As I enter my junior yr pursuing a bachelor of science diploma in sports activities media, I proceed to be pushed by a dream that started lengthy earlier than school. Miami-raised, I’ve all the time envisioned at some point returning to my birthplace and reaching the top of my profession as a sports activities journalist in New York City.
That journey took a main step ahead in the course of the spring semester when Professor Chuck Strouse inspired me to enroll in an elective course referred to as “Road to the World Cup.” Taught by Luis Gonzalez Perez and Pro Football Hall of Fame journalist Lesley Visser, the category challenged college students to look at the affect of the 2026 FIFA World Cup by way of the lenses of finance, safety, infrastructure and tradition. Fifteen college students have been divided into 4 teams and tasked with producing each a podcast and a mini documentary, with the successful undertaking incomes World Cup tickets.
My crew benefitted from a shared dedication to excellence as we pushed each other to produce our greatest work.
One of my tasks was securing a visitor for our podcast. Through my longtime relationship with legendary soccer broadcaster Jose “Don Gol” Hernandez, I used to be in a position to herald somebody whose profession has included calling a few of the largest matches within the sport, together with El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid. I’ve recognized Jose for years by way of youth soccer, having performed alongside his son.
Throughout my journey, he has been an essential mentor and function mannequin. Being in a position to sit down with him and listen to his perspective was an unbelievable expertise and bolstered the importance of sustaining significant relationships in sports activities media. For our documentary, “The PayOff,” I had to discover somebody who had bought World Cup tickets and discover whether or not the expertise justified the associated fee. I instantly considered the daddy of one in all my closest buddies, whom I additionally met by way of youth soccer. Rather than focusing solely on numbers and rising ticket costs, I wished to humanize the story by giving it a face and a persona.
Ernesto Escobar shared recollections of attending the 1994 World Cup within the United States and defined how he’s now carrying on a household custom. Just as his father as soon as gifted him tickets to expertise the match, he’s now doing the identical for his kids. Despite the excessive price, he defined, the recollections and experiences are priceless. His story gave our documentary emotional depth and jogged my memory that essentially the most highly effective tales are sometimes centered round folks fairly than statistics.
Throughout the semester, our professor supplied invaluable suggestions on interviewing strategies and storytelling. Their steerage taught me how to mildew completely different views into one cohesive narrative and challenged me to assume past surface-level reporting.
Our documentary, “The PayOff,” earned first place among the many 4 tasks and bolstered my confidence as a storyteller. More importantly, the category confirmed me what I’m able to carrying out after I mix preparation, collaboration and robust relationships.
As I proceed pursuing a profession in sports activities journalism, I plan to keep the connections I’ve constructed with my teammates and professors. I might encourage different FIU college students to hunt down alternatives that push them past their consolation zones. For me, “Road to the World Cup” was excess of a class. It was a reminder that nice tales are all over the place, and that the relationships we construct usually turn out to be our best belongings.
As for our crew’s different payoff – the World Cup tickets – we had a blast.