Marshall senior reports for ESPN broadcasts

Stepping Up to the Plate

 

Not many high school seniors can add EPSN broadcaster to their resume, but Hayley Galindo from Marshall High School isn’t most high school seniors.

Last month she served as a sideline reporter for two national ESPN KidsCast baseball games in Williamsport, Pennsylvania – a Little League World Series game and the Major League Baseball Little League Classic featuring the Los Angeles Angels and the Cleveland Indians.

Even more impressive – it was her first time appearing on-camera.

“It was such a good feeling,” Galindo says. “I didn’t want it to be over. It was so cool to experience that.”

Three young people were chosen to appear on the Kids Cast broadcasts, two in the booth as play by play announcers and Galindo reporting on the sidelines.

Galindo spent a week with the ESPN team, learning from professional producers and camera operators and enjoying perks like having her hair and makeup done. She also met one of her idols, ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcaster Jessica Mendoza.

“Once I saw women [like Mendoza] representing in a male-dominated industry, I realized I could do this as a career.”

The aspiring sports journalist earned the opportunity after attending the Bruce Beck Sports Broadcasting Camp, first virtually in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then in person this past summer. The camp was created by Bruce Beck, an award-winning sports anchor in New York. Galindo is a lifelong baseball fan and first learned about the camp while watching a New York Yankees game.

She might still be surprised that she was one of the three selected for KidsCast out of 91 campers, but her skills impressed the professionals.

 

“She is that special,” Beck says. “She combines knowledge with charisma and possesses a marvelous personal touch. This was the experience of a lifetime for any youngster and I am sure Hayley will take these life lessons with her for many years to come. What an opportunity. What a young woman.”

 

And despite the pressures of live television, Galindo was ready for any challenge, including interviewing MLB players like Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani and Indians pitcher Triston McKenzie.

“I felt like I spent more time rewriting scripts than writing them,” Galindo says. “I wanted to make sure I was prepared – I had so many stories and questions. I know my confidence depends on my preparation. It didn’t feel overwhelming because it was something I love to do.”

The senior softball player is back at Marshall but looking forward to the future – studying sports journalism in college and getting back to the big leagues. After a glimpse of what it takes to be successful at the highest level, Galindo knows it’s much more than just a field of dreams.