Sloane Martin ’07 gives us a play-by-play of her life as a sports reporter and anchor

In March 2019, Sloane broadcast the play-by-play for the Minnesota boys high school hockey tournament, making history as the first woman to do so in the tournament’s 75-year history. As the play-by-play radio announcer for the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, she is also the first woman in the Twin Cities to be the main broadcaster for a pro sports team.

I am a reporter and anchor, so my days are unpredictable and I never know where I’m going to end up—which is something that excites me. Minneapolis has hosted the Super Bowl and NCAA men’s Final Four the past two years, but I also interview different people—from politicians to activists to regular folks—each day.

I also do sports play-by-play broadcasting for radio and television, including high school football and the girls and boys state hockey tournaments as well as women’s basketball on Big Ten Network.

I started in small markets and worked my way up. Only a select few get their dream job in great cities right off the bat in media. Immediately after graduation from college in 2011 with a broadcast journalism degree, I worked behind the scenes at the CBS affiliate in Rochester, N.Y., where I did studio camera, graphics, audio and editing.

Next I moved to a small radio station in a city of 15,000 between Rochester and Buffalo, where I was a solo reporter for two years. I had many moments of feeling impatient, wondering if I was making the right decision with my career, but it was critical experience in learning to report and write, and finding my voice. I did a lot of play-by-play at high schools in the rural county.

I took that experience to Buffalo, N.Y., where I was a radio reporter and anchor at WBEN while doing play-by-play for the University at Buffalo women’s basketball team, which included a game-winning shot in the conference championship game and a trip to the NCAA tournament.

In 2016, I moved to the Twin Cities for my husband’s job, which is also in media. I arrived with nothing, but found three jobs within about two months and made great connections.

Especially in this time of media outlets being called “fake news,” and newsrooms being gutted due to financial circumstances, I think about how important journalism is. I think about breaking news stories I’ve covered, what I’ve seen right in front of me and how I’ve been able to relay and describe important moments to people. The days when I’m tired of reporting about the next snowstorm, I think of the people who depend on us.

On the play-by-play side, it’s a similar kind of connection with people that inspires me. I love sharing fun and exciting plays with other people. It’s more than Xs and Os and describing where the ball is on a certain play; it’s contextualizing the narrative of the game and being the soundtrack to moments that fans and families won’t forget. One person told me that they felt like during the broadcast I was talking directly to them. It’s almost like a conversation, especially on radio, and it’s the kind of connection that makes you realize how much sports means to people.

Mayfield was key in empowering me to pursue a career in a male-dominated field (sports broadcasting) because of the environment fostered there that girls are capable of anything. We were told there are no limits to our capabilities or aspirations. The fact that I wanted to be a sports broadcaster in high school was no big deal because that attitude was instilled in us.

It seems small, but I remember talking about sports with my Latin teacher Dr. Wilhelm throughout my four years there. He was always willing to listen to my takes and we’d go back and forth and it gave me the confidence to talk about sports and share my opinions. Being encouraged as a young teen to use my voice and be a leader made me want to go down this broadcasting path. I knew I had something to say and I wanted to share it because of the confidence I developed at Mayfield.

I’m also a big supporter and advocate of girls’ and women’s sports which started when I was at Mayfield being surrounded by girls who I respected.

My advice would be to stay patient and enjoy the journey. Even living in the middle of nowhere, even if you’re not where you want to be at a certain time, there are stories worth telling right in front of you. Anything journalism-related is hard. The hours are strange, the pay is low, it’s 24/7 thinking about stories and interviews and angles, and people can be critical. But the sense of accomplishment is unmatched.

It may be cliche, but overall I’d tell students to think about what lights that fire inside you and follow that. I’m really happy I’ve followed through.