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...with
Aubrey Aquino.
I never thought I would want to work
in sports. I have always been a big sports fan, growing
up on regular doses of the NFL and NBA, feeding off my
parent’s passion for the pro games. I maintained
that I just wanted to remain a fan, and not make sports
my work. So when I decided to pursue a career in Broadcast
Television, I in my mind, sports was not really an option.
Breaking into the business isn’t
an easy task, and I have taken the road less traveled.
One of the biggest loves of my life is dance. A dance
career isn’t something I intended to seriously pursue,
but as a hobby, it has filled me with experiences I will
never forget. Almost all teams in the NBA and NFL have
dance/cheer teams as part of their game day entertainment,
so when the opportunity presented itself to me, I decided
to give it a try. What better way to marry two of my greatest
passions, dance and sports.
First off, auditioning for a pro dance
team and a job in television are in many ways, one in
the same. It is basically, hundreds of candidates vying
for a very limited number of spots, all with a great background
and look, every single one hoping to be noticed, and get
their foot in the door. In my case, competing alongside
hundreds of females for a handful of roster spots, always
came easier to me than editing, dubbing and mailing hundreds
of tapes to news directors who probably were not going
to call. Every time I trekked to the post office to send
off a new batch of resume tapes or make sat by the phone
to cold call, I got this sick feeling of rejection anxiety
in my stomach, just hoping to make a connection. At least
when you try out for a team, you know you’ll be
seen, even if you are only a number.
Some of my best memories have come as
a representative of the three different teams (Kings,
Raiders and Cardinals) I have danced for. However, it
has always been my motto; “Dance is my hobby, it
is something I do, not who I am.” One of the unfortunate
downsides to being in this circle is the stereotype. Sure
we perform in tight-fitting, sexy costumes, but that does
not mean we are not educated and should be open targets
for unsolicited comments. The process of becoming a team
member is nerve wrecking and extensive, in most cases
you learn a short dance routine in a matter of minutes,
perform it, face cuts, and so forth until the final round,
where you are subject to an interview in front of a panel
of judges. Then if selected, you are bound to a contract
with strict rules, a busy schedule of practices, performances,
games and community appearances. Like TV it isn’t
the glamorous job people on the outside see, it is hard
work, stress, dedication, with moments of fun in the mix.
And here you are paid even less than a TV job, in most
cases, it wouldn’t even equal the money spent on
gas to be there.
One of my biggest concerns has been how
my hobby would be perceived by folks in the newsroom.
For the most part, I don’t think my “status”
as an NFL/NBA dancer has helped me get a job. My involvement
with pro teams is not something I advertise, it’s
something I have always preferred to keep to myself, for
fear of being pre-judged. Once a person knows me a little
better, I may let them in on my ‘double’ life,
but it has been my choice to share the info with family
and friends who know what the experience has meant to
me.
My first job, writing and producing in
Sacramento, I danced for the Kings, and after a season
there I decided I needed to make a move and get in front
of the camera, so I landed in Medford, Oregon, as a morning
anchor/reporter. After 8 months there, I craved the feeling
of dance performance in a pro sports arena, and among
other things, wanted a reason to move home. So I took
a chance and auditioned for one of the most prestigious
teams in the NFL, the Oakland Raiderettes. Never in my
wildest dreams would I have imagined I would stand among
the finest women in the sport, so when I was selected
to the team at 23 years young, I knew it was now or never.
Leaving my first on-air job in Medford was heart breaking,
but I had to make a choice between my lifestyle and career,
deep down I knew that I wasn’t ready to live so
far from my family and friends, and I still had the dance
bug in me. When I returned to the Bay I took a job in
PR, hated it and hungered to return to TV. I found work
as a writer/producer for TechTV, but when those operations
went south, I was forced to look elsewhere. That’s
when I found Metro Networks, a news and information service
that provides services to most radio and TV outlets in
major markets.
I started off providing news and traffic
updates on several Bay Area radio stations, even had a
try at sports radio. Then by chance, my tidbit of TV experience
got me an audition to fill-in for a TV Traffic Reporter
at one the market’s Metro affiliates. The station
news director selected me as the fill-in, and before I
knew it they offered me a freelance gig to be the regular
afternoon traffic reporter for the 5 and 6. There it was,
my new niche in TV as a Traffic Reporter. I stuck with
it for a while, retired from the Raiderettes, and then
decided I couldn’t be content in my part time gig,
I needed to get back in a fulltime role. So I went back
to a fill-in role as traffic reporter, freed up some time
for the job search and gave myself a kick in the butt,
to land my current job as the Traffic Reporter at KPNX
in Phoenix.
So far it’s been a great ride in
Phoenix, I’ve come full circle, had another quick
stint dancing in the NFL, and despite my biggest fear
of never being able to work in TV, since leaving Medford,
I’m back, and not only do I hold down Traffic Reporting
at the station, but I’m freelancing in sports! I’m
fresh off an exciting season as the Features Reporter
for KPNX’s high school football show, Friday Night
Fever. I never thought I’d want to do sports, but
you know, it’s a natural transition for me. I enjoy
the excitement of competition -why else would I subject
myself to scrutiny among hundreds of beautiful women for
a job on a dance team- and bringing the personal stories
of outstanding student athletes to life. . I have been
on the sidelines for many history making moments in sports,
I have been up close with the fans and players, I understand
the inner workings of pro teams. How many people can say
they owned the hardwood, when NBA players stepped off
court, and held the attention of tens of thousands of
NFL fans at an AFC Championship game? In this, I’ve
found another niche to call my own. Who knows where the
road will lead from here, but sometimes you just have
to do what makes you happy, stay sane, and along the way
take what you can get, you never know where you might
end up.
This is Aubrey's second contribution to our Round
the Horn section. Her previous article came following
her run as a contestant on ESPN's Beg, Borrow and Deal.
If you'd like to know more about Aubrey you can check
out her personal website at http://aubreyaquino.com.
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