InternViews: Nathan Valles

InternViews is a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their internship experience.

Nathan Valles is a fourth-year journalism and sport management major from Canton, Georgia. This year, he’s spending his summer as an intern at both Foul Territory and Swing Completo. Read more about his internship experience below.

Please provide a brief overview of your roles and responsibilities.

This summer, I had the opportunity to work two internships that gave me a better understanding of what it takes to work in baseball media. At Foul Territory, a daily baseball podcast, I worked as a production intern where I helped prepare shows by researching topics, creating full screens, editing videos, making graphics, writing show notes and assisting with social media. A big part of my role was helping the team make sure each episode was prepared and that the conversations were supported with strong research and interesting storylines.

At Swing Completo in Atlanta, I worked as a writing and social media intern, where I focused on telling stories about Latin American baseball players. I wrote feature stories, conducted interviews, covered Braves games and helped promote content through social media. Both experiences allowed me to combine my love for baseball with my passion for storytelling.

What opportunities did you have during your internship?

One of the biggest opportunities I had during these internships was getting to see how different parts of sports media come together. At Foul Territory, I learned how much preparation happens before a show even begins. There is a lot more that goes into a podcast than just sitting down and having a conversation. Research, video, graphics and finding interesting angles all play a role in creating a successful show.

At Swing Completo, I had the opportunity to tell stories that were important to me because they focused on Latin American baseball players. Being able to cover Braves games, conduct interviews and write stories that connected with a Spanish-speaking audience was something I really enjoyed because it aligned with the type of journalism I want to do in the future.

What is one piece of work you are proud of creating in this role?

One project I am especially proud of from Foul Territory was helping prepare for the show’s first-ever interview. Instead of only looking at a player’s statistics, I wanted to help find the story behind the player. I researched their background, recent life events, team situation and different angles that could make the interview more interesting. The player had recently welcomed a child, signed with a new team and was dealing with a difficult situation within the organization, so finding those personal storylines helped create a better conversation.

That experience reminded me why I love sports journalism. The best stories are not always just about what happens on the field, but about the people behind the game.

How has the Grady curriculum prepared you for this internship?

The Grady curriculum prepared me by teaching me the fundamentals of reporting, storytelling, and working under deadlines. My sports media classes, especially my Sportsource class, helped me understand the importance of being prepared, accurate and timely when covering sports. While in my Seminar in Journalism class, I learned about more about the social media side and opening my creative liberties.

My experience with The Red & Black also helped me tremendously. Working as the Spanish editor and helping tell stories about the Hispanic community gave me experience with translation, reporting and making sure stories are told in a way that represents people correctly. Those skills carried over directly into my work with Swing Completo.

Did you receive any mentorship or guidance? How did it impact your experience?

I received a lot of guidance during my internships, especially from Claudia Olsen at Foul Territory. She has been someone who has supported me throughout this experience and has always encouraged me to keep pushing myself. She has helped me recognize the value of the work I am doing and reminded me not to overlook my accomplishments.

Having someone who believes in my goals and wants to see me succeed has made a big impact on my confidence. Her support has helped me continue growing as a journalist and think more seriously about the future of my career.

What challenges have you overcome in this role?

One of the biggest challenges at Foul Territory was learning how to work on a strict production schedule. Since the show comes out consistently, everything needs to be completed on time, whether that is research, graphics, clips or social media content. Learning how to manage that schedule helped me become more organized and dependable.

At Swing Completo, one challenge was making sure my writing connected with a Spanish-speaking audience while still maintaining strong journalism standards. Balancing two internships while also taking summer classes after switching to a double major was also challenging, but it helped me improve my time management and learn how to handle multiple responsibilities.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you gained from your experience?

The biggest lesson I learned is that good storytelling comes from looking beyond the obvious. In baseball, it is easy to focus only on statistics, but the best stories come from understanding the person behind the player. Whether I am helping prepare a podcast interview or writing a feature story, I have learned that finding the human side of sports is what makes stories memorable.

How has this internship influenced your future career?

These internships have confirmed that I want to build a career in baseball media. Before these experiences, I mainly saw myself pursuing play-by-play broadcasting, and that is still a goal of mine. However, working with Foul Territory and Swing Completo showed me that I also enjoy podcasting, writing, producing and creating multimedia content.

I took these internships because I wanted to understand different sides of the industry, and I think that has made me a better journalist. No matter what role I end up in, I want to continue telling meaningful baseball stories and using my platform to highlight players and communities that deserve to be recognized.

Editor: Sarah Kate Maher, skm01341@uga.edu