really good experience to prepare me for my future."

Professional development

Outside of the internship, Shettler says the Broncos Lead program's bi-weekly professional development meetings also gave her experience with networking, tapping into campus resources and learning from industry experts. 

"One workshop was about artificial intelligence and how you can use it to advance your career instead of using it to find an easy way around things. You can actually use it to advance yourself," explains Shettler. "There was also a presentation on etiquette in the workplace and I think it was a really good thing, especially for young people and everybody in the Broncos Lead program.

"The program instructors really tried to set us up for success, not only in the current internship that we had, but in whatever our next endeavors will be."

Relevant experience

During the internship, Shettler was also able to apply what she has learned from her minor in statistics and help Kzoo LEADERs' men's basketball team to a winning record.

"During their games I track all of the basic stats (points, assists, rebounds) but afterwards I come back on my computer and use different equations for more advanced statistics," explains Shettler. "I figured out an equation for a player efficiency rating (PER) which is really good for determining the best starting line-ups and when to bring people into the game."

Through PER and other stats, she has helped the team to achieve an overall record of 5-2.

"They've listened to the stats that I've put out. And with PERs they continue to put the three players with the highest ratings into the line-up because their efficiency rating is so good together."

Sport management at WMU

The sport management major, offered through the Department of Human Performance and Health Education, provides the student with the academic preparation and practical training required for success in the sport industry. Specifically, it prepares students for careers in professional sports, college athletics, amateur sports, youth sports or corporate positions with a sport-related component. To learn more about sport management, visit the program webpage.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.