As soccer draws billions of views worldwide this summer, Aiden Ptacek earned a major call-up of his own. 

Ptacek, a sport management student and a midfielder on the Division I soccer team at Bowling Green State University, is completing a summer internship with the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer. As an event operations assistant, Ptacek is earning a crash course into the business of professional sports, at a fitting time to do so. MLS is not currently playing games – club soccer is in the midst of a lengthy international break for the World Cup – yet the Crew still has a packed summer calendar.

ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, the Crew’s home stadium in downtown Columbus, is still playing host to events, so Ptacek has been assisting with event coverage for everything that isn’t the Crew’s games, ranging from charity endeavors to graduation parties. Later this summer, the venue will host a National Women’s Soccer League Challenge Cup match, and the Crew's training facilities are playing host to the Ecuadorian national team, with which Ptacek is training as long as Ecuador is alive in the ongoing World Cup.

Even for Ptacek, an accomplished player in his own right, the internship has provided a compelling look at how a high-level soccer club operates outside of its senior team’s season.

“Honestly, I really didn’t know that pro sports teams held so many different events until I got to see them for myself,” Ptacek said. “As a fan, all you really see are the external parts like the performance on the field or the interviews after the game with the coaches, the GM or the players. Most people don’t realize there are so many different roles within a professional sports organization that help run it.”

Ptacek is complementing his career as a D-I athlete with pursuing a degree in sport management at BGSU, which is home to one of the top programs of its type in the country. One of the program’s enduring strengths is its connection to a large, passionate alumni base that features Falcons in sports careers all over the U.S. 

For students, the chance to learn from alumni within the industry is a core part of their coursework, which Ptacek said was instrumental in demonstrating how a career in sports is a reality.

“We hear a lot from different alumni as guests who talk to us about their experience and what they’re doing now, which is when I really said, ‘Oh, there is really so much you can do in sports,'" Ptacek said. “There are so many different pathways. I’ve found it really helpful that so many different alumni shared their experience of going from sitting where I was to a job in pro sports.”

Ptacek’s internship came on the heels of a significant athletic accomplishment, as the Falcons recently named him as a captain for the 2026 season. 

Sport management program coordinator and professor Amanda Paule-Koba, Ph.D., said Ptacek’s ability to have success both athletically and academically speaks to his “maturity, discipline and sense of purpose” during his time at BGSU.

“What stands out most is that he has not viewed athletics and academics as competing priorities. He has committed to excelling in both,” Paule-Koba said. “That ability to lead, perform and remain invested in his education reflects the kind of habits and character that will continue to serve him well long after his playing career ends.”

Ptacek said the demands of a D-I team and a rigorous major require a regimented schedule, but creating success in both places has been possible with the help of support provided to BGSU student-athletes.

“It can be hard at times, but I like to take things one day at a time, map out everything I have to do and at the end of the day, map out the next day. That keeps everything simple and straightforward,” he said. “We have a lot of help from our academic advisors and our coaches as well. They really help set us up for success. It’s not just me.”

While Ptacek naturally will pursue a career in professional soccer, he said he also wanted to maximize his opportunities in sport management to prepare for what comes next. He has considered becoming a player agent or working in a pro team’s front office, admittedly lofty goals that, just like being a player, will require significant commitment.

During his internship, Ptacek said he is learning as much as he can from the opportunity, yet another step toward getting the best of both worlds as a BGSU soccer player.

“Soccer isn’t forever, which is why I’m going to BGSU, getting my degree and doing this internship,” he said. “When I was looking for an internship, I really wanted to try something in soccer because I love the game, and the Crew was my No. 1 place that I wanted to go. The Crew is an awesome organization. It would be a dream to work for them, so I’m really thankful to be here.”

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