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Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Cariel.
Hi Sydney, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Growing up, sports has always been a staple in the Cariel household. I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and grew up a die-hard fan for the 49ers, A’s, Sharks, and Warriors. When I think of my earliest childhood memories, I immediately find myself at Candlestick Park in San Francisco for a Niners game sitting with my family, yelling ‘Defense’ as loud as a kindergartner could. Awe-struck by the roar of the crowd, immersed in spirit and tradition, my love for sports was born. From that age on, that love grew into a passion for storytelling.
I graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State in 2017 with a Sports Journalism major. While in college, I was lucky enough to cover the Milwaukee Brewers during Spring Training and won a student Emmy Award for one of my feature stories. Looking back, attending ASU is one of the biggest reasons I’ve grown in this industry. I’m thankful for all the experiences and opportunities I had, not to mention the connections I made!
I landed my first sports anchor/reporter job in local news in the fall of 2017 in Midland, Texas at NewsWest 9. There, I was part of an all-female sports team! During my two years at NewsWest 9, I grew so much as a sports reporter, eventually leading the sports department, but most importantly, I made a group of lifelong friends. I often think I was spoiled with this being my first job because it’s so rare in this industry to find those kinds of friendships that no matter how long it’s been since we’ve talked, you pick up right where you left off.
Following my time in Texas, I took a Sports Anchor/Reporter position at ABC12 in Flint, Michigan. In my two years at ABC12, I fell in love with the community. I learned Mid-Michigan genuinely cares about their local sports, which made my job even more fun. My favorite memories were sharing stories that weren’t just about what was on the stat sheets but really showed who these teams and players were. While there were some cold nights covering games (especially for this California girl), I wouldn’t change it for the world.
All of these experiences have led me to where I am today. I am a part-time sports anchor at WXYZ ABC 7 in Detroit, covering the Lions, Tigers, Pistons, Red Wings, and of course, our Big Ten teams. In addition to this role, I am the Executive Producer and Host for State Champs Network. In these roles, I have been a key contributor to the development of State Champs Women – a brand-new platform focused on highlighting female sports and athletes. Lastly, I am the team reporter for Oakland University women’s basketball coverage on ESPN+.
My love for sports and my passion for sports storytelling continues to grow with every step of this journey. Every day, I am learning more and more about this industry and striving to take my career to the next step!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
With every job, this industry has its challenges. After I graduated from Arizona State in 2017, it took longer than I hoped to land my first full-time position. In my mind, I thought I’d graduate from college and immediately head off to my first job in local news – well, it didn’t happen that way. It took me 5 months post-graduation to earn an opportunity. I will forever be grateful for my first New Director taking a chance on me and believing in what we could build at NewsWest 9 in Midland, Texas. Leading up to that point, I had small side gigs, but there were many times I felt discouraged, especially when I would look at my spreadsheet of all the stations I had applied to across the country. I’m sure many journalists can relate with me on that – reminiscing back to that long list of stations in some towns I hadn’t even heard of (lol), but for that first gig you were willing to move anywhere! I look back, and I appreciate the timeline it took for me to get here, and wouldn’t trade any of the process.
Now as I think back to what seems like a long time ago, that was just a small bump in my journey. I started my next chapter in Flint, Michigan at ABC12 in December of 2019. Then, just a few short months later, the unimaginable happened as Covid took a turn for the worst and impacted everyone in its path. With all sports on a nationwide pause, as a sports reporter, I had nothing to cover, so I was challenged with the task of being a news reporter for a little over 6 months. I really had no professional experience in that realm, so I had to really think back to my classes from sophomore year in college. It was challenging to step out of my comfort zone and cover stories that were difficult to report on. At times it felt mentally draining, and honestly, there were times I was frustrated, but anytime I felt like I started to feel sorry for myself, I did not allow it because at the end of the day, people were going through way worse situations – the unimaginable really – and I truly was lucky to still have a job while there were no sports going on. It was a tough time for everybody. When I look back, I believe those months did help me grow in this industry and develop more skills I might not have learned if I wasn’t presented with that challenge. Lastly, I think those long months reminded all of us to not take things for granted.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a Sports Reporter, my goal is to tell stories that go beyond the stat sheets and the final scores. I love talking to the teams and learning more about their personalities outside of games and practices. My favorite part of the job is sharing a story that connects the community. Also, this is a simple part of the job but one of my absolute favorites – I love just talking with the fans, families, coaches, players, anyone connected to the game, and I hope I can make people smile and feel the same passion for sports that I have. I think one of the best parts about sports is no matter what differences people may have – different sports and different teams can bring people together. There’s an unspoken bond that makes sports so fun and universal. When I put together my sportscasts, I always think about different ways to creatively recap what happened locally in the sports world, win or lose. I also make it a point to end the sports block on a positive note. From NewsWest 9 to ABC12 to now – one part I am most proud of is when the sports department comes together as our own team and delivers a great show highlighting more than one game/community! It’s a grind to cover a ton of different areas, but that is one of the biggest rewards knowing that the hard work everyone is putting in will make someone’s day! Sports are so fun, and where else can you bring people together – with one common goal cheering on the same team!
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
It’s no secret networking is huge in this industry! One thing I did early in my career, and I still do now, is take in your surroundings when you are at different games or events. Part of that is being present in the moment and making connections with the other people also on the sidelines or at the event. No matter the level of competition or how big the event is – you never know who’s there and who’s watching! I’ve learned along the way genuinely listening and being interested in what someone has to say is important! It’s similar to ‘treating others the way you want to be treated’; you know what it feels like to be heard and understood, so make sure you make others feel that way too. One of my mentors and someone I look up to in this industry is Angie Hendershot from ABC12 in Flint, Michigan. Angie is so genuine and sincere when she is on camera, and that is exactly what she’s like off camera. She has a way of storytelling that draws you in. I admire that about her and hope to emulate that when I’m on air. I learned from Angie by watching and by asking questions. Another thing I’ve learned (and I’m still working on) is staying in touch with former and present colleagues. It’s important to keep in touch because you never know when your paths could cross down the road.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sydneycarielsports.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sydcariel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SydneyCarielSports
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SydCariel