Every year, Sports Network International selects one (sometimes two) outstanding JROTC programs to participate as our official "Internship School." Established in 2006, our internship program offers schools an unparalleled opportunity to learn what it takes to succeed at the National High School Drill Team Championships. Selected schools are best described as "fully immersed spectators," experiencing the Nationals from a behind-the-scenes perspective. Your program will view the event through the eyes of an event director, interacting extensively with event staff, cadets, and judges—everything that typically only Sports Network International staff have the opportunity to witness. This involvement helps your cadets appreciate what it takes to execute a competition of this magnitude and scope, while learning the psychology, motivation, and intricate details that both judges and competing cadets maintain.
History demonstrates that this position often serves as the perfect stepping stone to competing at this prestigious event in the future. We encourage all schools interested in joining the distinguished programs that have participated in the Nationals Internship Program to contact SNI today. Speak directly with Samantha Ste. Claire, who can provide all the details needed to make this exceptional opportunity a reality for your program.
The Internship school must arrive on Thursday afternoon in order to be ready to work the event for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
We need 16 cadets to fulfill all the necessary positions. The hours they work are approximately 6:45 am to 5:30 pm on all three days.
SNI covers the breakfast and lunch meal for all cadets while they are working. Breakfast is served starting at 6am at the Ocean Center and cadets are given a lunch voucher for the concession stand when the judges break for lunch. We also arrange for a pizza party for the group on one of the nights. All cadets will receive a commemorative event t-shirt. Additionally, the program will receive a free registration fee to enter the NHSDTC when they are ready to do so. (Value: $300)
We ask that the cadets wear either jeans or work pants and comfortable shoes. The cadets should all wear matching program shirts. SNI will provide staff vests and staff badges to identify all internship cadets.
Yes. The program is sent a training guide to distribute to the cadets in advance and a Zoom meeting is held approximately a week in advance to go over all of the event logistics, to teach the cadets what they will do and to answer any questions.
SNI has many beachfront hotels under contract that will allow the school to book rooms at a very discounted rate and house the cadets 4 to-a-room.
"I am a new Air Force JROTC instructor, and my first unit was relatively new and had never had a competitive drill team. I began dreaming of building a world-class drill program, but I first had a lot to learn. I attended the SNI Nationals Drill Camp, where I gained most of my knowledge about what would be needed to achieve my goals. My mentors from Drill Camp advised me that if I aspired to compete at the national level, it would be best to attend Nationals as a spectator for the first time to see how everything worked.
I called Samantha SteClaire to explain the situation, and she personally invited me to participate in the Internship "Runner" Program. This program is amazing and mutually beneficial for everyone. During the Nationals competition weekend, so much judging occurs simultaneously across a vast area that managing the score sheets for the head table becomes overwhelming. The runner's job is to stay with their assigned judges and deliver score sheets to the necessary locations after each performance. Additionally, runners handle other logistical tasks essential to the smooth operation of the competition.
I brought six cadets as runners who performed magnificently and were an incredible help. As an instructor, I did not have a designated role, but I was always available to step in when needed. I was fortunate that a judge for the PT competition dropped out, allowing me to assist and experience the event for myself.
The benefit of our collaboration was that SNI received exceptional assistance with their logistics, while my cadets had the opportunity to observe numerous competitive performances. This allowed the cadets the chance to see precisely what the judges focused on. They assisted with several different competitions, providing us with a breadth of experience as well. I was able to rotate through the competitions to see firsthand how the other teams operated. Additionally, all the instructors from various schools were very friendly and eager to share their experiences. I was able to tap into their wisdom and apply it to my program.
To summarize, this internship program was the best preparation for future competition at the national level. The cadets worked hard, learned a lot, and would do it again. If you are even remotely interested in taking your JROTC program to the next level and have never been to Daytona Beach, talk to SNI about attending National Drill Camp and then participating in the Nationals internship program; it will pay off in dividends."
Thanks,
Christopher S. Koopmans, SMSgt, USAF (Ret)
Air Force JROTC (TX-20171)
Braswell High School