When the men’s basketball team won the Pacific-10 Conference, it was also a dream come true for a University student off the court. Steve Engman reported on the victory for The Palestra, a college-oriented news and sports network and content provider for CNN, and experienced what it’s like to work at his dream job.
As the Ducks’ winning streak came to a halt in the Elite Eight, so did Engman’s, who lost his position when he graduated at the end of winter term. Now Engman is trying to get back on the sidelines and in the locker rooms and make his dream job a reality once again.
“It’s an experience (that) doesn’t really come around for most college students,” Engman said. “I was there for two and a half weeks living my dream and doing what I want to do, and now I’m trying to figure out how to get back there.”
Because he is no longer a college student, Engman can’t work as a reporter for The Palestra, which “distributes unique audio and video content about college sports, music, entertainment and news,” according to the organization’s Web site.
As an electronic media major, Engman also worked for Duck U Sports. He said he knows the experience he gained writing, interviewing, filming, and editing six stories a week for The Palestra will help him stand out from others looking to enter the competitive field of sports reporting.
“You’re getting all that (broadcasting) experience while you’re in college. That experience is hard to come by before you’re out in the market,” said Tom Orr, associate managing editor for The Palestra. “We know just how competitive it is. The only way you get better is to go out and shoot and learn from your mistakes.”
Engman said the mistakes and technical problems he encountered while traveling to Los Angeles and Spokane to cover the men’s basketball games were good learning experiences, although they felt like horror stories at the time.
“Going down to L.A. I had basically every technical problem I could have going down there,” Engman said. After a series of equipment broke, he walked two and a half miles to a Staples store in what he called one of the worst parts of the city. “I really had to learn from that experience with adversity and not to freak out in such a fast-paced environment,” Engman said.
The good came with the bad for Engman, who was working 16-18 hours a day while in L.A., trying to catch up from the technical nightmare.
“Watching the Ducks win the Pac-10 was amazing,” said Engman, who gave head coach Ernie Kent a hug before talking with him about the victory. “I was waiting to interview him and I went up to him and said ‘Hey coach, first and foremost can I give you a hug?’”
While working for The Palestra, Engman met some of his idols in sports writing, such as Andy Katz, a senior college basketball writer for ESPN.com. Working side-by-side with the professionals fueled Engman’s desire to stick with sports reporting after graduation.
“What we liked about Steve is that he worked at Duck U and knew a lot about sports and reporting behind the camera. He was very confident around players and coaches,” Orr said.
Engman said he knows how valuable this experience was, and some companies have called him for interviews within hours of submitting his resume, but the jobs aren’t in broadcasting, which is a dream he’s not ready to give up on.
“These jobs aren’t dealing with teams and being on the floor and in the locker room. I mean, I can’t give Ernie a hug that way,” he said.
With Engman leaving his position with The Palestra, he’s opening the door for another University student to gain the experience that makes employers jump at a resume, like some do with Engman’s.
Brian Elder, a University junior also majoring in electronic media, heard about the opening from Engman and is currently creating a news package to send to The Palestra.
“I’ve grown up a lifelong Duck fan,” said Elder, who would like to follow the Ducks at a bowl game if they’re invited and if he gets the job working for The Palestra.
“Sometimes the students have a far more intimate perspective over major news outlets,” Elder said.
Orr agreed that providing a student perspective on sports, news and entertainment is something college students can relate to over “a 40-year-old white guy sitting behind the desk telling you what’s going on.”
For more information on The Palestra or to watch Engman’s clips, go to www.thepalestra.com and find Oregon under “select a school.” Orr recommended watching Engman’s piece on the history of McArthur Court or his coverage of the Pac-10 Championship.
“If you can do that, you can work in TV sports,” Orr said.
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