Staying Involved in Sports off the Court with Andrea Aruino

4 Minute read

By: Andrea Aruino

My love for sports was ingrained in me the second I was born. I was intrigued by every detail and skill that each sport offered. From karate to softball to soccer, no sport captured me quite like basketball, it was the one that truly sealed the deal. Being engrossed in the Lakers versus Warriors debate with my family from Southern California, fueled a competitive spirit in me that still holds true to this day. I wanted to learn every position, what stats make up a good player, which starting lineup is ideal for which team. If basketball gave me anything, it was the chance to learn and grow. In hindsight, every chance I took to learn even the smallest detail about basketball was all fun and games, little did I know it was one step closer to paving a career in sports. 

I began playing basketball as early as the second grade where I joined my local YMCA youth team. I played simply because it was fun, and in that joy I found a community of others who shared the same heartbeat for the game. I played throughout middle school and high school where I met my best friends to this day. They made playing basketball fun even when we were tired from sprints or defensive drills. It was during 2020 that I began training at UPBasketball. 

At this point in my basketball career, I found myself spending more minutes on the bench than I was on the court after two back to back season ending injuries. This feeling was especially draining which any player can relate to. All I wanted to do was play basketball. Without even telling me, my mom had signed me up for private lessons at UPB. I was hesitant but it was a blessing. As cliche as it sounds, my love for basketball was resparked after my first session at UPB, and I was hooked. My first interaction with Coach Packie made it seem like I had been coming into the gym for years. 

Unfortunately, my senior year of basketball was taken away due to COVID 19 during the 2020-2021 school year. I loved basketball but I knew I wasn’t going to take it past high school. Although I did not continue playing, I walked away with invaluable knowledge that I still use today. I found that every time I worked on my dribbling, I got better at getting around defenders. Every time I stayed past practice to shoot, I found more shots sinking in. One thing that always holds true in both sports and life is that discipline and focus will take you far. Setting goals allows you to move step by step toward something bigger.

Entering college, I knew I wanted to get involved in sports. I brainstormed ideas on how I could keep myself involved in sports even if it wasn’t on the court. I combined my love for photography and sports into one. I could remain enthralled in the fast-paced action while expanding my knowledge on photography and sports. 

Towards the end of my senior year, I was preparing for post-grad by looking for jobs. That was when I saw an opening for UPB’s Digital Content Writer. It was right up my alley, while I loved sports photography, my passion for writing about basketball ran even deeper. I knew I had to apply and low and behold, I was offered the position. This opened me up to an even greater amount of knowledge when it came to basketball. As a fan, I focused on stats, trades, and everything else that is released to the public. As I began working in sports at UPB, I was further introduced to the business side and how to promote a brand’s mission to the best of my ability through basketball. 

Working at UPB as a Digital Content Writer has opened up avenues for myself that I didn’t even know were possible. As a lifelong Bay Area native and advocate for women’s sports, I had applied to an internship with the Golden State Valkyries which was a goal of mine the day they announced their expansion. I was both shocked and deeply grateful to be accepted to work with them. Once again I was given the opportunity to learn about basketball on a deeper level. The experiences I had, taught me how to represent a brand even further and at the professional level. 

Being an intern with the Golden State Valkyries was truly a dream come true. I wanted to be a part of the initiative that pushed forward the gift that women’s sports has to offer. I worked as a Communications Intern where I was able to assist in game day prep and postgame work. In addition to that I was responsible for many media related tasks that involved different departments, allowing me to learn how intertwined a team’s internal team has to be. 

This opportunity taught me a plethora of valuable information and it was an especially cool experience considering this was their inaugural season. I was able to learn how to intricately use statistics to write reports for games, which was something I never saw myself doing. I loved every single second of it. As cliche as it sounds, the most valuable thing I took away from this internship were the relationships that I made. 

Despite not playing professional basketball, I’m grateful for the abundance of opportunities there are to work in sports whether that be in graphic design, finance, human relations, and so much more. I hope this reminds anyone who has to step away from playing sports that there will always be a place for you in the game, and the impact you make off the court can be just as powerful, if not greater.