MACON, Ga. — We’re taking a dive into just how deep the talent goes at 13WMAZ.
For the past few weeks, we've shared the talents some of the 13WMAZ news team have that go “beyond the camera.”
To conclude the series, we take you to the Mercer University gym where night side reporter Avery Braxton works part-time for ESPN3.
Q: What type of work do you do for ESPN3 and when?
A: I operate as one of Mercer's ESPN3 talent for their sideline reporting and from time to time a color analyst for their basketball games. I started working with ESPN3 here on campus when I was a freshman. It just kind of fell into my lap. One of those things that you're kind of surprised to see, but happy to be a part of.
When do I have time to do it? Typically, on the weekends.
Q: You report on the night shift during the week. What makes you spend your weekends doing practically the same type of work?
A: During the week I'm covering mostly general news. Anything from breaking news, fires, all that kind of stuff to what's going around in Milledgeville and Baldwin County because that's my beat area. Then you say, 'why do you want to do it on your weekends?' Well, sports is something that I've always been really passionate about. I think any person who's been a sports fan has always wondered what it's like to be on the sidelines and hang out with athletes and talk to coaches.
I'm a Mercer University graduate. So, being able to kind of still be here and hang out with people that I've know for four plus years now and talk to coaches and have them be comfortable with me and players be comfortable with me and know who I am I think kind of adds to what I'm able to bring to a broadcast.
I just love the whole rush of it all. Even when I'm working the night shift during football season, I'm doing the Football Friday Night show and Frank Malloy and Marv and all those guys, they trust me to be a part of that. I think a big testament to that is my time that I get to spend here on the weekends.
Q: How do you manage it?
A: You have definitely got to take steps to handle your mental health and your physical health as well. I've kind of taken steps to do that. It's just all about managing your time and trying to manage it wisely. If this is something that you really like to do, it doesn't always feel like work.
Q: What is your advice or words of wisdom to anyone who wants to go into broadcasting or sports broadcasting?
A: First and foremost, you gotta know that you love it. Like any job, it's going to require long hours, it's going to require hard work, it's going to require a lot of things that aren't the glitz and glamour of being in front of the camera and having people recognize you in public and things like that. When it comes to that, you gotta go out of your way to get interviews. You've got to go out of your way to dig into information that might go beyond what's given to you from a media relations perspective.
I'm doing it as an adult now. I'm doing something that I dreamed about more or less when I was 11, 12, 13 years old and now I get to do it full time and part time on the weekends now; it's just fun.
Avery says that at the end of that day it has to be fun. He says it's all about finding something that you are passionate about.