ZEALAND SHANNON
Professional Play-By-Play and Sports Broadcaster
Welcome to my online resume - here you will find details of my professional experiences, demos of my past work and a summation of the skills I have amassed during my years in the industry. Enjoy!
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Now represented by: Daniel.Schmertz@unitedtalent.com
ABOUT ME
I have always had a passion for sports broadcasting. I started calling games over my PlayStation when I was just six years old, something of which my mom took notice because she always heard me down the hall. At 15, my middle school was looking for someone to MC its student-faculty challenge. My mom recommended me for that event and I have never looked back. The years that followed have been spent gaining the practical experience to back up my passion. I worked with Jim Louk at USF as his spotter for football and baseball throughout high school while talking my way into the production booth at Yankees spring training games, where I ended up calling minor league games by my junior year. During high school, my journalistic interests expanded as well, taking on opportunities that were presented to expand my skillset. I became a lead reporter for the BHSN varsity reporter program and a writer for the Tampa Bay Times after proving myself in its high school edition.
For a rigorous collegiate experience, I attended the University of Virginia. Despite being offered announcing positions at other schools, I wanted to challenge myself to see how I could continue to evolve as a broadcaster while engaging in a high-level educational program. I started calling field hockey and volleyball for "Cavaliers Live" as a freshman and graduated as an on-air personality for the ACC Network's coverage of events as significant as men's lacrosse and soccer. I also got to travel with the women's basketball team to call the Lady Cavaliers for Virginia Sports Radio and called select baseball games for that station as well. Another huge breakthrough for me was NBC's hiring me as an intern for the Rio Olympics in the summer after my second year. I was exposed to production in a way I never had been before. Two years later NBC brought me back as a production associate for the Pyeonchang games, an even more tremendous experience that allowed me to help build large online pieces as part of a team while cutting some of my own for the digital platforms. With this wealth of experience from a very young age, I am excited to see what the future holds. I am still calling games for ACC Network including a recent men's basketball game, but am actively searching for the next chapter in my reporting and sports broadcasting career with the help of United Talent Agency.
SKILLS
DIVERSEÂ PLAY-BY-PLAY
I have cultivated seven years of play-by-play experience in an incredibly wide variety of sports and situations. From TV to radio, from football to field hockey, I am able to deliver professional yet entertaining broadcasts, weaving a quick wit with a timeless voice for the airwaves.
PROFESSIONAL REPORTING
My training in reporting began when I was 16 in TV production, and two years later I was a lead varsity reporter for Bright House Sports Network. I gathered experience generating, filming and editing stories during this time, and have expanded upon my experience with the ACC Network and NBC since.
DISCIPLINED WRITING
Although my professional news writing stopped after high school in lieu of broadcasting and production opportunities, I concentrated my Media Studies major on journalism, taking classes from the industry's top minds. This on top of my extensive writing for the Tampa Bay Times high school edition and winning multiple SIPA awards in my early career.
ENGAGING HOSTING
I got my start in all professional adventures MCing a student-faculty challenge, and have loved to host shows and events ever since. I've been involved with multiple podcasts outside of my radio experience and stream on Twitch.tv in my free time. Putting together a show and holding an entertaining dialogue is a favorite past time for me that I always look to add to my life.
DEMOS
UNITED TALENT AGENCY FULL DEMO
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INCLUDES: FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, WRESTLING, LACROSSE, SOCCER, AND SPORTS OPINION
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LINK: HTTPS://APP.FRAME.IO/PRESENTATIONS/8C06B672-0CE8-4D2E-A363-2A878F32A750
SWIMMING PLAY-BY-PLAY
FIELD HOCKEY PLAY-BY-PLAY
VOLLEYBALL PLAY-BY-PLAY
EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
BA MEDIA STUDIES
BA HISTORY
August 2014 - May 2018
I graduated from "dear ole' UVA" after four years with a double major in Media Studies and History. I was a member of the Sigma Pi - Beta Pi chapter, a member of the University Guide Service (70 tours) and a dutiful student, with a final cumulative GPA of 3.205 from a top-30 institution.
REFERENCES
ERIC HAMILTON
Director of Digital Video Production at NBC Olympics
SEAN FOLTIN
ACC Network Coordinating Producer
SYDNEY WINDELL
Producer at BlueFrame Technology
JOYCE SWARZMAN
Headmaster of Corbett Prep
EXPERIENCE
ACC NETWORK PLAY-BY-PLAY BROADCASTER
August 2016 - June 2019
I lead broadcasts of University of Virginia sports for ACC Network. I have had the privilege to call spring football, men's basketball, men's and women's lacrosse, soccer, field hockey, volleyball, swimming, softball, and wrestling, learning how to properly prepare and execute professional presentations of sporting events both on camera and off.
CHARLOTTESVILLE RADIO GROUP PLAY-BY-PLAY BROADCASTER
August 2016 - May 2019
I called select Virginia women's basketball and baseball games on Virginia Sports Network along with local high school football games for a two-year span. The experience involved extensive travel and gave me the ability to set up my own broadcast equipment after transporting it safely.
CIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT PLAY-BY-PLAY BROADCASTER
February 2019
Broadcast every game through the quarterfinals as either play-by-play or color at both the Bojangles Coliseum and Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
MLS PRESEASON PLAY-BY-PLAY BROADCASTER
February 2019
Brought to Clearwater, Florida to broadcast an MLS preseason matchup between Wayne Rooney's DC United and Marco Fabian's Philadelphia Union.
NCCAA MEN'S/WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS LEAD PLAY-BY-PLAY VOICE
Novermber - December 2018
I broadcasted half of men's and women's group play and all of the knockout stages in the NCCAA Championships for Tourbeau Sports from Orlando, Florida.
NJCAA DI MEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPSGROUP STAGES PLAY-BY-PLAY
November 2018
I was part of the pair calling every NJCAA DI Men's group stage game for BlueFrame Technology, four matches per day for three days straight in Daytona, Florida.
TAMPA YANKEES/TARPONS PLAY-BY-PLAY BROADCASTER
April 2013 - September 2015 / August 2018
I talked my way into the booth from the production side as a junior in high school and got incredible experience calling baseball for the radio as part of a team. After graduation, I came back to the team so that I can stay sharp for my next opportunity.
NBC OLYMPICS PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE
January - March 2018
I was brought up to Stamford, Connecticut to work as part of the digital 'craft edits' team in NBC's Olympics effort. My hours were 3 AM to 3 PM to keep up with Korea time during the games, with no off days, a professional challenge requiring the highest dedication. I learned an unquantifiable amount about production in this time, helping to produce features with a team and cutting other pieces on my own, the samples of which can be found in the demos section.
NBC OLYMPICS HIGHLIGHT FACTORY INTERN
June - July 2016
I was honored to be selected for such a prestigious internship program, working in the nerve center of the NBC Olympics effort. My 2016 crew was detailed here by Sports Business Daily and the 2018 version was covered recently by Variety. My specialization for the games was tennis, table tennis, rhythmic gymnastics, and wrestling, all of which I watched, logged and edited considerably.
93.7 KIIS FM MORNING SHOW SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
August - December 2014
I came in twice a week for a few segments to talk sports with the morning show team. It ended due to a station changeover, but was tremendous hosting and live production experience.
BRIGHT HOUSE SPORTS NETWORK VARSITY REPORTER
August 2012 - May 2014
In my largest role as a sports reporter, I was tasked with the creation of game highlight packages for all major competitions in my area, as well as the production of features about specific athletes. We were brought in to train with the senior team at BHSN and I received rewards and recognition for my professionalism and execution during this time.
TAMPA BAY TIMES HIGH SCHOOL/PREPÂ CORRESPONDENT
August 2013 - May 2014
I wrote mainly for the high school version of the paper, including a cover story my senior year. In the fall of 2014, I wrote game stories published in the full paper, covering high school football under hard deadlines. The experience prepared me for other intense environments like the one I found at NBC.
NEW YORK YANKEES GAME DAY OPERATIONS
February 2011 - September 2014
I learned how to operate the audio boards, video boards and put together a game-day production for Yankees spring training and the following Florida State League season.
NASPAA BOB SHEPPARD AWARD FOR BEST HIGH SCHOOL PA ANNOUNCER NATIONALLY
2013
I have done sports public address announcing since my freshman year of high school, going on to announce select games for the Yankees and UVa athletics. My work was recognized with an award by the National Association.
LET’S CONNECT
