(July 23, 2019) Michael Foiles’ only regret about STAA is that he didn’t join sooner. One week after joining, Foiles received a job lead that was exclusive to STAA members. Now, he’s joining the broadcast team at NCAA DII Queens University in Charlotte, NC.
“Before I joined STAA, I had a really tough time finding a position where I could do play-by-play and crack into the game as a recent college graduate,” Foiles recalls.
“I applied to Queens University through the job lead emails Jon sends out and thankfully got a strong recommendation from Adam Cavalier at nearby Carson Newman University.
“My only regret was not hearing about STAA earlier because I spent about a month fishing in the wrong pond after graduating in May.”
At Queens, Foiles will handle play-by-play and color duties for live audio and video streams on the Queens Sports Network. He will also assist in production of web content.
He will work under fellow STAA member Phil Constantino. “I understand there is a lot I do not know about broadcasting, but I am eager to learn and receive feedback from [Phil].
Foiles graduated in May from the University of Illinois. His play-by-play experience includes basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball on Big Ten Plus, and occasionally re-aired on Big Ten Networks.
Foiles gained considerable production experience with Fighting Illini Productions and internships with NBC Sports in Chicago and San Francisco.
He joined STAA shortly after graduation.
“Taking advantage of the job leads STAA sends out almost daily was the best thing I did. Identifying what was a good fit and sending out applications was the best course of action toward finding a position.
“There was not much hesitation about joining STAA once I recognized the personal help [Owner Jon Chelesnik] would provide in landing my first post-college broadcasting position.
“I joined simply because I needed a job but have remained a member because I have learned a lot about how to become a better broadcaster from browsing the site.”
(Visit Mike’s STAA Talent Page).