Ryan Connell enjoyed being a TV sports anchor/reporter in Montana. However, he enjoys play-by-play even more. Connell will get to do both video content creation and play-by-play in his new position as Athletics Broadcaster and Multimedia Creative Specialist at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA.
Connell leaves ABC FOX Montana KFBB-TV in Great Falls.
Play-by-play passion
“What drew me back to the university setting was my passion and desire to do play-by-play,” he says. “Being a part of the SWX Montana family has been great, I’ve grown a lot as a reporter, storyteller and person, but I wasn’t fully doing what I wanted. I was able to do commentary on a few of our broadcast productions, but every time I did one, I left wanting to do that more and more. So I was looking to get back into doing play-by-play on a daily basis and the position at W&L offered that for me.”
Explaining how his prior experience would translate to the position at Washington and Lee helped Connell land the job. “Everyone has experience as a broadcaster applying for the job, so how can you stand out,” Connell wondered. “For me that’s picking out past experiences, explaining them to the interviewer and finding a way to connect it to the job you’re interviewing for. I think I was able to articulate that well with the staff at W&L and caused myself to stand out more than others candidates.”
STAA benefits
Connell is a 2019 graduate of Hofstra University. It is also the year he joined STAA. “A few upperclassmen at WRHU radio at Hofstra were applying for the Jim Nantz award. I did the same,” Connell recalls. “My senior year in 2019, I got an STAA membership when I began looking for jobs. I’ve been a member ever since. It’s been a great resource and aggregate of broadcasting jobs across the sports industry. It’s helped me get interviews, freelance opportunities and even a new full-time job.”
It’s a full-time job combining Connell’s passions for storytelling and play-by-play.