This past summer (summer 2025), Michael interned at The OT Sports Group, a sports agency that services both amateur and professional athletes. As an intern, Ostrower’s work focused on strategy and market trends, including time spent in New York City, Fairfield, and Providence. Ostrower contributed to multiple NHL contract negotiations and helped recruit promising young talent to the agency.
Name: Michael Ostrower
Class Year: Class of 2027
Major: Political Science
Internship: The OT Sports Group LLC
Internship Location: New York, NY
What skills or knowledge did you gain from this experience?
The experience taught me how to look at the negotiation process from different angles, with larger factors like geography, politics, and history being key to establishing leverage. Going from an outside observer as a fan to someone involved in the process revealed just how many moving parts are required to get the team and player to agree to a final number. As well, I learned how important it is to communicate with clarity with my boss, as meetings require concise, factual data and notes.
How did this experience shape or confirm your career interests?
Before the internship, I knew I wanted to work in sports – likely hockey – but I didn’t know exactly why and where within the industry. Just days into the experience, it became clear negotiation and strategy was the sector I belonged, as it combined my love for debate and problem-solving with my fiercely competitive nature.
Is there a memorable moment or highlight from your summer that stands out?
The most memorable and meaningful moment from the experience came when we finalized Matt Coronato’s $45.5 million contract with the Calgary Flames. This was the first major project I worked on with the agency, and I saw just how many factors the process entailed. Coronato was just two years removed from playing for free in college, and he now has made life-changing money. For my boss, this signing was the culmination of over a decade of overnight-flights and stressful phone calls. This was also the first time in my career I was entrusted with such a large project, and the outcome gave me the confidence that I can succeed in this industry.
The Center for Career Engagement diligently collects data on student participation in various experiential learning opportunities. Students have an opportunity to opt in to participate in one of our student spotlight series, and we are excited to share their experiential learning narrative. Keep an eye out for our next spotlight feature.
Want to be featured for our Student Internship Spotlight? Contact Maria Bruns and share your career experience via WashU Career Insights.
