Making headlines on SportsCenter with Sammy, ESPN production assistant
When Sammy decided to pivot from medical school to pursue a master’s degree in journalism and build a career in sports media, going to AAJA was on his to-do list. Sammy connected with ESPN recruiters at the conference last year and eventually landed a role in the competitive ESPN NEXT program! You can follow in Sammy’s footsteps by connecting with ESPN recruiters at booth 25 at AAJA this year. Read on to discover how he successfully transitioned from working in clinical research to working SportsCenter nightly on ESPN!
Tell us about the journey that led you to pursue a career in sports media.
My journey to ESPN was very unconventional. I was actually trying to go to medical school and working in clinical research, but I started to realize that medical school wasn’t really for me. I still wanted to make an impact in people’s lives, so I thought about what some of the most impactful things in my life were, and sports was undoubtedly the biggest one. I realized that I want to tell stories about athletes beyond their performance. While watching and playing sports is always fun, for me, it was the stories about what athletes had to overcome to become the best that motivated me during some really trying times.
The conversation with my parents about not wanting to go to medical school and wanting to go into sports journalism was a tough one, but they wanted me to go after my dream. I went back to school to receive my master’s in journalism since I had no prior experience, and my undergraduate degree was in biology.
After graduating with your master’s, you attended AAJA for the first time. What was that experience like?
It was quite honestly the greatest time of my life, and it was really a blessing considering that AAJA was having a convention in my hometown of Washington, D.C. I went to AAJA to build connections and get advice from others on how I could jumpstart my career. The people who I met there have been some of my greatest advocates; each of them really embraced me and cared about me. Allie, a coordinating producer I met at the ESPN booth, advocated for me, which helped me get a position with the ESPN NEXT program.
Why did you want to work at ESPN?
ESPN is the worldwide leader in sports. ESPN is truly unlike any other network in the breadth of sports as well as the topics that they cover ranging from general sports news to diving deeper into the lives of athletes. That’s what makes ESPN the perfect place for me because it really is the best place for me to grow and learn from the best in the business.
What does a day in the life look like for you as a production assistant on SportsCenter?
Normally, after I wake up, I go to the gym and go through some of the big news that might’ve happened in the morning. I also research which games are happening that night and if there’s anything special about those games that we could highlight for the show tonight. I usually get into work at around 5pm. There my primary responsibilities consist of cutting highlights and various elements for the show like voiceovers, b-roll, and sound on tape. The best part of my job is that I get paid to watch sports and make highlights for those huge games like the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series, College Football Playoffs, and March Madness. There is really nothing better than that.
What is a favorite project you’ve worked on so far?
Recently, it’s the Olympics. As a swimmer, this is an exciting time for me since it’s the biggest competition for swimming, and it only happens every four years! Being able to pitch and cut swimming highlights that make the show is automatically a favorite for me.
How does the culture at ESPN foster inclusion and belonging?
Most importantly we are huge on teamwork. Everyone at ESPN never shies away from helping each other. I think that was huge for me coming in because I didn’t come in with as much experience in sports media as others who had received their undergraduate degrees in journalism. Other employees’ willingness to teach is something that I have been so incredibly grateful for.
What advice would you give to those looking to write the next chapter of their careers at ESPN?
My biggest advice is to be yourself. Your passion and knowledge as a sports fan is uniquely yours, and what you bring to the table can only help ESPN be even better. I struggled when I first got to ESPN because I would sometimes tell myself that it wasn’t worthwhile to pitch something because I didn’t think that anyone would be interested. But recently, I’ve been finding myself and my voice in being able to pitch those stories. Even if those pitches don’t make the show, it tells the producers that I’m constantly thinking about how to enhance the show.
Find your voice like Sammy did with a career at ESPN! Explore our job openings today, and meet with ESPN recruiters at AAJA booth 25.
