Internship Report vol.6 – Freddy Liu’s Story

At Sporta, we have welcomed six interns in the past, each of whom has contributed in various ways during their time with us. After completing their internships, they have gone on to apply the knowledge and skills gained at Sporta in global IT firms, general trading companies, professional sports teams, and more.

This time, as the 6th installment of our intern experience series, we are excited to share the story of Freddy Liu, who interned at our New York office.

＜Below is Freddy’s story＞

As a current student in Columbia University's Master's in Sports Management program, I have always held a passion for working in sports. However, I was never exactly sure how I could work in sports; the only thing I was certain of was that I wanted to take advantage of my trilingual background and use sports to connect Asia and the West. This is why when I was scrolling through alumni pages on LinkedIn and found Yusuke's profile, I was immediately intrigued by Sporta's mission and decided to reach out to him to learn more.

For someone like me, this internship at Sporta was the perfect opportunity to explore all the different corners of the sports industry. I could never have imagined just how many different projects I would get my hands on and how many different people I would meet. I connected with individuals from leagues, clubs, players, agents, and sponsors across Japan, the U.S., Europe, Beijing, Taiwan, and many other places I never expected to do business with. It is impossible to list all of my projects: from arranging tours for Japanese teams to finding import players for women's basketball clubs to researching marketing strategies. I never thought I could be involved in so many different aspects of one company.

My most memorable experience was when I went to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League in July. This trip was truly eye-opening. I spoke with top executives from Japanese basketball clubs and networked with basketball professionals from around the world. While it was a busy and sometimes tiring four days, I truly enjoyed every moment I was in Vegas.

Working at Sporta during this rapid growth phase has been such a valuable experience for me. 

As someone who had only had working experience with a large company, I was impressed with how efficient communication is within the company. Even more impressive was how genuinely nice everyone at the company is. Whether interacting online or in person, every team member was helpful, friendly, and always offered kind encouragement.

After three months of interning at Sporta, I am more certain than ever that I want to work in the sports business. I believe it would be difficult to find a company that is more fun than Sporta, and anyone would fall in love working here.