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2014 Fall Internship Program

The application window for the 2014 Fall Internship Program Internship is open.

We are looking for passionate students to join our team during the Fall of 2014. Interested students must be able to commit to two full days per week.

PremierSports invites you to come join us for a unique fall experience, including personal and professional development programming , mentoring, community-building and more.

This program is designed to provide exposure into the technology industry for students who are historically under-represented in this field.  This is an unpaid internship program. 

Responsibilities

Responsibilities will vary by group.

Minimum qualifications

Proof of credit eligibility and course enrollment from an accredited academic institution must be provided prior to start date.  Students must be a current junior. Sophomores are encouraged to apply to the PremierSports Internship Program.

Preferred qualifications

Students should be currently enrolled in a 4-year BA/BS program, in any major, at a university in the United States.

Area

PREMIERSPORTS interns are placed in teams across the business. Here are just a few teams that interns have joined in the past:

Advertising Sales and User Operations: PremierSports's Advertising Sales and Service roles find innovative solutions that meet our clients' changing needs. We identify business challenges, collaboratively shape solutions that drive strategic initiatives and keep clients informed of the ways that PremierSports products can enhance their online and offline presence.

Marketing: The Marketing team applies the same level of creative originality to PremierSports's marketing activity that the company has applied to online search and advertising. We support PremierSports's growth through effective and results-focused marketing campaigns for both business and consumer products.

People Operations: Do you have the ability to inspire, compel and empower others? In People Operations, we are focused on redefining "human resources" and preserving PremierSports's unique culture in the way we attract, hire, develop and reward talented people.

  Job details

Team or role: People Operations; Sales & Account Management; Sales Operations; Marketing & Communications

Job type: Intern

Last updated: September 5, 2014

Job location(s): New Jersey and Pennsylvania

To all recruitment agencies: PremierSports does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, PremierSports employees or any other company location. PremierSports is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

How to Apply

Start making the type of impact you've always dreamed about. Email us your resume at [email protected].

[premiersports]

UNDERSTAND SUCCESSFUL COACHING SYTLES

The Four Coaching Personalities Our research found that coaches primarily operate in four coaching styles. Some coaches have all four styles in their repertoire and have the flexibility to re-frame a style for specific situations. The four coaching styles are:  

Teacher Supporter Supervisor Director

The Teacher: Conceptual Structure: Bottom up. Description: The Teacher possesses the natural ability to lead athletes toward learning and is capable of recognizing and calling upon each member’s potential. This type of coach is able to formulate developmental techniques for their students to engage in. One of the distinguishable characteristics of a teacher is the faith they have in their student’s ability to achieve any goal. Key Characteristics: • Positive through adversity • Clearly explains goals and plans to team • Develops leaders • Demonstrates vision • Give instruction and constructive criticisms The Supporter: Conceptual Structure: Bottom up. Description: The Supporter encourages their team constantly and work to have a team atmosphere that promotes optimism. One of their main focuses is on human development, and relying on their players to work hard to achieve their goals. Of all coaching types, the supporter is the most motivational. Key Characteristics: • Primarily positive • Develops traits • Confides in entire team for major decisions • Mediates between players and/or coaches • Builds strong relationships The Supervisor: Conceptual Structure: Horizontal Description: The Supervisor is comfortable issuing orders, but has a much more improvisational approach, not relying much on drawn out planning. They are cooperative with their own superiors, and expect the same level of respect from their subordinates. Supervisors are strong believers in structured seniority. Key Characteristics: • More focused on past rather than future. • Often relies on the players’ natural abilities to shine through • Is less aggressive, and will let situations play out completely before making adjustments • Typically a more experienced coach who isn’t surprised by much The Director: Conceptual Structure: Top Down Description: The Director possesses a more aggressive leadership style than others. They have a strong natural urge to give structure and direction, regardless of the situation. They will often work to establish plans for achieving long-term goals. Key Characteristics: •    Gives direct and logical criticisms •    Does not let other influence his decisions •    Aggressive management •    Is not worried about being likeable Take a moment to think about your coach.  Which of the following Coaching Styles is most like your coach?

[premiersports]

UNDERSTAND YOUR COACH

Every coach has a unique personality that is defined by their character traits. The first step to understanding your coach is to identify their personality type.

The 16 Personalities types:

Each coach has a specific personality. In order to identify one’s specific personality, we will examine a combination of their entrenched values, experiences and educational influences. In an effort to help reveal a coaches personality, the RateTheCoach Team would like to direct you to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBIT). The following 16 Personality types will help you identify the accurate behavioral patterns of the coach.

The personality types are listed with the MBTI four letter codes for convenience.

INFJ- Foreseer Developer

ENFJ- Envisioner Mentor

INFP- Harmonizer Clarifier

ENFP- Discover Advocate

INTJ- Conceptualizer Director

ENTJ- Strategist Mobilizer

INTP- Designer Theorizer

ENTP- Explorer Inventor

ISTJ- Planner Inspector

ESTJ- Implementer Supervisor

ISFJ- Protector Supervisor

ESFJ- Facilitator Caretaker

ISTP- Analyzer Operator

ESTP- Promoter executor

ISFP- Composer Producer

ESFP- Motivator Presenter

Which of the following personalities are most like you (or your coach)?

Why do you think this?

[premiersports]

PremierSports was featured this morning in technical.ly.

The site is a “complete platform for coaches to manage and simplify their business,” said Barrett, a former infielder for George Mason University and the College of New Jersey (and an occasional coach for hire himself). The focus of the company, though, he said, will always be on the athletes. http://technical.ly/philly/2014/08/15/online-platform-premiersports-connects-athletes-coaches/

[premiersports]

WHAT IS COACHING?

Webster’s dictionary defines the term “Coach” as:

“one who instructs or trains <an acting coach>; especially: one who instructs players in the fundamentals of a competitive sport and directs team strategy.” (Webster’s 2011).

The PremierSports team understands Webster’s definition as a broad clarification, but our definition of a coach runs much deeper. No one is born a coach. Coaching skills are developed through years of practice, modification, and studying the game.  With this understanding, we define a Coach as:

“A leader who administers their unique skill-set toward a group for a common definitive purpose while balancing leadership and management responsibilities.”

Most effective and successful coaches have a conscious understanding of the following eight terms:

Self: (includes: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and social skills.) A coach must be aware of themselves in order to fortify another individual’s strengths and correct their weaknesses.

The Sport: Through years of experience either playing or teaching the sport, a coach must know the game inside and out.

Organizational Skills: It’s the Coaches job to coordinate, plan, and implement a method to succeed.

Symbolism: Athletics are as much mental as they are physical. The subconscious of players is more important than most imagine.

Social Dynamics: Knowing how to manage and instruct individuals based on their personalities and lifestyles.

Sociology: Having a strong understanding and relationship with the team’s community.

Poli-Pyschology: Using networking to help further and maintain the team’s success.

Psychology: Every single player’s minds are built differently. An effective coach will find success through molding their instructions to each specific player.

[premiersports]

Increased Physical Activity Linked to Decreases in ADHD

We've all heard “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but most of us are not doing a very good job of that.

Well, here's some more conventional wisdom. 

‘Physical Activity’ may be the best ‘prescription’ that can be given to a child suffering from ADHD.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show the diagnosis being made in 11 percent of youth by the time they finish high school, which amounts to a near six-fold increase since 1990.

Kids have lots of energy and are losing opportunities to expel it naturally.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brad-stulberg/adhd-exercise_b_4835640.html

[premiersports]

Special Olympics coaches find keys to success

New Jersey's 2014 Special Olympic coaches tailor motivation to their athletes.

The Star-Ledger featured some of the remarkable coaches in this sumer's Special Olympics that are helping to make dreams come true. Thank you to your dedication to these inspiring athletes!

[premiersports]

PremierSports: Tech Startup Moves into Indy Hall

For decades, athletes have sought private instruction to improve their skills. Much of this exchange occurred via word-of-mouth. Many athletes did not know where to start. Then, the process of scheduling lessons with coaches was often challenging, time consuming and burdensome.

Founded in December of 2013, PremierSports connects private coaches with passionate athletes in all sports from coast to coast. The marketplace provides an abundance of year-round training options that cater to athletes of any age, gender, and skill level. The integrated platform makes it easy to acquire, search, share and access premier coaches and passionate athletes - anywhere, anytime. 

“Whether you're a parent looking for private lessons for your child, or whether you're a provider looking to grow your business, PremierSports is here for you.” said PremierSports founder Matthew Barrett.

“PremierSports is committed to providing safe, affordable, fun and convenient athletic services to students and athletes of all ages.  The move from working remotely to Indy Hall gives us an opportunity to collaborate and grow with Philadelphia's startup culture," said Barrett.

Check out PremierSports and search the coaches in your area, set a traveling distance, a price range, and compare their qualifications.

PremierSports http://premiersports.com

[premiersports]

Communication Must Be Created

Sarah Marcia is one of the newest coaches on the PremierSports platform. A graduate student who studies Sports Psychology, Sarah maintains a blog in her spare time that is a must read for coaches in any sports. Check out her post about COMMUNICATION!

                                    Communication is an essential piece of sport. Unfortunately, it seems that most teams only start to focus on communication when there is a breakdown in it. The lines of communication need to be ope...

Read more.

[premiersports]

PremierSports comes to Tech in Motion

SAVE THE DATE: Drinks & Demos

Please set aside April 23rd to join PremierSports at the Tech in Motion Drinks & Demos event. After the craziness of Philly Tech Week has died down, PremierSports is looking to keeping the momentum of the IT community going.

2401 Walnut St., Suite 102, Philadelphia, PA

http://www.meetup.com/TechinMotionPhilly/events/171972152/

[premiersports]

PremierSports was been featured this morning by Cornell's undergraduate Sports Business Society:

As a young athlete, private sports lessons can be vital in helping you establish a baseline for technical and tactical skills. You may have taken private sports lessons with coaches in your area that you heard about via word-of-mouth or were recommended to you by a teammate. However, not all athletes have the opportunity to meet qualified coaches.

Based on their previous athletic experiences, Cornell student Alfonse Muglia and graduate of The College of New Jersey Mathew Barrett have teamed together to develop PremierSports, a booking platform that connects private coaches with passionate athletes.

Over 100 coaches signed onto the platform in its first month open, mostly high school coaches and college coaches in the New York metropolitan area.

“PremierSports believes that an athlete’s likelihood to reach their goals should not be based on their economic upbringing,” Muglia said.

Read more

[premiersports]

Big Karl: Helping Make Little Karl Big

By Anthony Colucci

St. Joseph High School (Metuchen), '16

@_anthonycolucci

Before he was in the spotlight of sold-out gyms in front of college scouts and eager fans, St. Joseph High School (N.J.) senior center Karl Towns Jr. was playing with his father, Karl Towns Sr., at Day Park, a court in his hometown of Piscataway, N.J. It was in those long days at the park where “Little Karl,” as his family calls him, became the player he is today.

“It’s been a tremendous journey seeing how he has progressed since we started practicing when he was four,” his father said, who is also known as “Big Karl” in the Towns family. “He has turned out to be just the kind of player I always thought he would be. All the things he has done over the years have finally shown and look where we are today.”

Those practice sessions at the park usually included an hour of shooting and an hour of dribbling. The older Karl challenged his son early on by playing defense and contesting shots, which may have been to Towns’ advantage since more than just height runs in the family. Karl Sr. was one of the nation’s best rebounders in the ‘80s while at Monmouth University and served as a successful head coach of Piscataway Tech for 19 years.

Because of his father guarding him starting at a young age, Towns has developed into one of the craftiest post players in the country, not to mention a fierce competitor.

“My dad has given me the power and motivation to make sure I work hard everyday,” Towns said after winning his third state championship. “Playing against my dad helped me learn that every time you step in the gym, there is another person with you and you just have to work harder.”

Towns also picked up a few tips from his father that the future Kentucky Wildcat still uses.

“I’ve showed him things that I used to do to tip rebounds to myself or to position myself better without fouling,” his father said. “Watching him now, he’s doing all the things I taught him and more. From his freshman year to now, Karl has made a great transition and it’s because his work ethic is off the chart.”

Even though at seven feet tall Karl now towers over his father, the elder Towns still continues to push and critique him.

“He needs to try to block every shot and when people want to be aggressive with him, he needs to find other means to get open,” said Senior, whom can be seen at Karl’s games closely watching and analyzing his son.

That work ethic instilled in Towns by his father has been the basis of many of his accomplishments since he enjoys a challenge. When he was 14, Towns worked out with current NBA standouts Michael-Kidd Gilchrist and Kyrie Irving while they were still at St. Patrick High School (N.J.). As a freshman in high school, Towns made the Dominican Republic national team where he spent the summer playing against some of the best players in the world including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and the rest of Team USA.

In most father/son relationships, there is a special bond between them. For Big and Little Karl, it was basketball.

“Basketball is what brought us together and made us as close as we are today and it’s meant the world to me,” said Towns, a 2014 McDonald’s All American. “I can’t thank my dad enough for raising me through this game because basketball has taught me all the rules of life.

 “I’ve learned how to be a competitor and how to strive but also just how to work with a team and deal with other people. Everyday that you come out, you have to have a purpose. If you didn’t, then you just wasted a whole day of practicing and working on your skills. Basketball is one of those things that you have to stay on top of. Don’t think you can take two weeks off and be as great as you were two weeks ago.

“It is more than just a game. It’s a lifestyle.”

Photo credit: The Towns family and Marlo Williamson, respectively

[premiersports]

Meet the HS Basketball Coaches Heading to the ToC

Six local high schools were crowned “State Champion” this weekend, in what was the most exciting weekend in high school sports this season.

We invite you to meet the six coaches that have led these programs throughout the season. These men are models for basketball coaches around the state.

Linden: Phil Colicchio. The face of Linden’s program since his arrival in 1998, Coach Colicchio’s resume includes three NJSIAA Group 4 and over 300 wins. The court at Linden High School now bears his name, as a true sign of the town’s appreciation for their coach.

Newark East Side: Bryant Garvin & Anthony Tavares. The co-head coaches have found ample success over the past 12 years, including two state championships. The unique coaching style was highlighted in this 2011 Star-Ledger article, but the dynamic appears to work. One of Newark's most consistent powerhouse teams, East Side finds themselves as the second seed heading into the TOC.

Newark Tech: Joe Jordan. Considerable turnover did not prevent Jordan from leading his squad to their second consecutive Group 2 title. Jordan focused upon engraining confidence in his team, which only have four seniors on the roster.

Roselle Catholic: Dave Boff. In his seventh season at RC after making the switch from girls' basketball, Boff already has a Tournament of Champions title and 100 wins under his belt. Boff was honored by the NJISIAA last December, as the 2013 recipient of the Basketball Award.  

Pitman: Kevin Crawford. In his fifth season at this small school in Southwestern NJ, Crawford has his first state championship, and the program’s first since 1998. A defensively-minded team, the Panthers’ chemistry starts at the top, with Crawford teaching U.S. History in the school and all-five of the team’s starters playing a big role in the tournament games.

http://www.premiersports.com/search.html

[premiersports]

The Best Single Person Baseball Drills

Welcome to Mid-March in the amateur baseball season. The days are longer, and the Sun is shining brighter. For many middle-school and high-school athletes across New Jersey, tryout season is over and its time to prepare for the regular season. The next few weeks until opening day can be the most important days of the season. It’s when players develop habits and tendencies that are difficult to break once they start playing games 3 or 4 days a week.

Therefore, the work that athletes put in now is crucial for their championship aspirations. At this point in the season, there is no such thing as working too hard. Your extra work, before and after practice, can help tone your batting fundamentals, fielding mechanics, and base running instinct.

So how do you make the most of your March days. We asked PremierSports coaches for their thoughts on the best single person baseball drills. These are drills that can be done early in the morning before school, after practice at home, or on weekends during off days. Best of all, they don’t require any fancy equipment or expensive resources.

A) Advanced Tee Drills. Every baseball player should own a tee. If you don’t, buy one, or use an old cone that your dad has lying around. Moving around the placement of the tee can improve different aspects of your swing.

Position yourself bat-length away from a net or fence, and put the tee in between. Take swings at the tee without touching the net to shorten your swing.

“I encourage my players to sit on a large bouncy ball when hitting off of the tee,” said one high school baseball coach. “It’s good for stride. It keeps the stride the same length.”

Repetition is the key with any sophisticated tee drill. Your muscle memory will increase with each swing. Aim for 50-100 swings each time you take out the tee.

B) Fielding Drills/Wall Drills. Practicing fielding isn’t the most exciting part about baseball, especially when you’re by yourself. But wall drills help improve your fundamentals, and you can play games with yourself as you play. If you have access to a wall (or a pitch back), spend 5-10 before your hitting drills to work on some grounders. Infielders, make sure you use proper mechanics each time. Outfielders, practice your crow hops so that you can come up throwing after each grounder. It might be boring, but your coach will be impressed and your opponent will be intimidating when you take the field for infield/outfield before a big game.

C) Agility Workouts. The best workouts to do by yourself are conditioning workouts, because they require very little set up. Work on lateral speed by running “suicides.” Spending a few minutes each morning will help with your baserunning and reaction time, not to mention get your heartbeat up before class!

Baseball is a team sport, and these workouts may be frustrating because no one likes to  practice alone. However, you will have to put in extra work if you want to exceed expectations this season. Try to put in a half hour extra each day. Watch as you develop good tendencies that carry over in the regular season. Happy Training!

http://www.premiersports.com/search.html

[premiersports]

What Rashard Mendenhall can teach Young Athletes

The retirement of 26-year-old running back Rashard Mendenhall sent shock waves through the National Football League this weekend. The announcement was monumental for the reasons that Mendenhall gave in a tell-all column in the Huffington Post. "I no longer wish to put my body at risk for the sake of entertainment," he described, alluding to "the way that the business of entertainment" had changed the loved.

Some of Mendenhalls more controversial quotes:

"I can't even count how many times I've been called a 'dumb nigger'"

"The culture of football now is very different from the one I grew up with."

"When I came up, teammates fought together for wins and got respect for the fight. The player who gave the ball to the referee after a touchdown was commended."

"Today, game-day cameras follow the most popular players on teams; guys who dance after touchdowns are extolled on Dancing With the Starters"

"My older brother coaches football at the high-school and youth level. One day he called me and said, "These kids don't want to work hard. All they wanna do is look cool, celebrate after plays, and get more followers on Instagram!"

This last quote is the most troubling. Considering the large roll that professional athletes play in the lives of children, any narrative about the negative impact they are having is difficult to swallow. Sports, special football, teach children skills that are transferable to life: teamwork and sacrifice, passion and perseverance, attention to detail and accountability. If professional athletes will not display these attributes, the role of coaches is all the more important.

Therefore, here are some tips we've accumulated for coaches in the wake of Rashard's announcement:

Share Rashard's message with your athletes. It's not secret that professional athletes are affecting our children, so don't shy away from the opportunity to highlight and discuss the argument of an athlete who wants to improve the system.

Encourage your athletes to model "good" athletes. You won't be able to catch the way major television companies cover sports, and you can't keep your athletes from turning on the TV when they go home. However, what you can do is affect the way that they watch the game. For example, assign a "homework assignment" for your athletes to find moments of teamwork or extraordinary in the night's big game. Then spend a few minutes at practice discussing what they noticed.

Create a culture of teamwork and sacrifice. Drills that promote togetherness can go along way, especially in team sports. But did you know that off-the-field actions affect personality growth and team chemistry. If your team has tasks it must require, like moving equipment, use these tasks as chances for your team to grow together. No athlete, no matter skill level or seniority, should be exempt.

The league will miss Rashard Mendenhall. But his influence on sporting fields everywhere should only grow over the next few months.

http://www.premiersports.com/search.html

[premiersports]

Batting Leadoff Series - Part One: The Importance of Continuing to Improve

Much has been written regarding player development at the professional baseball level. Our friends at Batting Leadoff have been visionaries in this field since their founding in 2013. Their team’s analysis of trends, statistics, and prospects is already mentioned in conversations among Major League scouts across the nation.

Today, we announce our partnership with Batting Leadoff. Together, we will attempt to apply their statistical prowess to the industry of amateur sports and coaching. Our joint, four-part series will cover a variety of topics, including tips for finding the best travel team, how coaches can help in scouting, and how to balance the often political scouting process with actual skill development. While their staff focuses primarily on baseball, the lessons can be applied across most sports in your communities.

In this first segment, Alex Smith, BL founder and relief pitcher at Cornell University, discusses the importance of continuing to improve while going through the college recruiting process.

[premiersports]

Safety at PremierSports

"After each lesson, athletes are encouraged to provide our team with feedback on their experience. The reviews allow us to examine and ensure our coaches are the best in your area."

Safety doesn’t happened by accident. It’s a product of being proactive. Since PremierSports launched two months ago, athlete and coach safety has been our top priority.

When a parent signs up their child for a sport or a private lesson, there is degree of trust imparted to the coach or instructor. As athletes ourselves, we understand that process. In this article, we highlight some strides PremierSports has taken to ensure that our coaches may earn your trust.

To be eligible for a membership with PremierSports, coaches and instructors must meet a minimum prerequisite of at least 3 years’ experience coaching or playing at the high school level, with experience at college or professional levels preferred. Every coach that is accepted on to our platform also goes through a thorough background screening prior to providing lessons.

After each lesson, athletes are encouraged to provide our team with feedback on their experience. The reviews allow us to examine and ensure that our coaches are the best in your area.

SafeSport believes athletes “perform better, soar higher, and get the most they possibly can from sport if they feel safe.” In other words, if athletes feel safe, an environment of participation and support flourishes. However, words are only words until they spring into action. This is where SafeSport succeeds. Their team has the knowledge, resources, and education to help member of a sport community participate in the three R’s: recognize, reduce, and respond to misconduct in sports.

There is an old saying about timing - and I am sure you know it - it’s everything! Right now, SafeSports’ work is delivering results at the Sochi Winter Olympics. Watch closely and you’ll see the Working Groups there implementing one of the four primary objectives for athlete safety. They address physical and emotional misconduct in a sport, while focusing on the response and administration of issues. An assessment is made of all the moving pieces the Games involve - clubs, national governing bodies, and other sport organizations. With those objectives met, the fourth objective is to develop guidelines for an athlete’s well being in that sport. 

Considering the proven methods of SafeSports, we are able to help ensure that safety is never compromised and our athletes can reach their full potential in a positive environment.