(May 10, 2012) The sports world is teeming with stories of the athlete who suffers some kind of set back, then rises above to make a big a comeback. It’s not often that the comeback storyline gets a sportscasting spin, but Stu Paul is glad to be the exception. Paul has been hired by SFM Sports (www.sfmsports.net) as a Play-by-Play Broadcaster and Account Executive.

An NYC native, and an STAA client since the company’s inception, Paul is excited to be leaving Nashville to move closer to home.

“I’ll get to do a lot of high school and collegiate events (Division I and III) and I can’t wait for that. Not to mention that I will only be 3 1/2 hours away from my hometown of New York City.”

A veteran broadcaster who has spent much of his career working in minor league baseball, Paul most recently spent two seasons with the Nashville Sounds.

Paul has had an exceptionally challenging eight months. In July, he fell down a flight of stairs, suffering injuries that required multiple surgeries and several months of rehab. Shortly after that, he was told by the Nashville Sounds that they wouldn’t be bringing him back for a third season.

“I just wanted to get back to work and get back to the life I lived prior to my accident last year.”

The personal and professional challenges have reinforced one thing for Paul. “Perseverance always pays off,” he says.

Now that he’s headed back to the booth, Paul is hopeful that his own comeback story will continue on to another baseball job next season.

“[It’s] nice that great stories continue, especially after the frustration and disappointment over not getting a baseball gig this year,” Paul says. “Well, (fellow minor league baseball broadcasters) Brett Pollock and Alex Freedman were out of the “game” for a year and came back and I hope to still do the same next year, but this job with SFM sports is great and to do other sports with them as well is a plus.”

“To be broadcasting sporting events again and living the “dream” is what excites me.”

(Visit Stu’s STAA Talent Page).

(May 7, 2012) It’s never too late to start chasing your dream – just ask Tim Donohoo. An STAA client, Donohoo has accepted job as a News Reporter/Play-by-Play Broadcaster at KWHW AM/FM in Altus, OK.

Donohoo found the opening on the STAA job board. After submitting his application, Donohoo stayed in contact with KWHW’s General Manager, David Harrison.

“I just kept getting in touch with him, for a little while on a daily basis, through phone calls and through LinkedIn. I kept my name out there and showed my interest in the position. He (Harrison) liked my perseverance and air checks and everything fell into place,” Donohoo says.

Donohoo not only utilized the STAA job board, but also the resume and cover letter templates.

“I used other job sites; however, undoubtedly STAA is the finest. I will recommend your site to all.”

Moving to Oklahoma to join KWHW marks a career change for Donohoo, who is 51 years old and new to the sportscasting industry. He was an assistant producer at both KNUS and 87.7 The Ticket in Denver, CO. His only previous on-air job was hosting a soccer show for GoMileHigh.com in 2010.

“Since I was a little guy I’ve wanted to do news reporting and sports play-by-play. To be able to get a position such as this really means a lot to me. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid.”

“I’m older, so it hits home a little more for me than your average 20 to 25 year old. If I couldn’t be a foreign correspondent for CBS I wanted to do sports play-by-play. This is something I’m really looking forward to.”

Donohoo’s advice to other older sports broadcasters in the job market is to be persistent.

“Like I told my instructor at the Ohio Center for Broadcasting in Denver, I sent out 1,246 resumes and airchecks since last June. Perseverance – they’ve always said ‘keep your eye on the prize.’ I’ve done that and I’m proud that I’ve done that. If you really want something, don’t stop until you get it.”

“I just wanted to say thanks to STAA for helping me realize my dreams.”

(Visit Tim’s STAA Talent Page).

(May 3, 2012) It isn’t every day that the hockey team sales intern gets to add “broadcaster” to his list of job duties – particularly when he has no prior hockey broadcasting experience. Nathan Barnett has been hired as the Play-by-Play Broadcaster/Account Executive for the Ontario (CA) Reign of the East Coast Hockey League.

Barnett has been working for the Reign as an Inside Sales Representative since September 2011. Barnett originally took the job to build his sales experience; he didn’t consider the broadcasting side because he had never broadcast hockey before. Then, Barnett’s boss approached him about the position.

“I worked as hard as I could. It got noticed, I guess,” Barnett says. “I made them realize that hiring me could be a good broadcasting decision and a good business one–I think that was very important.”

After Barnett’s boss approached him about the position, there was the small matter of not having any hockey demos to submit as material.

“The team allowed me to take a few games off, and I was able to mock broadcast a few of their games from inside the arena. I used a digital recorder and a broadcasting headset to ensure good quality inside the loud arena, and it was much more familiar than using just the recorder. I pulled a good ten minutes from each game I did.”

A 2011 graduate of Pomona College, Barnett also was a student in STAA CEO Jon Chelesnik’s sports broadcasting class at Palomar College. Last year Barnett was the broadcaster for the Palm Springs Power baseball club. He also has experience in football and basketball. This summer, Barnett will be broadcasting baseball for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters of the Northwoods League.

“I’m not at all surprised Nathan earned this position without prior hockey play-by-play experience,” Chelesnik says. “The fundamentals of play-by-play are the same, regardless of sport, and Nathan has the fundamentals down cold.”

Barnett knows that this position with the Reign will benefit his future career in more than just the on-air side.

“While a slight deviation from the sport I primarily want to work in, baseball, broadcasting in the ECHL in a big market like the Inland Empire, is a tremendous broadcasting position for me–especially at this point in my career.”

“The opportunity to enhance my sales resume and improve skills on the business side of sports is perhaps just as important for me. I got this job in large part due to my sales ability. I know it might not be the last like it and it keeps doors open for the future.”

(Visit Nathan’s STAA Talent Page).

(April 27, 2012) For the last six years Texas native Jimmy Chavez has been calling Kansas home, and as far as he knew that wasn’t going to change any time soon. That expectation was shattered in the span of one weekend. Chavez, an STAA client, has been hired as a sports flash anchor, reporter, and fill-in host at Yahoo! Sports Radio Network.

Formerly Sporting News Radio Network, Yahoo! Sports Radio (YSR) is a based in Houston. Chavez begins work on May 7th.

The entire hiring process took less than 72 hours, and it began when YSR Program Director Craig Larson called STAA CEO Jon Chelesnik on a Friday evening to find out if STAA had any clients who would fit the job description. Chelesnik referred Chavez.

“Jimmy fit the job description, plus he’s from San Antonio and was wanting to move back to his home state,” says Chelesnik.

By Sunday, Larson had interviewed Chavez. On Monday, Chavez had a job offer.

It just so happened that when Chavez and Larson talked, Chavez was just back from a visit with his family in San Antonio, which is less than three hours from Houston by car.

“He (Larson) got a hold of me about three hours after I had just got back from Texas. A lot of people (at his current job) thought that is why I had been down there. I got off the plane less than 24 hours after telling my family ‘I’ll see you at the end of the year,’ then I’m calling to tell them we’re moving to Texas,” Chavez grins.

Larson says that for him, the real selling point was Chavez’ personality and passion.

“I hear clearly in our discussions his passion, his energy level, and just his willingness to want to be in this business. It just came bleeding through. He has an incredible motor. That can be really infectious. There is one thing with his abilities and how I can utilize them, but there is another with how he’ll fit with the other teammates. We have a lot of guys here who are like him. I think he’ll fit in just great.”

Chavez has worked at several radio and TV stations around Kansas, most recently as a play-by-play announcer and sports talk host at the Mid-America Network in Wichita.

While Chavez is looking forward to moving home, he is particularly excited to have a new job that meets some of the career goals he recently set for himself.

“Jon Chelesnik and I have talked about this a lot recently, about where I need to be and what I need to be doing. That is exactly what this job does. This is the perfect job to help me grow as a professional. The sky is the limit.”

“I can’t even comprehend all the things that are about to happen. They are all positive.”

Chavez is quick to give credit to STAA. “This came about because Yahoo! Sports solicited STAA in finding candidates. STAA has helped them in the past. I can say with all certainty, if it weren’t for STAA we wouldn’t be having this conversation today.

“It doesn’t get much better than this. The beauty of this business is sometimes jobs will find you and when they do, you are lucky.”

(Visit Jimmy’s STAA Talent Page).

(April 26, 2012) More than one hundred and sixty years ago, young men from New England and other parts of the east coast saddled up and rode west, hoping to strike it rich. Present day California no longer attracts gold-panning fortune hunters, however, one STAA client is California-bound after landing a golden opportunity. Jared Shafran has accepted the broadcasting and media relations position with the Palm Springs Power baseball team this summer.

“This is a great opportunity for me because I will be able to get plenty of professional experience in both broadcasting and media relations in a short amount of time, while living in a new and different area of the country,” says Shafran.

“I am especially looking forward to working in baseball, a sport that I’ve grown up watching. I’ve worked hard during my college years with hopes of landing a job in broadcasting. For someone to put the trust in me as a voice of a team at any level is really a dream come true.”

A December graduate of Northeastern University, Shafran has been working for his alma mater as the Sports Information Director for baseball. During his time as a student, Shafran completed internships with NESN and 890 ESPN, and also practiced his play-by-play in basketball, baseball, and hockey.

Shafran was quick to apply for the Power opening, after discovering it through STAA.

“Shortly after [applying] I was contacted about an interview, which went very well. I was able to use my experience working in sports information to promote myself as someone who would be able to work well in media relations.”

The post-college job market can be frustrating for aspiring broadcasters; Shafran encourages those who are mining the job market to be tenacious.

“My advice to anyone else in the job market is to be persistent and prepared. Don’t get discouraged — keep applying to openings. If you are prepared to apply before jobs become available, you are in a much better position to be one of the first applications that potential employers consider.”

(Visit Jared’s STAA Talent Page).

After several years broadcasting for High Desert in the Class A California League, STAA client Alex Freedman was out of baseball last season.

Starting next week, he’ll be the interim full-time broadcaster for the RedHawks.

Freedman has been serving as an assistant to RedHawks media relations and broadcasting director J.P. Shadrick this season.

Monday, Shadrick announced he had accepted a position as the Communications Coordinator for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

Freedman was informed of the change Monday by RedHawks President/General Manager Michael Byrnes.

“My head was spinning for the next few hours after that,” Freedman said.

Shadrick said the broadcast booth will be left in good hands.

“Alex is sharp,” Shadrick said. “He’s a really, really smart guy who knows more about baseball than I do and he’s very good on the air.”

Freedman, 27, spent last season in his hometown of St. Louis working for a public relations firm and a sports memorabilia company but wanted to return to broadcasting in some form.

“It didn’t have to be just baseball,” Freedman said. “I interviewed with a few places for different multimedia positions — the NCAA and a couple colleges — but nothing worked out.”

It was when he was interviewing for a job with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies when he learned of the opening with the RedHawks.

A few days later, he talked to Shadrick and shortly afterward was offered the position.

For Shadrick, the move is a return to a familiar place.

He spent five seasons as the voice of the Double-A Jacksonville Suns.

Jaguars Vice President Dan Edwards called Shadrick just before the start of the RedHawks season.

With the change in ownership to Shahid Khan, the Jaguars were reorganizing their communications department, with a space opening up.

Shadrick had worked with the Jaguars on game days and was familiar with the department.

It seemed like a good fit for Shadrick but it took some serious thought before he eventually accepted.

“I like to finish what I started and I didn’t like the idea of leaving during the season,” Shadrick said. “But when the NFL calls, it’s hard to say no. This opportunity doesn’t come around every day and I had to do what was best for me.”

The transition will be quick. Shadrick will call his last game Sunday when the RedHawks close the homestand against Round Rock, then will start in Jacksonville on May 3, a day before the Jaguars’ rookie mini camp opens.

Freedman will call his first solo game Monday in Albuquerque.

“I’m not sure what to think about the travel,” Freedman said. “I’ll be going to a lot of places I’ve never been and ballparks I’ve never seen, but I’m really looking forward to it.”

Read more at the Oklahoman where this story was originally published.

(Visit Alex’s STAA Talent Page).

(April 13, 2012) Fortunate is the broadcaster who gets to move up to a bigger market and a desired location in one job – just like Blake Cripps. An STAA client, Cripps has been hired at KGSO and KQAM Radio in Wichita, KS as on-air host and play-by-play broadcaster.

At KGSO and KQAM, Cripps will work alongside fellow STAA clients Jay Sanderson and Jimmy Chavez.

“This is a good fit for me because of the huge jump up in market size, the chance to expand my resume with increased news experience, while still getting to do regular play-by-play,” Cripps says.

As a Kansas University grad who has spent the last four years at KUTT in Fairbury, NE, Cripps is extra excited to be returning to Kansas – and he didn’t even have to click his heels together to return.

“It is only about 10 miles closer in distance to Topeka [his hometown] than Fairbury, but Kansas is a state I love and a place I’d love to live and work in and being able to work there now always has the chance to open up future possibilities.”

Another bonus is the excellent high school sports action Cripps will be watching.

“I’m REALLY looking forward to seeing the Greater Wichita Athletic League in action. One Wichita school produced not only the 2010 6A football champion, but also this year’s 6A Boys and Girls basketball state champions AND the 5A Boys and Girls basketball state champions. It is a great league and I can’t wait to see it in action.”

Cripps has been an STAA client since April 2008. He appreciates the career planning and consulting that come with the membership and the ease of using his Talent Page.

“The STAA Talent Page has been an extremely convenient way to keep my resume and talent demo online in a place that is easy for your prospective employers to access. The advice that I’ve gotten is something you can’t get anywhere else.”

(Visit Blake’s STAA Talent Page).

(April 6, 2012) If consistency is the key to providing great play-by-play, it is also the key to following up on potential job leads. That is exactly what STAA client Bill Harrington has proven. Harrington has been named Director of Broadcasting/Media Relations for the Laredo Lemurs of the American Association.

The Lemurs are a new organization, and Harrington is looking forward to the opportunity to build the broadcasting and media relations department from scratch. Harrington is also excited to hit the road with the team.

“I’m looking forward to working in the new Uni-Trade Stadium and traveling to locations around the American Association.”

Harrington dug the job up on his own, taking the initiative to contact the team to see if there would be an opening. Then he built a relationship with the Lemur’s president, Ruben Navas.

“I called them and they said there may be an opening in the future. I emailed them my resume and followed up every couple weeks to see where the team stood in the process of looking for a broadcaster. My consistent phone calls helped develop a relationship with team President, Ruben Navas. When the team was ready to move forward with hiring a broadcaster Mr. Navas passed my name along to the Managing General Partner and CEO Mark Schuster.”

Most recently, Harrington was a play-by-play voice for the 2012 season of the California Winter League in sunny Palm Springs, CA.

While traversing the job market looking for his next job, Harrington appreciated the edge his STAA membership gave him.

“Being an STAA Premier client is has been very important for me this offseason. I receive the job openings in my email box before they go public, which gives me the opportunity to get my resume in front of employers first and fast,” says Harrington. “Through this process I have had four job interviews this offseason and three job offers. If I don’t get my stuff to them first I probably don’t get the same reaction.”

“[STAA CEO] Jon Chelesnik has always responded to my emails in a prompt manner and if I call Jon he returns my call within 24 hours. Jon has also helped me develop my resume format. I get a lot of compliments on the way it looks and the order that it’s in. That’s all thanks to Jon and STAA.”

(Visit Bill’s STAA Talent Page).

(April 2, 2012) After a year off from baseball broadcasting, STAA client Curtis Bryant is anxious to get back in the saddle. Bryant has accepted an Assistant Broadcasting and Media position with the San Angelo Colts.

The Colts are part of the North American League.

Bryant will work alongside fellow STAA client David Riggs, who is the Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations for the Colts.

“This opportunity is really good because last year I was out of baseball. I’m itching to get back in and am really excited.”

Bryant applied for the Colts job after spotting the opening on the STAA job forum. “It’s a job I have been interested in in the past,” says Bryant. He heard back within a couple days of emailing his cover letter and the link to his STAA Talent Page.

“I’ve heard people talk highly of the GM Mike Babcock and I’m excited to get back to doing baseball, which I love.”

Bryant will start his new job with a little advantage – he already knows some of the Colts players from his days with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League. After the spending the 2009 season with the Otters, Bryant was the No. 2 broadcaster for the Class-A Stockton Ports in 2010.

Lately, Bryant has been doing fill-in basketball play-by-play for Cal Poly Pomona, in addition to calling high school sports for KBC and IBNSports in his hometown of San Diego.

(Visit Curtis’ STAA Talent Page).

(March 29, 2012) Applying for jobs can be a great way to network and find new opportunities, even if you don’t get the original job. That’s how it worked out for Justin Baker, an STAA client. Baker has accepted a Broadcast Assistant position with the Mobile BayBears.

Frustrated by his job search, Baker was ready to take a step back from the job market for a time. Then he received an unexpected e-mail from Joe Davis, broadcaster for the Montgomery Biscuits.

“I met with [Davis] when I applied to the Biscuit’s open position a month or so ago and at the end of the day he thought I was a great talent with a lot of potential but he wanted to see more baseball play-by-play experience. He told me he’d look out for me though, and boy did he,” Baker says.

“He told me Justin Shackil and the BayBears were looking for a broadcast assistant and suggested I reach out to them. Before I could even get a chance to get to a computer, Justin contacted me and requested I apply for the job.”

Unbeknownst to Baker, Shackil had also already contacted STAA CEO Jon Chelesnik for a reference about Baker. “Although I had only recently met Justin Baker, he made an immediate impression upon for being sharp, likeable and enthusiastic,” Chelesnik says.

Baker is looking forward to getting started with the BayBears, and the opportunity to work with Shackil, who is also an STAA client.

“I’ll start in April. I’m really excited to not only work with Justin, but also the BayBears staff and the Mobile community. Although I have a lot of experience in a few different areas from my time at Georgia Southern, this position will give me the knowledge and experience I need to become a valuable asset to the broadcasting field.”

A 2011 graduate of Georgia Southern University, Baker has been working for the athletics department of his alma mater as the assistant director of new media. Baker’s college experience also provided opportunities to call play-by-play for a variety of sports, including football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, and softball.

A relatively new STAA client, Baker already appreciates how easy it was to use his Talent Page to apply for the BayBears position. He also appreciates the new frame of mind that comes with being part of STAA.

“Funny how just a couple of weeks ago when I signed up for STAA I was telling [Jon Chelesnik] how I was tired of seeing all these posts reading ‘Filled by an STAA client.’ I kept wishing it was my face up on the STAA home page with a success story.”

“I kept wondering what they had that I didn’t. The answer was simple. It was STAA. It was Jon Chelesnik, it was confidence, peace of mind and trust in the system.”

(Visit Justin’s STAA Talent Page).