Sheffield Hallam students Sophie Boyes and Tommy Munday have internships at Sheffield’s two major football clubs.

Sophie Boyes studies sport business management and works as a match day volunteer coordinator at Sheffield United. Tommy Munday studies sports and exercise science and is an intern academy sport scientist at Sheffield Wednesday.

We asked Sophie and Tommy about their experiences.

What do you do on your internship?
Sophie: 'I organise the ball boys, flag carriers and any halftime activities on pitch. It’s hectic behind the scenes on match days, and it’s my job to make sure everything runs on time. I also work in the office for the HR department on non-match days.'
Tommy: 'I work with young academy players, delivering warm-ups, athletic development sessions, gym sessions, nutrition support and analysis of GPS and movement data such as how far they’ve run in a session.'

Have you always been a football fan?
Sophie: 'Yes, I’ve always been into football, since I was really little. I used to be a season ticket holder at Aston Villa, and I used to go to every game with my dad. I remember going to Wembley as a kid.'

Tommy: 'I’ve always been involved in football too. I’ve played from a very young age. I’m a passionate Manchester United fan. I’ll never forget winning the Champions League in 2008 – it was unbelievable.'

So working at a major football club must be pretty exciting?
Sophie: 'Definitely – it’s a dream come true, especially such a big club with so much history.'
Tommy: 'It’s brilliant to be involved with a club like Wednesday, who are a massive club in Sheffield with a lot of dedicated fans.'

Sophie: 'The atmosphere on a match day is amazing. All the fans get behind the team and all the players love being part of Sheffield United. When you’re standing on the pitch before the game and all the players come out, it’s overwhelming.'

'Winning promotion this year is a massive accomplishment. It will make such a difference to the club. It’s a great feeling being part of that achievement. It just shows that all the hard work behind the scenes has paid off.'

How did you get your internship?
Tommy: 'Hallam put an advert out for this internship and I applied and got an interview. I feel very lucky and grateful to have this opportunity.'

Sophie: 'Without Sheffield Hallam I wouldn’t have been able to get my foot in the door here to work behind the scenes at a football club, especially a major football club like Sheffield United. It’s been a great opportunity for me.'

How does it help you prepare for your future career?
Tommy: 'Had I not done this, I wouldn't be comfortable applying for a job in sports science. These internships are an essential thing to do. I can apply what I’ve learned on my course – strength and conditioning, physiology, understanding how our bodies react to exercise.'

Sophie: 'The club have allowed me to choose which areas of the job to explore, and the experience has confirmed to me what I want to do in the future – work in finance for a football club – and shown me what steps I need to take to make that happen.'

Tommy: 'It’s given me the skills and experience I need to succeed in a role like this long-term, which is my dream.'

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