Behind the Scenes of a Championship: My NAIA Red Banner Internship Experience
Valeria experience at the Women’s Basketball National Championship
Photo by Valeria Viroomal
When I first applied for the NAIA Red Banner Internship Program through the NAIA website, I saw it as an opportunity to get a glimpse behind the scenes of something I had only experienced as an athlete. A week after my interview, I received an email that began with, “Congratulations!”—and in that moment, I knew I was about to be part of something special: the 2025–26 NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship right here in Sioux City.
As a student-athlete at Briar Cliff University, the NAIA has always represented more than just competition to me. What makes the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics unique is its commitment to character-driven sports. Values like integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership are not just words—they shape the culture. Having already experienced these principles as an athlete, I was excited to now see how they were carried out from a professional, organizational standpoint.
From the very beginning, the internship was hands-on. My role rotated across different areas, giving me exposure to nearly every aspect of running a national championship. Before games, I helped organize everything from locker room setups—ensuring each athlete’s name was in place—to preparing trophies and coordinating social media content. During games, I worked on graphics for lineups, halftime updates, and final scores, while also clipping key moments from the live stream to share in real time and keep fans engaged.
One of the most impactful parts of my experience was stepping into the production side of the event. I had the opportunity to listen in on live communication between the production team, gaining insight into how they coordinate camera angles and transitions to capture every moment. I also operated the replay system, helping officials review critical plays by locating the clearest angles to support their decisions. Seeing how quickly and effectively teams communicated under pressure gave me a new appreciation for the precision behind every game.
Beyond technical roles, I contributed wherever needed—whether that meant assisting with fan engagement activities during halftime, throwing promotional items into the crowd, or simply moving equipment to keep operations running smoothly. Every detail mattered, and I quickly learned how much effort goes into creating a seamless experience for athletes, coaches, and fans.
This internship opened my eyes to the world of sports management and the business behind athletics. It showed me that a successful championship is the result of countless small actions coming together with one shared goal: excellence. But more than anything, what stayed with me was the athletes. Watching their passion, effort, and joy from a different perspective reminded me why I love being part of the NAIA.
Being behind the scenes didn’t take away the magic of the game—it deepened it.