If you were flipping through the channels recently you may have seen Sachem East alum Brendan Jones broadcasting on SNY.
Jones, who graduated from Sachem East in 2011 and attended Stony Brook University, made his professional broadcast debut on the American Sports Network as part of the in-game analysis during college hockey games.
A former Division I goalie at Stony Brook, Jones did not waste any time turning his journalism skills developed at Sachem and Stony Brook into a profession he’s been dreaming about.
He recently moved to West Palm Beach this fall as a production assistant at ASN, but parlayed that into some on-air time thanks to his knowledge and love of college hockey.
“At times it can be stressful and pressure filled with deadlines hanging over your head,” he said, “but in the end it is all worth it because you’re doing something you love and are so passionate about.”
For Jones, Sachem spurred it all. He took advantage of journalism classes and Sachem High School Radio, 91.9-FM, WSHR.
“I remember my junior year I took broadcast journalism and had my own sports radio talk show and my senior year I took another journalism class,” he said. “I decided that since I loved sports if I didn’t make it to the pros this would be the next best thing. Without Sachem it is safe to say I wouldn’t be in the sports media field.”
Things progressed for him at Stony Brook, where he received considerable on-air and production time for the student radio and television outlets.
“One of the most underrated things I learned was how to tell a rich and compelling story both on paper and through video,” he said. “Being able to listen to a thirty minute interview and cut it down to two minutes, while having it still make sense is no easy task, but at Stony Brook you do so much of it, it becomes second nature.”
For now, Jones will be a utility guy at ASN, getting on-air where and when he can, while producing highlights for various shows across multiple sports. He took a chance by filming a pitch segment about college hockey. It found its way to executive producers at the network and the rest is history.
“As cliché as it sounds, it feels great to be doing something I really do enjoy,” said Jones. “I came down here not knowing what to expect, but it turned out to be everything that I wanted. It just goes to show you, don’t be afraid to take chances they just might work out.”
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro