(May 2, 2013) Alvin Washington never met a sport he couldn’t call, and he’s called plenty over an 18-year career. Now the Chicago native and STAA client will set stakes in Chillicothe, MO for the summer as the voice of Chillicothe Mudcats baseball.

“Having the opportunity to finally call a prestigious summer collegiate baseball team for a season is a major milestone for me”, says Washington, who counts Cape Girardeau, MO and Washington, IA among his career stops. “I’ve been privileged to call games at the amateur level in such venues as US Cellular Field and Wrigley Field, but nothing beats the thrill of being the hometown team’s voice, especially in small town America.”

The Mudcats play in the MINK League, with teams spread across Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. Another STAA client, Aaron Cox, was voice of the Mudcats in 2010. He used the experience as a springboard to affiliated baseball the following summer when he joined the short-season Class-A Idaho Falls Chukars. A third former Mudcats voice Jordan Carruth is currently a sports update anchor and talk show host at The Mighty 1090 in San Diego.

(Visit Alvin’s STAA Talent Page).

(April 29, 2013) Sometimes, you find opportunity. Other times, opportunity finds you. The latter is the case for Dan Lucero. An STAA client, Lucero is joining 1410 Sports Radio KGSO in Wichita as a sports talk host, play-by-play broadcaster and account executive.

Lucero is the fourth STAA client currently on the KGSO sports staff. (Two others formerly worked at the station.) He moves to Wichita from ESPN Radio 1410 in North Platte, NE where he spent the past three and-a-half years as Sports Director.

“I get a chance to improve my on-air skills in a competitive Top-100 market,” says Lucero. “I also will get a chance to jump into sales and add that skill to my resume.”

The Wichita opportunity came to Lucero after KGSO General Manager Harry Finch found Lucero’s Talent Page on the STAA website. Finch then asked STAA for Lucero’s contact information.

“[Mr. Finch] must have liked what he saw and heard,” says Lucero. “He emailed me to gauge my interest and we went from there. I went down on a weekend to interview and to see the city for the first time, and the offer came shortly after.

“Wichita is a tremendous college and minor league sports market. The day I went to Wichita to interview was the day the Wichita State Shockers were playing Louisville in the Final Four. You could feel the excitement all over the city – everybody in black and gold, everybody fired up for the game. It showed me how passionate the city is about sports and I can’t wait to interact with fans throughout the city.”

Another part of the job about which Lucero is excited is the sales. “It’s a skill I am excited to learn and I believe it will make me even more well-rounded as a broadcaster.”

Lucero joined STAA in May 2012. “Being an STAA client gave me a tremendous amount of confidence and guidance as I looked to make the next step in my career,” says Lucero. “[STAA CEO] Jon Chelesnik’s advice has been invaluable, as have the monthly chats and eBlasts. I would recommend STAA to anybody looking to pursue a sportscasting dream. I know that I’ve benefited a great deal from all it has to offer.

“Thank you again so much for being available to help talk me through this process and for everything that STAA provides. I am certain I would not have gotten this opportunity without STAA.”

(Visit Dan’s STAA Talent Page).

(April 25, 2013) Craig Hoffman is a jack-of-all trades, and in his new job he’ll have opportunity to demonstrate it. An STAA client, Hoffman is joining ESPN 103.3 in Dallas as a reporter, anchor and host and board op.

“All the details of exactly how much of each, and other possibilities on the digital side, are TBD,” Hoffman says. He quickly adds, “The opportunity is everything I could have asked for.”

Hoffman is especially eager to work under veteran sports radio program director Tom Lee. “I’ve had an extraordinary amount of experience on my own considering my age, but I haven’t gotten the day in and day out coaching that I want and need. This opportunity puts me under an amazing group of programmers who are invested in me getting better. They know where I want to get and want to see me get there, especially since my dream job is attainable within this company.”

ESPN 103.3 is one of just four ESPN affiliates that is owned an operated by ABC/ESPN.

A 2012 graduate of Syracuse University, Hoffman had been in the job market for several months following a short time at a radio station in Lawrence, KS. His opportunity in Dallas came about through networking. “I interned at ESPN in 2011 and while there met all the ‘suits’ on the radio side and in the talent office. I kept in touch with them and they’ve mentored me since I was in college. When I got let go from my job in December, I made a trip up to Bristol and met with some of those people and they suggested I meet with someone in New York who suggested I reach out to Tom Lee in Dallas.”

As one might expect, Hoffman suggests networking to other job seekers as a valuable tool for career advancement. “Always check in and let people know how you’re doing and don’t forget to ask how they’re doing too. It’s imperative to network when you don’t need someone and they don’t need you. It’s all about relationships.”

As a senior at Syracuse, Hoffman earned STAA All-America honors as one of the top six collegiate sports broadcasters in the country. He has been an STAA client ever since.

“When I meet peers looking for jobs or younger people getting into the sports journalism field, the first thing I ask them is ‘have you joined STAA?’ In the middle of my unemployment I just started going down [STAA’s online Sports Radio and TV Directory] and calling/emailing every station I wanted to work at. One of the first one’s I emailed called me that afternoon and I wound up being a finalist for afternoon drive in a top 30 market thanks to an inside track. [STAA CEO] Jon Chelesnik loves to talk about the ‘19 reasons you should be an STAA client’ but most people don’t get past No. 2, which is the jobs being emailed to you. Use your resources. This industry is too hard to break into and move up in otherwise.”

Hoffman smiles, “I’m working for ESPN at age 23. What more could I reasonably ask for?”

(Visit Craig’s STAA Talent Page).

(April 22, 2013) California has been called the Land of Opportunity. It is certainly that for STAA client Ben Horner. Horner is joining the broadcast team for Palm Springs Power baseball.

The Power plays in the Southern California Collegiate Baseball League.

“I will be doing play-by-play and color commentary for the Power’s radio broadcasts,” says Horner. “There is also a media relations aspect to the job, so I’ll be writing releases, keeping stats, updating the team’s website and any other things I am asked to do.”

A senior at Northeastern University in Boston, Horner is excited to have a job to go to upon graduating in May. That’s not all he is looking forward to, though. “I’m also excited to spend some time in Southern California,” Horner smiles. “Living in the Northeast my whole life, it will be nice to see a new part of the country.”

An STAA client since October, Horner learned of the Palm Springs opportunity through an email from STAA. Coincidentally, he has a friend who has worked for the Power in fellow STAA client Jared Shafran. “After talking to him, I knew this was a great first opportunity for me and I made sure to jump at it,” says Horner.

“STAA has been very helpful in my job search. I didn’t apply to many positions before landing the job with the Power, partly because I didn’t see any that I thought were the right fit. But [STAA CEO Jon Chelesnik] helped me target my search to find the right opportunity, giving me the best chance of getting a job. Anytime I had questions or wanted feedback, he was always very responsive.”

(Visit Ben’s STAA Talent Page).

(April 18, 2013) Chris Lewis is one of the rare and fortunate college seniors with a job awaiting him upon graduation. A Syracuse senior and STAA client, Lewis is the new Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations for the Idaho Falls Chukars.

The Chukars are the Class-A short season affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.

“I’ve been looking a short season league that would allow me to get started after I graduate,” says Lewis. Lewis graduates in mid-May and starts with the Chukars 10 days later.

A 2012 STAA All-American and candidate for the 2013 Jim Nantz Award as the nation’s most outstanding collegiate sportscaster, Lewis already has considerable baseball broadcasting experience. In 2011, he was the voice of the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod League. He spent last summer as a broadcasting and media relations intern for the Atlantic League’s Camden Riversharks.

Lewis’ new gig in Idaho is the second domino in a set of three late off-season openings for which minor league teams have asked STAA for assistance. (The hiring process for the third team is still in progress.) The chain reaction started when the Springfield Cardinals hired Andrew Buchbinder from the Hickory Crawdads. When the Crawdads hired STAA client Aaron Cox from Idaho Falls, the Chukars also sought STAA’s assistance and hired Lewis, who has been an STAA client since May 2012.

“I went to the One Day Ticket to Sportscasting Success seminar last year,” says Lewis. “That helped me make a connection that was willing to make a call to the [Chukars] on my behalf. Apparently, that phone call was a huge plus. I also used cover letter and follow up suggestions from [STAA CEO] Jon Chelesnik. It seems to have made a difference.”

It’s the second job Lewis has accepted since joining STAA. Last summer, he broadcast games for the Global Basketball Summer League in Las Vegas. This summer, Lewis is heading west again – this time to Idaho.

“It’s largely thanks to [STAA],” says Lewis. “I used a lot of the tools and tricks you told me. So, thank you big time.

“I’m thrilled to be getting baseball broadcasting experience right after college,” says Lewis. “I gather that there are limited positions with affiliated clubs, so I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity. I just want to make the Idaho Falls organization proud they selected me.”

(Visit Chris’ STAA Talent Page).

(April 16, 2013) Matt Nelson left baseball’s 2013 Winter Meetings frustrated, but the challenges he experienced helped lead him to his next job. An STAA client, Nelson is joining ESPN Radio in Williamsport, PA and minor league baseball’s Williamsport Crosscutters as a Broadcaster/Account Executive.

In addition to being the No.2 Radio Broadcaster for the Crosscutters (Phillies Class-A short season) and the lead writer for Crosscutters.com, Nelson will work in media relations and sales for the team, and broadcast games for Wilkes University on the ESPN Radio affiliate in Williamsport. “Plus,” he adds excitedly, “I’ll get to live in the home of the Little League World Series!

A trip to the baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville last December proved helpful to Nelson, even though he didn’t land a job there.

“I learned more about, not just working in minor league baseball, but working in professional sports as well,” says Nelson. “I feel as though I made some mistakes in my interviews when I spoke to three MiLB teams. I learned from those mistakes and it made me feel more confident about other interviews I had after the Winter Meetings.”

The Williamsport opportunity came after Nelson cold-contacted the Crosscutters.

“In late February, I sent an email to the team because there wasn’t an opening posted for a broadcasting/media relations position on any website. One week later, Todd Bartley, the GM of ESPN Williamsport told me about what the team could offer me. On March 22, I took a 3 1/2 hour drive from my hometown of East Windsor, NJ to Williamsport to meet with Todd and a representative from the Crosscutters at Bowman Field. They told me more about what they can offer me and on March 25, I said yes.

“I have never been this happy in my life and I can’t wait to start my career. Since graduating from Rowan University in Southern New Jersey, I have been applying non-stop to almost every play-by-play broadcasting position that has been posted on STAA. Thanks to [STAA], my resume looks better and the audio demo reels sound better.”

Nelson has been an STAA client since May 2012. “I came across the [STAA] website and I can’t remember a day when I wasn’t on the website, so I certainly appreciate the services.

“This is a great opportunity for me,” says Nelson. “I went to community college to learn about broadcasting and I got a better grip for the broadcasting field while I was at Rowan. The opportunities I had with the television and radio stations at college and the courses have prepared me for the start of a new beginning!”

(Visit Matt’s STAA Talent Page).

STAA client Robert Portnoy has been named the voice of the Lobos effective July 1, 2013, as announced by Learfield Sports, the multimedia rights holder for University of New Mexico Athletics. As part of its university relationship, Learfield and its local entity, Lobo Sports Properties, also oversee all management, radio affiliates and personnel for the Lobo Sports Network.

This move marks an expansion of Portnoy’s duties with the Lobos as he currently is the play-by-play broadcaster for baseball. Beginning with the 2013-2014 athletic season, he will be the voice of Lobo baseball, football and men’s basketball and host all radio and television coaches’ shows, a comprehensive role formerly held by STAA client Scott Galetti, whose contract is set to expire in June.

Portnoy has been in the Albuquerque market since 2006 and got his start in the industry 13 years ago. In addition to formerly handling broadcast duties for the Albuquerque Isotopes and New Mexico Thunderbirds, Portnoy has done play-by-play for several Double-A and Class-a A baseball teams and San Jose State University women’s volleyball. He has also served as a television sports anchor and hosted several local sports radio shows. In 2008, Portnoy was honored by the New Mexico Broadcasters Association for sports play-by-play, and in 2004, he was recognized as “Radio Broadcaster of the Year” for the Southern League of Professional Baseball Clubs.

“Robert is extremely talented, and we’re pleased to have him part of the Lobo Sports Network, knowing he’s the perfect choice to represent the Lobos in a greater capacity,” said Lobo Sports Properties’ General Manager Joe Weiss. “We appreciate the work Scott has done for us over the years and wish him all the best in his next endeavor.”

UNM’s Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs commented, “Robert will be a great addition to our football and men’s basketball radio broadcasts. He is doing a fantastic job with Lobo baseball and look forward to him being the ‘voice of the Lobos’.”

“Since arriving in Albuquerque, I’ve fallen in love with the community and its unbelievable support of Lobo athletics,” said Portnoy. “It’s an honor to be the next voice for the University of New Mexico. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed calling Lobo baseball, and I can’t wait to get to get started with my expanded role.

Additionally, Learfield is doing its due diligence in seeking a replacement for Greg Remington, who has chosen to leave his duties as football color analyst to pursue other opportunities.

Lobo Sports Network has bolstered its statewide presence and now encompasses 19 radio affiliates in New Mexico, eastern Arizona and southern Colorado. In addition to UNM, Learfield Sports manages the multimedia rights for more than 50 collegiate properties across the country and titles the acclaimed Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup with award co-founders NACDA and USA Today. For more about the company’s complete collegiate portfolio and 40-year history, visit www.learfieldsports.com.

(Visit Robert’s STAA Talent Page).

(April 3, 2013) Aaron Cox is taking the next step up the minor league baseball broadcasting ladder. An STAA client, Cox is the new Director of Broadcasting/Media Relations for the Hickory Crawdads.

The Crawdads are the full-season Class-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Cox joins the organization after two seasons with the short-season Idaho Falls Chukars. (The Chukars are not accepting applications for Cox’s replacement and have already chosen their finalists).

“The job was obviously a step up in Minor League baseball for me and a chance for me to expand my network in the game,” says Cox. “I gained a lot of valuable experience the last two years in Idaho Falls, and this was an opportunity for me to move up to a full-season league and continue to hone my skills.”

The Hickory position opened when the AA Springfield Cardinals hired Andrew Buchbinder. With the start of the season just three weeks away, the Crawdads didn’t have time to conduct a national public search for Buchbinder’s replacement, so they asked STAA for a list of qualified clients.

“I actually heard about this job through STAA as a secret posting,” says Cox. “I had a good idea that it was a domino opening from the hiring in Springfield, but didn’t really know where the job was. It’s always a weird feeling applying for a position and not even knowing where it is, but you can’t really hesitate in this industry. I was a finalist for the Springfield position so I was hoping that would put me in a good position going forward and I think it did.”

Cox admits it was nerve-racking to accept a new position less than three weeks prior to Opening Day. “I had a great job with the Chukars working for a front office I loved and in a great community, so that made the decision even harder,” he says. “Ultimately, it came down to my wife’s reaction. She was completely on board from the minute I told her about it and convinced me that it was the right decision. We both had prayed a lot that God would lead us to where we should be and I feel like Hickory will be a great stop for us.”

This is the third job Cox has accepted since joining STAA in 2010. “Simply put, I would not be where I am today without STAA’s help. No other organization has the job postings that STAA has, and that doesn’t even include all of the personal critique, input and advice that [STAA CEO Jon Chelesnik] has given me over the years. It’s so nice to have someone in the industry that I can call and simply bounce ideas off of or ask for a sincere opinion on a position.”

(Visit Aaron’s STAA Talent Page).

(April 2, 2013) John Leahy broadcast his first minor league baseball game in 2005. Eight years later, Leahy now has his first full-time job in affiliated ball. An STAA client since 2006, Leahy has been named play-by-play voice for the Lowell Spinners. The Spinners are the Boston Red Sox Class-A affiliate.

A veteran of independent league baseball, Leahy has worked for the Florence Freedom and Kalamazoo Kings of the Frontier League, and the North Shore Spirit of the Can-Am League. The Spinners job is a good fit for several reasons.

“First of all, doing affiliated baseball has long been a goal of mine from my days doing independent ball. It is a logical progression of the career path,” says Leahy. “Secondly, it’s close to home. Lowell is less than an hour away from my home. Even some of the road trips are somewhat close. For example, they open the season in Norwich, CT, which is about an hour south. And I have family close by on a few of the road trips, so it will work out very well.”

Leahy has done some part-time broadcasting for the Spinners each of the past two seasons. “In 2011 I was brought aboard to split the duty with Ken Cail, and then in 2012 I came aboard to cover all of the road games on WCAP.”

Leahy is especially grateful to Cail. “In 2011 I was facing my first summer without baseball since I got my start in 2005 when Ken called me to ask if I wanted to help out. If not for him this job would not have been possible, so I will forever be in Ken’s debt.”

This will be Leahy’s first full summer schedule since 2010. “Although it was nice having some down time in the summers and doing a half schedule, I prefer a full schedule,” says Leahy. “I need to be busy.”

Working for a Boston Red Sox affiliate is also a plus for the life-long Sox fan. “[Boston] is the team I have loved since I was a youngster. Last season we called a game at Fenway Park, my first time ever calling a game there. That was a thrill I’ll never forget.”

(Visit John’s STAA Talent Page).

(March 29, 2013) Nathan Epstein is going home – twice. An STAA client, Epstein has been hired as a Sports Anchor/Reporter at WAVY-TV in his hometown of Norfolk, VA. It’s also a station at which Epstein has prior experience.

Epstein relocates from Hattiesburg, MS where he has been the lead sports anchor at WDAM since July 2011.

“I’m really not sure it gets any sweeter than this,” grins Epstein. “I was born in Norfolk, VA, lived there until I was ten, then moved to Richmond. My grandparents still live in Norfolk, and they absolutely flew through the roof when I told them where I was headed. That alone was worth saying yes.”

Another reason for saying yes is the challenge of working in a larger market. “Bigger market means bigger expectations of you from your news director and your sports director, and it also means tougher competition,” says Epstein. “All those things can only push you to be better at what you do.”

The new job not only represents a return to his hometown, but also a return to a station Epstein has worked at previously. “I interned for WAVY in the summer of 2010, right before I started my senior year in college (Longwood University). I’ve worked with Bruce Rader- a legendary sportscaster in the Tidewater area- and I’ve worked with his producer Brian [Parsons]. I understand what they want and they have a feel for what my strengths are.”

It was through maintaining relationships he established during his WAVY internship that Epstein landed his new gig. “I tried to keep in touch with them as much as possible. But I didn’t keep in touch just to ask if there was a job open. I really enjoyed my time as an intern. I became good friends with Brian and Bruce, and really just stopped in to say ‘Hey’ every now and then. A couple of months ago, I got a call from Bruce telling me there was an opening, but I still had to go through the process like everyone else did.”

Epstein has been an STAA client for nearly two years. “STAA has helped me in a number of ways,” he says. “The job openings I receive really give me a pulse for what’s going on in the market, but more than that, the eBlasts are incredibly helpful. I’ve applied so many tips to not only resumes, cover letters and resume reels, but to my sportscasts as well.”

Now, Epstein is going home to work in a market, at a station and for a boss that he truly enjoys. “Bruce Rader is an incredible sportscaster, but he’s also an incredible person, and I couldn’t be more thankful to him for giving me a chance like this.”

(Visit Nathan’s STAA Talent Page).