Sara Hogan casts her love of sports
Since I was a little girl, I always knew I wanted to be on TV. Growing up watching Pat Masters, and Karen Adams on the local news, I admired their confidence and ability to tell a story as well as, if not better than their male peers. When I was little, I grew up in a neighborhood full of boys, and “tomboy” was a nick name I became accustomed to. I spent most of my free time playing street hockey, dodge ball, tee ball and anything that involved being active and getting out of the house. I loved being the center of attention, and I found that by playing sports as well as succeeding in school I was able to accomplish my dreams and become not only a person on TV, but a sportscaster.
Whenever someone asks me what I do, I always find humor in their reaction. “You’re a what?””I’m a sportscaster . . . I report on sports.”
Nine times out of ten, they ask me how a woman knows so much about sports. I always reply: “When you have a family that makes Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins games appointment viewing, it’s likely to rub off.”
I can thank my grandmother, for paving the way for me showing a woman can know just as much, if not more about sports than a man. She didn’t play any sports growing up like I did, but what she lacked in ability she made up for in knowledge. Back in her day before title nine, woman had very few options when it came to playing sports. I on the other hand, started playing competitive soccer at the age of six, and continued playing up until my senior year in college.
Soccer was my passion. It was my life. I played on multiple teams and even traveled the East Coast playing in tournaments. I met most of my friends on the soccer field, and to this day we are still close. Soccer not only kept me active and in shape, it also kept me out of trouble, and focused on my goal of one day becoming a sportscaster. When you’re in high school trying to figure out what you want to do with your life and have to make a decision on what college will take you there, I had no hesitation that a degree in Broadcast Journalism would help me achieve my goal and that Emerson College in Boston would get me there. I was also recruited at Emerson to play division three soccer. The balance of practices and games six days a week as well as schoolwork kept me busy and out of trouble.
During my senior year in college I got an internship with WPRI in the sports department and was working alongside Patrick Little, Rob Garofalo, and JP Smollins, a boys club to say the least. Thanks to hard work and dedication through my internship, I was offered a sports reporting position at WPRI right out of college. I became the youngest on air talent at the station and quickly moved up the ranks becoming the weekend sports anchor a year after I was hired; mind you I am currently the only female sportscaster in the state. I showed that a woman can work in a male dominated industry and have success. Looking around the country most sports departments have a male only sports staff, but in recent years other women have broken down that barrier and can be found on major sports networks like ESPN, Comcast and NFL network.
After four years working in sports, I can honestly say I love my job. I have interviewed some of the top athletes in the world, while traveling the world. If it wasn’t for sports, I wouldn’t be living the life I have today. Playing sports has opened many doors for me, and it can for you too.
Whenever some one asks me what I do, I always find humor in their reaction. “You’re a what?”
“I’m a sportscaster . . . I report on sports.”
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Sara Hogan joined the Eyewitness News Sports Team in September of 2008. A Cumberland native, Hogan is a graduate of Cumberland High School and earned her bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism from Emerson College. While at Emerson, she was a four year starting defender on the Women’s Soccer Team earning GNAC All-tournament honors and the GNAC Sportsmanship award. During her senior Year at Emerson, Hogan interned at WPRI in the sports department where she found her “niche” in broadcast. After graduation, Hogan spent two months in Beijing, China for the 2008 Olympic Games interviewing some of the top athletes in the world.
photo courtesy of Sara Hogan
