This opportunity is open to, and created specifically for active and former Professional Athletes, Elite, National Team, Olympians, and Paralympians, from all sports.
SPORTS BROADCAST
Training Program
+ Personal Branding + Leadership Coaching + Market Business Strategy
Dates Coming Soon!
A Game-Changing Opportunity for Elite & Professional Athletes delivered by Won For All & Sacred Heart University
The Details
Who
For Athletes
By Educators & Athletes
Sacred Heart University & Won For All’s combined network of educators, professional broadcasters, elite athletes (now sports broadcasters), leadership, and career coaches – are serving as teachers, mentors, coaches, speakers, and panelists.
What
Sacred Heart University’s School of Communication, Media & the Arts, & Won For All have created a unique program designed for elite athletes to gain invaluable hands-on leadership and broadcast training across TV, Radio, & Podcast media.
Where
On-Campus: Sacred Heart University’s Martire Center – Fairfield, Connecticut, 1-hour from NYC’s JFK Airport. The Martire Center is fully equipped with a television studio, industry-leading technologies with access to NEDIA facilities, studio, control room, and technical support staff.
When
In-Person: To Be Confirmed
Three Phase Experience: We combine in-studio training with virtual learning, including personal branding, leadership development, communications, and networking.
Why
Set yourself apart! Gain a competitive advantage through an invaluable ‘insider’ experience, accessing best-in-class knowledge and advice. Develop your own "on-air" technique, and walk away with your own highlight reel, personal brand story, expanded influencer network, and marketing strategy.
Other Important Details:
FEES: We have a few full scholarships* available for the program thanks to our sponsors. Fill out the registration form on our website to see if you qualify! Enrollment is limited to 16 participants.
ACCOMMODATIONS: You get to live the full SHU student experience by staying in Teresa of Calcutta Hall – one of SHU’s new, modern residences, built in 2021.
*You are in charge of finding your way to (and home from) Sacred Heart University's (SHU) campus, but once you arrive, all other expenses - accommodation, meals, from breakfast to dinner, and everything in between - are covered by SHU, Won For All, and our amazing sponsors & partners.
The Extras
A (LITTLE) COMPETITION:
If there isn’t a winner at the end, did it even happen? Tap into your competitive side and put your pop-culture knowledge to the test against the other teams during Trivia night or see who can hit the ball closest to the pin during our Golf & Networking event at Great River Golf Course.
BEHIND-the-SCENES:
Participants get the chance to “pull back the curtain” and tour ESPN’s Bristol Campus or NBC Sports Studio, learning everything that goes into their successful programming, from conception to completion. We will also be hosting a Sports Panel Discussion on our last night, where our panelists will get candid, share their experiences, impart their knowledge, and answer your questions.
GYM TIME:
We know how important gym time is to you, so while on campus, you will have access to SHU’s Valentine Health & Recreation Center – a newly built (2019) 3-level building that features open space with free weights, machines & functional training, a dedicated cardio space, 2 workout studios, a Robeks juice bar and a suspended track that overlooks the court and climbing wall + more.
Who are the leaders and teachers of this program?
SHU & Won For All’s network of educators & elite athletes, professional broadcasters, & career coaches, serve as teachers, mentors, speakers, & panelists. Meet our leaders and teachers below.
Brian has over 10 years of television & video production for NBC Univeral/Golf Channel, NFL, & ESPN. He is the founder & president of Veritas Productions, a digital media company where he manages projects from conceptual development through digital delivery.
Having previously been nominated two times for his excellence in production, Brian was awarded an Emmy Award in 2016 for Outstanding Technical Team Remote for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad.
After a career at CBS Sports and CBS Network News in New York City, Paul joined ESPN in 2000 as a producer, soon becoming the Executive Producer of The Dan Patrick Show. A TV/Radio show broadcast on 350 radio affiliates around the country, SIRIUSxm and national television. The show has twice won the Marconi award for radio excellence and was nominated for a Sports Emmy for Best Daily Studio Show in 2017 and 2018.
Additionally, Paul is the Professional Development Coordinator for the SCM graduate program. In this role, he uses his connections from 25 years in sports media to assist graduate students in gaining internships and full-time jobs as they complete the program.
Prior to his work with MSG Networks, Pidto was an anchor at ESPN from 1993 to 2008 where he hosted “SportsSmash” in the inaugural year of ESPN2 and anchored “NHL 2Night,” “NFL Primetime,” “Baseball Tonight” and “SportsCenter” during his tenure. Pidto began his broadcasting career as a sports anchor and reporter for WVBR radio in Ithaca, New York. After graduating from Cornell in 1987, Pidto worked as a sports director in Binghamton, NY, and as a sports anchor in Syracuse, NY.
Her stories “UP Syndrome” for GameDay and “Restart” for SC Featured were nominated for a Sports Emmy and in 2020, Lada’s E:60-produced feature “Hilinski’s Hope” earned her first Sports Emmy Award in the Outstanding Short Sports Documentary category.
Lada’s work on SC Featured has led to other feature opportunities with Sunday NFL Countdown and a pair of Special Olympics World Games – Austria (2017) and Dubai/Abu Dhabi (2019), both of which she covered for ESPN.
Prior to joining ESPN Radio, Coleman was a weekday afternoon co-host on FoxSportsRadio 980-AM in Albany, N.Y. (September 2002-June 2004).
Coleman also worked for Cablevision of Dutchess County as a sportscaster for the local news in Wappingers Falls, NY., and as a co-host of the weekly SportsScene show, as well as an analyst for Marist Basketball.
Dario Melendez has served as an anchor and reporter for Bally Sports Wisconsin, covering the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Before that he held the anchor and reporter roles for the New York 1 in New York City, and for ESPN’s SportsCenter in Bristol, Connecticut.
Melendez started his career working his way up through the industry and held sports broadcasting, anchor, reporter, and hosting roles for television and radio stations in Wisconsin, Florida, and Connecticut.
He also serves as Corporate Counsel at an exciting Luxury Travel Club – ThirdHome, as well as General Counsel to American Collegiate Hockey Association.
Notwithstanding, Stu is also a Real Estate Investor, Canadian, American, Nashvillian, Husband, Father, Grandfather, and an advisor for Won For All.
She has been a teacher, coach, and mentor her entire career. A 10-year assistant coach and 5-year head coach, at the Division 1 level, Maren has leadership and management experience in high stress and public spheres including The United States Naval Academy, Penn State University, and North Dakota State University.
She encourages others to stand taller, reach further, and dig deeper. It’s this influence, motivation, and dedication that makes Maren an asset to the Won For All team.
She is also at the helm of the weekly Sportsnet docuseries Top of [HER] Game, focusing on stories of empowered women in the world of sports.
In alignment with her goal of shining a light on women in sports and broadcasting, to grow female, visibility, accessibility, and participation while developing an emerging voice to close the gender gap, Tara continues the momentum of positively advancing women in sports, as a member of Won For All’s Sports Broadcast Team in the capacity of Coach, Mentor. and Speaker, sharing her experiences and knowledge to help educate and create new opportunities beyond the playing field, and into the booth.
A member of Won For All’s leadership team, his primary professional focus is working with athletes, and throughout his career, he has worked with just about every kind of sport one can imagine.
Building off his own experience as a former high-performance athlete as an internationally competitive sailor, Dr. Wagschal has a passion for helping to build people and team cultures in ways that foster optimism, collaboration, self-awareness, and a growth mindset.
Michelle’s athletic background includes DH ski racing, mountain bike stage racing, and ultra-marathoning. Because of this competitive background, Michelle understands what it takes to be able to handle pressure, overcome obstacles, and be the best of the best.
For these reasons, she is very relatable and able to connect on a deeper level with her clients. Her strength lies in her ability to coach athletes in a way that builds trust and belief in themselves to achieve greatness in their sport.
Won For All & Sacred Heart University’s (SHU) Sports Broadcast Training Program is a hybrid event. Your in-person, A+ education at SHU’s Martire Center is bookended with coaching & instruction provided by Won For All’s trailblazing team of coaches, through our online locker room & learning lab.
Sacred Heart University’s Martire Center – The $50 million, 120,000-square-foot center is a unique, world-class facility fully equipped & outfitted with up-to-date multimedia production software and equipment, including 3 broadcast studios
ESPN or NBC Sports Studio Tour – ESPN/NBC Sports do not offer tours to the public, so this is your chance to participate in a guided behind-the-scenes look at their studios. See how many favorite sports shows come to life, ask some questions and enjoy a catered dinner.
Great River Championship Golf Course – Great River is a semi-private 18-hole golf course that boasts a 32,000-square-foot clubhouse. It’s located just 11 miles away from SHU’s main campus and is a signature Tommy Fazio-designed facility that has been ranked fourth-best in Connecticut by Golf.com.
A Casting Call for Sponsors
Our sponsors will help further our mission; igniting a lifetime of extraordinary performances for world-class athletes, beyond the game, and finding Dream 2 in the broadcast booth.
Simply put, without your generous sponsorship, we could not host this game-changing training event for elite, professional athletes and our sport leadership and education communities.
Platinum Sponsorship Opportunities (3)
We’re seeking:
#1 A Sports Network, Broadcasting Partner
#2 A Financial Services, Banking partner
#3 Any business that sees value in brand association with our Mover & Shaker Community
Brand Promotion - Online, On-Campus & Beyond
Our Assets => Your Assets
Online
May to August, 2022 > 3 months
Social/Digital Media
SHU, Won For All + Partners
- SHU/WFA Social Media
- SHU e-Newspaper Press Release
- SHU Media Channels (Targeted)
Won For All Website
Won For All LMS & Community Platform
Won For All e-Newsletter
On-Campus
June 24-27 > 3 Days
Event Signage
SHU’s Martire Center
SHU Gym, Dorm
Collateral – Programs, Name Badges
- Golf Clubhouse, Course
- Sports Broadcasting Studio Tour
- Opening/Closing Speaking Opportunity
On-Campus+
June 24-27
Networking:
Learn, Socialize, Dine
- Athletes, Executives, Personalities, Thought-Leaders
- Your invited Clients and Prospects
Other sponsors, partners, and leaders
Join our high profile participants, gain insights from our speakers, liaise with our network, dine and golf with elite athletes + others.
All activities & courses below will be held on-campus at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT.
Intro to Broadcasting - On Air Screen, Radio & Podcast Testing
Stand-Up Highlights Workshop
Studio Show Workshop
Radio & Podcast Workshop
Studio Show Production Part 1
Studio Show Production Part 2
Producing a Studio Show - Practical Learning
Shoot/Block/Walk Through Studio Show
Produce Studio Show
Deliverable(s)
Feedback & Analysis
Highlight Reel
Certificate of Completion
All exercises or activites below will be completed virtually through the Won For All online Learning Lab
Beyond The Athlete Identity
Personal Brand Story
Leadership Performance
Your Game Plan
Strategic Communications & Networking
Check out our Sponsorship tab for information about joining us!
Fill out the form below to apply or learn more about the Sports Broadcast Training Program
”Won For All gets us, our lifestyle and they’re connected- a fabulous program and experience that helped me land a DREAM JOB
Justin Morrow12 year MLS Athlete Cup Champion, All-Star, USA National Team Member, University of Notre Dame Graduate, Founder Black Players for Change, 2022 MLSE Executive