(August 28, 2013) The life of a sports broadcaster is often nomadic. So far, Ben Horner has split 2013 between three different states. Now, he’s adding a fourth. Horner, an STAA client, has been hired as the Broadcast and Media Relations Coordinator for the Wichita Falls Wildcats Hockey Club.
“It is a chance to gain a lot of experience and improve while working for a great organization in the Wildcats,” says Horner. “There are a lot of talented broadcasters out there, and I’m excited and thankful to have this opportunity.”
The Wildcats had hired someone for the position earlier this year. When circumstances changed, the position opened again earlier this month, just three weeks prior to the start of the season. Wildcats assistant coach Nick Harper called STAA for input on a handful of clients who had applied earlier this year.
“Ben was the first guy Nick Harper asked me about,” says STAA CEO Jon Chelesnik. “I had heard great things about the work Ben had done this summer with the Palm Springs Power baseball team and I shared that feedback with Nick.”
Horner started the year finishing up his undergraduate degree at Northeastern University. After graduation, he moved to California to join the Power for the summer collegiate baseball season. When the Wildcats came calling, Horner was beginning an internship with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in Kansas City, MO.
“Conventional wisdom says it would have been an easy call to make, but it was actually a surprisingly hard decision. Soccer is a sport I’m very passionate about, and the idea of backing down from my previous commitment to the NSCAA was something I struggled with for a time,” Horner says.
“But the more I thought about it, and the more I talked to people in the industry that I trust, the more it became clear there was no way I could pass up the opportunity with the Wildcats. I’m very grateful to everyone at the NSCAA for being so understanding and supportive of my decision.”
With the start of the season looming, Horner is looking forward to seeing the first puck drop in Texas.
“This upcoming season marks the Wildcats’ tenth, so I’m very excited to play a part in celebrating a decade of Wildcats hockey. I’m also looking forward to working around hockey full-time, which is something I worked towards in my time at Northeastern.”
(Visit Ben’s STAA Talent Page).