Internships are an integral part of the Ferris State's Professional Tennis Management program.  Every student is required to participate in three internships during the course of their studies.  This article introduces a few PTM students and their summer plans.

By Ryan Bauman

A PTM internship is a student's first introduction to what's it like to work in the tennis industry.  While students do get a feel for it throughout the curriculum--meeting staff who have worked in the industry and meeting with alumni who are active tennis insiders, but the truly hands-on experience comes with a two- to three-month summer internship.  Students may get placed with a manufacturer, a resort, a club or another tennis business in a structured internship that requires varied skill-sets and provides development and refinement of such skills.
 
The first internship for first-year PTM students is working the Ferris State Tennis Camps. Jessica Clark, a transfer student, says she's looking forward to the eight-week assignment--her first go at teaching and working with kids on court. She'll be working alongside fellow students and the two teaching pros at our racquet facility, Amy Nestle and Alex Palladino.

Once students complete their first year of PTM and intern at the Camps, they are free to apply to any internship, which could be located anywhere in the U.S.  While there is list of internship opportunities available for students to browse and apply, PTM staff encourages us to find our own internships to help make contacts in the industry. 

Natalie Diorio took initiative and made a contact with Steve Green, a pro in Grand Rapids, Mich. She'll be working with country clubs and junior camps.  She'll also be officiating USTA tournaments.  This kind of experience is great for Natalie because it covers a lot of different areas, a majority being country club tennis with adults and competitive junior camps.

Industry professionals also contact PTM Director Derek Ameel about internship opportunities.  This is one of the ways PTM starts long-lasting relationships with clubs around the country.  This is how I received my internship for the summer.  I'll be participating in a tennis program at a country club in New York.  The club requested confidentiality, so I won't name it, but I'm excited to be a part of the team--especially this summer because the club plans to add video analysis to their offerings. I'm looking forward to participating in that and using my multimedia and technical experience to help their computer systems. The tennis is the centerpiece to my internship, but the video and IT work are an added bonus for me. I can't wait to get out there to learn more.

As the year is coming to an end here at Ferris, all you will hear around the club is "Where are you going on internship?"  All of the students and all of my peers are ecstatic to be going out this summer and doing what they love.

Editor's Note: Ryan's internship with the TennisWire Network is coming to a close and we wish him the best of luck this summer and beyond. Stay tuned for an introduction to our next intern from Ferris State PTM, who starts in June.