Kyle West was planning on staying home in Kansas this summer until an opportunity arose that was too good to pass up. An STAA client, West has been hired as Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations for the Willmar (MN) Stingers.
The Stingers play in the Northwoods summer collegiate league. Their games will air on both radio and Internet.
In addition to his broadcasting responsibilities, West will be responsible for maintaining the team’s website, writing game recaps for distribution to local media and creating the daily insert for souvenir programs at all home games.
The Stingers opportunity came to West through networking. A co-worker in the athletics media relations office at Kansas University, where West is a student, passed West’s name along to one of her former employers who is now the general manager for the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods League. The Loggers told the Stingers about West, and Wilmar offered him the job.
“Of course, the opportunity was too good to turn down,” West smiles. “I will have more than 600 innings of play-by-play experience by the end of the summer, and I will also be able to continue gaining experience in the media relations field. I have really enjoyed my time in the media relations office for Kansas Athletics. I am still considering that as a possible career path, so it will be nice to maintain those types of responsibilities in addition to the play-by-play in my new job.”
One of West’s primary goals this summer is to continue improving his play-by-play skills, an area in which he says STAA’s monthly eBlasts and live chats have been helpful.
“I have worked hard to incorporate many of the tips for improving play-by-play from those into my broadcasts,” West says. “I can definitely tell a difference from where I was last year to where I am now simply by adding certain elements to my broadcast that I have learned through the live chats.”
West, who is already in Wilmar, knows it is going to be an exciting summer.
“The co-owners, players and coaches are all great people who are easy to get along with, which will make the summer that much more enjoyable.”
(Visit Kyle’s STAA Talent Page).