Men’s varsity baseball team member Ethan Lee-Tyson ’19 has been playing sports since elementary school, and he wants to make sure that the next generation of college athletes has the chance to do the same.

“I’m grateful that I’ve been able to compete for as long as I have,” the economics major says, “and, growing up, witnessed the rising costs associated with youth sports in general. Making sure that other kids get that opportunity is very meaningful to me.”

That’s the sentiment behind his decision to intern at sports-minded startup LeagueSide. Wanting to “be involved in a mission that was personally meaningful” in some way when it came to summer work, Lee-Tyson sought out assistance from the Center for Career and Professional Advising (CCPA) back in March—and was subsequently connected with James Levine ’15, one of the company’s account executives.

“James spoke highly of the collaborative environment of a startup, which was naturally attractive to me as a Haverford student,” says Lee-Tyson. “After visiting the office and talking more, they eventually offered me an internship, which I was fortunate to get funded through the Whitehead Internship Program.”

Named for banker John C. Whitehead ’43, the program “encourages rising juniors and rising seniors to engage in an 8–10 week summer work experience related to entrepreneurial endeavors, small business enterprise, venture capital or investment finance activities.” Since its inception 25 years ago, it has funded approximately 250 student internships, Lee-Tyson’s at LeagueSide now among them.

Backed by studies that show that “kids who play sports perform better in school, live healthier lives, and grow up to be more successful adults,” LeagueSide links youth sports leagues with big-name sponsors—Uber, Chipotle, and McDonald’s among them—that cover the often prohibitive hidden costs that come with participation.

“LeagueSide makes sponsoring thousands of youth sports organizations as easy as creating a Facebook ad campaign,” says co-founder and current COO Zubin Teherani. “We work with [corporate] clients to help them accomplish their marketing goals and support the local community.”

Lee-Tyson, for his part, is happy to be involved in an initiative that’s so personally resonant and in a way that also plays into his coursework.

“I’ve primarily done market research and inbound marketing, but I’ve also been pleasantly surprised with the opportunities I’ve had to jump in and contribute in other areas—helping to develop our social media marketing plan, for example,” he says. “Early on, I was definitely caught off-guard by how often my opinion was solicited in different situations. Whether it’s in a daily sales meeting or bi-weekly ‘town hall,’ good ideas are highly valued, no matter the source.”

“Summer Centered” is a series exploring Haverford students’ Center-funded summer work.