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Travis Politakis '18 attends Arizona State Sports Broadcast Boot Camp
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August 15, 2017
Interviewing at Chase Field. Photo courtesy of Travis Politakis
For the majority of high school students, summer may mean a welcome break from school, trips to the beach, family vacations, or a summer job.
For Frassati Catholic senior, Travis Politakis, however, this summer meant going back to class.
This time, however, his ‘classroom’ included venues like Chase Field of the MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks; University of Phoenix Stadium of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals; US Airways Center of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury; and the Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex of USL professional soccer team, Phoenix Rising FC.
Politakis, a Philadelphia, PA native now living in Montgomery, Texas, has always had an interest in sports and sports journalism. When he heard about a summer opportunity through Arizona State University’s Cronkite Sports Broadcast Boot Camp, he jumped at the opportunity to put together an application and was ultimately accepted to the program.
“I first heard about the opportunity when my dad and I were researching ways to have some hands on experience in the sports media world, because it is something I have been passionate about my whole life. We stumbled upon the internship hosted by ASU, and I immediately fell in love and decided to apply.”
Along with 30 other campers, Politakis had the opportunity to do play by play, sideline reporting, hosting, and studio production using state-of-the art studios at Arizona State.
Doing play by play at Chase Field. Photo courtesy of Travis Politakis.
Like most who entered the camp, Politakis had no formal sports journalism experience prior to attending. That all quickly changed as he grew more comfortable with certain skills required of journalists: for example, talking in front of a camera.
“At first, when the bright lights are on, and the cameras are rolling, it is extremely scary and intimidating. With the great leadership of the ESPN and the Phoenix Suns staff, we learned to be ourselves. By the end, I forgot the camera was even there. I was speaking with confidence and was able to be myself.”
Politakis’ Speech and Ethics & Culture classes at Frassati Catholic, in particular, helped give him the speaking and writing tools necessary for many of the jobs required in the program.
“I cannot stress enough, for the career I want to go into, how important [Speech class] has been. It helped me when it came to writing scripts, speaking in front of the camera, and when doing play by play. Dr. Lindsay Medina has really improved my speaking and communicating habits. Another class that really helped me was Ethics. It helped me when talking to the athletes to treat them as everyday people, and to act like you are talking to a friend, because in Ethics, I learned that everyone is created equal. That really helped me when I was interviewing superstar athletes.”
Speaking with Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals. Photo courtesy of Travis Politakis (Top Left).
The program afforded Politakis the opportunity to speak with numerous professional athletes, an experience he relished.
“One highlight from the internship was being able to interview Larry Fitzgerald because he was so humble and answered every question thoroughly. Just having the ability to interact with a potential Hall of Fame NFL star was absolutely amazing.”
Politakis also interviewed Diamondbacks shortstop, Nick Ahmed, and was struck by how humble and gracious he was.
“He was incredibly nice and very humble, and it felt like I was talking to a friend. I asked him, 'What would you be doing if you weren't playing baseball?' He told me that he would be doing Bible studies and religious programs because it was something close to his heart. It struck me because even though athletes perform on the game's biggest stage, they are normal people, and still take time to honor God.”
At Chase Field. Photo courtesy of Travis Politakis.
The experience only increased Polotakis' desire to pursue a degree in sports journalism in college, and possibly a career in sports thereafter.
“Sports journalism is something I am very passionate about, and have been since I was a kid. I plan to go to a college with a sports media program. My goal is to be a color analyst and a sports writer. It would be a dream come true to work for a Philadelphia team.”
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About Frassati Catholic High School: Founded in 2013, Frassati Catholic High School serves the families and parishes in the north Houston area of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Administered by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation from Nashville, TN, Frassati Catholic High School prepares students to walk on the path of true happiness through a robust college-preparatory curriculum rooted in the Catholic faith. The school currently serves students in grades 9-12. For more information about Frassati Catholic High School, contact Kyle Smith, director of communications, at 832-616-3227.