Summer Spotlight: Noah Gans '21

Noah Gans '21 joins Celtic FC of Glasgow, Scotland for the summer.
Noah Gans '21 joins Celtic FC of Glasgow, Scotland for the summer.

Brandeis student-athletes are learning 12 months a year, taking part in valuable internships and taking classes over the summer. Here’s a look at what they are up to!

Noah Gans ’21, men’s soccer

MAJORS: Business and psychology double major

INTERNING ATCeltic Football Club in Glasgow, Scotland. Celtic are 50-time Scottish League champions, including the last eight in a row.

How did you learn about the opportunity?

I have a few connections with the club through my youth soccer club, the Bolts, who for many years had a partnership with the club. We came over to Celtic in 2013 to train with their youth coaches. My dad has also done business with a few of the executives of the club, so his connections were able to help put the internship together.

What does your job entail?

I am a front office intern, which is broad in name and broad in responsibility. But that is a good thing because I am being exposed to all different aspects of how the club is run. From working with social media and marketing, to sitting in on meetings about corporate sponsorship deals, to working with hospitality during first-team matches, to helping to set up a massive interactive festival for Celtic fans to meet players, play games, listen to live music, and win prizes, I am in full sponge-mode--Soaking in as much information and knowledge from as many different departments and people as possible.

How does this internship relate to your career goals?

I'm passionate about sports, and I'm interested in going into business, so what better career path is there to seek than the business side of sports? It is a dynamic segment of business where no day is like the last and won't be like the next. You need to be quick on your feet, adaptable, and collaborative to be successful, and that is the type of culture/atmosphere that drives me. And working with a club with such a passionate fan base makes the experience even more special.

How has being a student-athlete at Brandeis helped you prepare for the internship?

One of the biggest takeaways of my Brandeis educational experience is how college has taught me to learn – to listen better, to think more creatively, and to view having people around that know more than me and are better than me not as a threat or an insecurity, but as an opportunity. I'm still working on that, but much of my experience here is simply just learning how a football club is run, from the top executives to the youth teams at the bottom of the hierarchy. Every conversation I have here is with someone who is an expert at something, so I'm trying to key in on what that is and find a way to learn a little bit from each person I meet.

When do you find time to stay in shape for your sport?

My first week here, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to train with Celtic's U18 Academy team. Celtic has one of the world's most renowned academies, so this was a really special experience. Though the kids are younger than me, they are all professional athletes already, at ages 15, 16, and 17, and are excellent players. The coach was a successful former Celtic and Scotland player, so it was great to have the chance to work under his guidance for a week. Otherwise, I go for runs and play six-a-side with some of my coworkers on Tuesdays after work.