OKLAHOMA CITY – USA Softball is thrilled to announce its internship class for the 2022 summer season, welcoming young and passionate talent from across the country to assist the organization during its busiest season. Each intern spends the summer based at the USA Softball headquarters in Oklahoma City and will help administer and promote a variety of elite tournaments held at the Softball Capital of the World®. The USA Softball National Office Staff welcomes Hannah Keiper (Chester Springs, Pa.), Hallie Saintignan (Benton, La.) and Emma Trainor (Fayetteville, Ark.) as Communications Interns while the Event Management staff welcomes Micaela Bradley (Greenup, Ill.) and Nicole Williams (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.). Also joining the 2022 summer internship class are four volunteer interns with Alejandro Armijo (Rio Rancho, N.M.), Brandon Hundley (San Antonio, Texas) and Ransen Turner (Edmond, Okla.) serving on the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex staff in addition to Jaxton Boyd (Rosendale, Wis.) who will assist in all National Office departments throughout the summer.
Hannah Keiper joins USA Softball as a Communications Intern during her summer break from the University of Rochester where she is pursuing a dual-degree in Marketing and Digital Media Studies along with a certificate in User Experience (UX)/User-Centered Design while also being a member of the Rochester softball team. Playing a key role both on and off the field, Keiper also dedicates her time in assisting the Rochester softball squad with building the team’s brand and digital presence on various media platforms. While at the University of Rochester, Keiper has been involved with various organizations including the Varsity Student Athlete Advisory Committee (VSAAC) whose main objective is to serve the surrounding community. Additionally, Keiper brings experience with managing social media platforms and creating and designing apparel for various sports organizations and companies.
“I am so excited for this opportunity to work with this great organization,” said Keiper. “I’m looking forward to learning from the amazing team here at USA Softball while also helping to grow the game we all love!”
Following the conclusion of her collegiate softball season at Tarleton State University, Hallie Saintignan joins USA Softball as a Communications Intern with the excitement of expanding her knowledge and experience in the sports media industry. Saintignan recently earned her bachelor’s degree in Digital Media with a minor in Communications while interning for the Tarleton Sports Network. Through her internship, Saintignan gained knowledge of on-field production and creative storytelling to highlight student athletes and their daily successes. Along with her two years of experience with Tarleton Sports Network, Saintignan also ran live productions for the NJCAA National Baseball and Soccer Championships through Tourbeau Production Group.
“I’m really looking forward to gaining behind-the-scenes experience at USA Softball,” said Saintignan. “I couldn’t be more thankful for this opportunity to learn and create under the best staff and for the best softball program in the nation.”
In partnership with the Association of Women in Sports Media (AWSM), Emma Trainor joins USA Softball as a Communications Intern. As a member of the prestigious 2022 AWSM Scholars class, Trainor is one of seven young women from across the country placed in roles in broadcast production, broadcast reporting, print/digital reporting and media relations with prominent sports organizations. Trainor is entering her senior year at Oklahoma State University where she is pursuing a bachelor’s in Sports Management and Marketing Communications. During her time at Oklahoma State, Trainor has interned for the Oklahoma State athletics communications department for three years, including serving as the Equestrian Sports Information Director. Additionally, she has been a media relations team member for the Big 12 Conference and the Southeastern Conference while also working many key events throughout the country including the National Championship, Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl, Tampa Bay Bowl and other various collegiate football regular season games held at AT&T Stadium. Trainor is also an active member of the AWSM student chapter at Oklahoma State and the National College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) organization.
“It is such a dream to be an intern for USA Softball and I can’t wait to be a part of this awesome organization where we will continue to showcase all levels of softball,” said Trainor. “I feel very fortunate to get the opportunity to learn from so many great people, and I hope my work this summer will help increase the excitement for the game across the country.”
Micaela Bradley, a current student-athlete for the Marietta College softball team, joins USA Softball as an Event Management Intern for the 2022 summer season. Currently pursuing a degree in Sports Management with a minor in Leadership Studies, Bradley has worked with the Florida Atlantic University event operations team where she assisted with stadium setup and coordination efforts with ESPN staff to organize participant services outside the stadium. Additionally, Bradley has worked as a volunteer for Marietta College where she assisted with the scoreboard and in-game promotions as well as concession stand and field preparations for Rebels baseball. Having played softball in her youth, Bradley will use her knowledge and experience about the sport to help the events management department with any responsibilities needed to ensure that all USA Softball events are the best in the business.
“I am so excited for this internship opportunity with USA Softball,” said Bradley. “I’m looking forward to learning everything that goes on behind-the-scenes to pull off a successful event, and I hope to use these skills to continue to grow the game of softball throughout my career.”
Also welcomed to USA Softball as an Event Management Intern is Nicole Williams who joins the 2022 internship class following her recent graduation from the University of Georgia where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Sport Management while serving as the Georgia Softball Manager during her senior year. Williams has also served as a student intern for the promotions department at Georgia and a Merchandise Intern for the Georgia Hockey team. Her previous experience in softball will aid USA Softball as she utilizes her skills in data collection, creating hi-level summaries and providing direct player support to all aspects of the job. After a summer with USA Softball, Williams will return to the University of Georgia where she will continue her role as the Georgia Softball Manager while earning her master’s degree in Sports Management. With her hands-on experience in multiple areas of sports organizations, Williams is looking forward to taking on whatever tasks are needed to help USA Softball events run smoothly.
“I am beyond grateful for this opportunity to work with USA Softball as it will allow me to explore my passion for working in athletics on a bigger platform,” said Williams. “I hope to one day work with the Olympics, and I know that USA Softball will provide the background and connections necessary to work my way to that international stage.”
Assisting the USA Softball National Office staff in various departments since January, Jaxton Boyd continues his role as a volunteer National Office Intern during his summer break from Oklahoma Christian University where he is studying Sports Management with an emphasis in Sports Analytics. Boyd garners experience working with the game day staff for the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders where he obtained extensive knowledge in working the behind-the-scenes operations, including concessions and tickets. Currently, Boyd serves as the Vice President of Events for the American Marketing Association organization at Oklahoma Christian while carving out volunteer time for USA Softball throughout the week. His interest in athletics is reflected in his positions as the Oklahoma Christian Men’s Basketball Manager and the Athletic Director for the Chi Lambda Phi Social Club as well as his involvement as an umpire and referee for the WIAA Certified Official.
“I’ve been here as an intern since January and am so grateful for the opportunities that USA Softball has given me,” said Boyd. “I’ve already learned so many great skills and practices to help further my career in athletics, and I’m excited to learn more of the behind-the-scenes of the sport while continuing to build connections within the organization.”
Rounding out the 2022 summer internship class are volunteers Alejando Armijo, Brandon Hundley and Ransen Turner who join USA Softball while working toward a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from Oklahoma Christian University. Looking to gain experience in the sports industry, the three interns will work alongside the USA Softball stadium operations staff throughout the summer event season.