The following story was submitted by Kira Jones, a 2014 fellow of The Perfect Game Foundation.

Name: Kira Jones

School: University of Southern California Master’s of Specialized Journalism (Sports & Society)

Job or Internship: TV Academy Foundation’s Student Internship Program

How did working with The Perfect Game Foundation help you?

My first interaction with Del came last year when I was working for a startup sports training device company. He was an invaluable resource because not only did he provide me with a ton of information about marketing and licensing, but when he didn’t know the answer to a question he would connect me with someone who did. Now that I’m in the process of searching for jobs, Del has been so helpful by letting me bounce ideas off of him and providing insight into the sports world. I’ve known I wanted to work in sports for years, but am still trying to decide in exactly what capacity. Del has opened my eyes to opportunities I’d never even considered.

What advice would you pass on (‘Pay it Forward !) to others to aspire to work in sports?

Always remember what inspired you to work in sports in the first place. Usually a career in sports means crazy hours and lots of hard work, but if you’re passionate about what you’re doing it will be a lot of fun! Also, be nice to everyone—networking is especially important in the sports world and you never know when you might make a great connection with someone just because you smiled and said hello.