From Syracuse to Perth: James Madison University intern shares experiences at WA FootballFriday, July 18, 2025 - 3:00 PM

On his final week of a two-month Business Development and Stakeholder Management Intern, James Madison University student Daniel Stark shared his experiences about life in Perth and what he learned. 

How have you enjoyed your time at WA Football? 

Loved my time at WA Football. True team environment felt included and appreciated throughout my entire time. Moments of trying to get me access to more databases reassured my importance and help to the team. I easily had the best placement not just from a work perspective but also from a perk of the job prospective. Always, had a unique experience to go back to the rest of the study abroad group with. 

You’ve come all the way from Upstate New York, how did this internship come about? 

While I’m from Syracuse (or Upstate), I go to university in Virginia at James Madison University which is about 2 hours southwest of Washington D.C. This opportunity came up as I always wanted to study abroad and it just so happened that my school of study, the Hart School, had the ability to fulfill the required internship course along with it being in a different country (Australia). I jumped right on the opportunity as I knew there wouldn’t be a better time to do it. 

What does a typical day look like?? 

A typical day starts around 6:30 or 7, depending on if I run in the morning. Then get ready and head towards the bus station at 8:15, stop at my favourite coffee shop (they had my order in and cost on the scanner by the time I turned the corner). I would hop on the bus and take a 5-minute walk to the office. During a typical day my roles varied but stayed in the general realm of partnership management and learning the responsibilities and fulfilling deliverables, as well as looking down the road to the end of year Finals and GF activations and locations, etc. Day also consisted of sitting in on meetings between partners, broadcast and media/marketing. After my daily responsibilities were complete, I would use the fabulous gym and head home typically around 4:30-5. Late nights were catch-up with roommate/friends.  

What have been some of the highlights? 

• Watching a Fremantle Dockers home game at Optus Stadium in the CUB box. 

• Getting to see the true business that goes into putting on a six-month sport season. 

• Exploring a new city and surrounding towns, learning about the history of the country and State. 

• Making life-long invaluable connections. 

• Gaining unique new skillsets and knowledge in sports, professional life, and life in general. 

• Learning Australian lingo, in sports and general day-to-day life. 

On the lingo, what’s an Aussie word or phrase you’ll bring back home? 

I’d like to think I will bring ‘mate’ back with me but as Oli points out frequently, I use the ‘yeah, nah’ or ‘nah, yeah’ phrases frequently  

What have you learned about the game of Australian rule footy that you’ll take back to the US? 

• Incredible sport, high-paced, physical as can be, thrilling, and 80% of the time the match is great, and you must stay all the way through. 

• The rules are up for interpretation making it smoother and less start and stop like majority of US sports. 

• WAFL players usually have some sort of day job even in season to support themselves and their families. 

• I would like to expand the reach of the sport, I know there is a league in Texas, but would be unique to expand it even recreationally to start. 

What are you going to miss most about WA Football and life in Perth? 

• I am going to miss the team in business development. 

• I am going to miss the comradery/ office environment. 

• I am going to miss the work/life balance of not only WA Football but in Australian culture in general. 

• I am going to miss the food, it’s so clean and fresh and has such a globally-influenced cuisine. I don’t think I ate a meal twice unless it was extraordinary as I wanted to try anything and everything 

• I am going to miss the clean city, the fresh coastal air and the friendly people of Perth and Australia. 

Goals for the future? 

I plan to graduate from JMU in May 2026 with my bachelor’s degree in Sport & Recreation Management, with a General Business minor. Following that I plan to apply and enrol in a graduate school program in either Sport Administration or Physical Education Leadership so that I can pursue a career in Athletic Administration/ Athletic Director at either the collegiate or high school levels.