Almost There: Sports Media With Kaylee Mansell By Byron Jamar Terry.
Kennesaw State University has a very good sports management program. It can help the KSU students within it secure jobs with college sports programs, professional teams, etc. So, when it comes to sports media, broadcasting, writing and much more, someone who is very evident in that field is KSU sports management major Kaylee Mansell.
When it pertains to sports media, Kaylee is no stranger whatsoever. AT ALL. Kaylee has worked with Kennesaw State University athletics for quite some time as a sports broadcaster and reporter and does a really fine job. She has a lot of charisma, charm and knows how to light it up on any sports stage. That’s how she became who SHE is. It’s admirable to see a woman in sport doing so well at their craft like she is.
Kaylee has an extensive resume as she’s worked with college football recruiting, college sports broadcasting, high school football broadcasting and much more. As she’s getting ready to graduate soon, she has a substantial list of internship opportunities in the works as she navigates through the next steps of her career in sports media.
I didn’t know too much about her other than that she worked with KSU athletics as a broadcaster. I knew of her, but I didn’t know her. To my surprise, we have a class together which is sports facility and design management. The first day of class we had to introduce ourselves and when it was her turn, she said “I’m Kaylee Mansell and I will be a sports broadcaster professionally.” When she said that, I liked that. It had some conviction to it. The “I will” spoke to me a little bit. I introduced myself to Kaylee personally and we talked, networked and I shared some of stories with her. She liked them and gave me some words of encouragement and I really appreciated it. I got a newfound respect for Kaylee. Not just within sports but as a person. And I'm sure she’ll gain more of that respect from me as I get to know her more.
With the spring 2022 semester progressing, I caught up with Kaylee to talk about sports media and her career as she makes provisions for the future.
Byron: What made you, and how did you get into sports?
Kaylee: Growing up, some parents wanted their kids to be doctors, lawyers, or teachers but my dad wanted me to be an athlete. Even before I started playing sports, as a kid my dad would let me watch him play the video game, NCAA Football and according to him, I was more invested in the game than a 4 year old girl should be. In fact, one of my dad’s favorite things to tell about me is that I “Could name the entire SEC except Mississippi State because I could not pronounce it yet.” So once I was at the point that I could run, a basketball was placed into my hand and it never left until the time I graduated High School. Shortly after, my mom wanted to try my hand at gymnastics but that was short lived because all I ever wanted to do was throw the foam blocks from the tumbling pit at other kids. Therefore, they figured softball was more my speed and they were certainly right. Softball is what I will always consider to be my first love.
Kaylee: In addition to this, from the time I was nine till the time I graduated High School, nearly every Friday of mine was spent watching GHSA football. This is particularly in thanks to my dad, Rusty, who has served as a high school football recruiting analyst for more than a decade now. As a kid, going to games with him was really my way of spending time with him but once I got old enough to actually comprehend what was going on, I realized that the game was so much more to me. Suddenly, I wanted to be at a game every chance I got. Ultimately, I credit my long-time love and participation in sports to my dad.
Byron: On a scale from 1–10 , how much do you love sports?
Kaylee: No number could ever justify or define how much I love sports. And not just playing them, but I love to understand, analyze, and relate to them. In my opinion, sports is so much more than a physical activity. It’s a way of life that teaches you so much more than the rules of the game. It teaches you the importance of teamwork, how to overcome adversity, perseverance, focus, and to become confident in your abilities. So, at the end of the day, my love for sports could never be defined as a number because my love for the game and everything it has given me is infinite.
Byron: How did you get into sports broadcasting?
Kaylee: It’s funny because I grew up around sports broadcasting all my life with my dad being in the industry, so a lot of people assume this was my long time dream. But, I actually had no idea that this was what I was made for until my sophomore year of college. When I came into college, I thought my purpose in life was to command a courtroom. I wanted to be the best corporate lawyer this world had seen because I always knew I loved to talk and I always make a pretty convincing argument. But I had a realization about 2 months into college that saying I wanted to be a lawyer sounded good when I said it to others but it didn’t sound so good in my head when I actually thought about it. So, I frantically called my dad and told him that I was changing my major to sports management. When he asked what I wanted to do, I told him that I still had no clue but I knew for certain I wanted to do something in the sports industry because I knew my love for them would never go away. At that point I was just hoping that I would go through the entry level classes for SM and that I would find one that I loved to go to every day. Fortunately, I found the love I was looking for second semester sophomore year when I took Sports Broadcasting as an elective with Jeffrey Benedict, who I want to add is my favorite professor I’ve ever taken. It was a 3 hour class every week and I wish I could’ve taken it every day. The 3 hours seemed to go by in 30 minutes and then boom, COVID -19 hit and suddenly all classes were moved online. While everyone else was excited about no in person classes, I was devastated that I couldn’t go to my sports broadcasting course anymore. That’s when I knew I had found my real passion. So as soon as the class ended, I applied for a broadcasting internship with KSU and haven’t looked back since.
Byron: What has it been like working in media for KSU athletics?
Kaylee: Although I no longer intern for the athletic department, my year long internship working for KSU was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. One the one hand, I really credit my time with KSU for getting me out of my comfort zone. At the time I started, I was really only confident covering softball/baseball, basketball, football, and tennis. But the internship entailed covering all KSU sports. Thus, I found a new profound love for volleyball, lacrosse, and soccer. It really made me have a different appreciation and understanding of the sports I wasn’t so familiar with. It also challenged me in the sense that it required me to do things outside of broadcasting. Because of KSU, I learned how to be proficient in sports marketing skills, color commentating, and how to lead, as well as, edit a podcast. Additionally, one of the best parts about working for KSU was the personal relationships I got to build with the athletes I interviewed. I feel like getting to know them gave me a better understanding of the willpower it takes to be a student athlete and gave me an entire new perspective on that matter. They really don’t get enough credit for how hard they work and I loved being able to develop relationships with them outside of interviews. I feel like getting to know them made me so much more invested in watching their games because of course I wanted to see them succeed.
Kaylee: Overall, my time with KSU Athletics was an experience I will never forget and it really benefited me in more ways than I could’ve ever imagined. It truly helped me get a head start on my career and prepared me for what was to come.
Byron: How do you feel whenever you’re at a sporting event and the camera is rolling out and you’re getting ready to put on a show?
Kaylee: I actually get asked similar variations of this question all the time and my answer is always the same. Now, keep in mind, I am confident in my abilities but I struggle really bad with pre-performance anxiety just like I did with sports games growing up. It’s the moments right before I go on camera that I fear that what I’m presenting isn’t good enough or that I’m going to blow it big time. But it’s something about the second the lights come on and the camera starts rolling that the flip switches for me. Everything suddenly falls into place. The way I try to view it is, at the end of the day, all I’m doing is having a genuine conversation with this person and it’s just like talking to them in real life, it just so happens that it’s televised and other people are watching. But when you really think about it, preparing to be in front of the camera is like preparing for a big game. Of course you’re going to be nervous about playing in it but the second you step on to the field or court and the game starts, you do what you know to do. And broadcasting is the same way.
Byron: What are you passionate about?
Kaylee: I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m passionate about sports and what I do but I think my real passion in life is making a difference. Throughout my childhood, I always changed my answer for what I wanted my future job to be but the common theme among all those jobs was that all of them would somehow make a difference in the lives of others. Something a lot of people don’t know about me is that I’m a history fanatic. History is something I’ve loved since I started school as a kid and I was always interested in the important figures that truly made a positive impact. I think history is important because when you really look at it, these were the people whose influence outlived their time on Earth. All I want is to make such an impact that people still talk about me when I’m gone and know that I gave my job everything I had and touched as many people’s heart as I could.
Byron: What does it mean to you to be a women in sports?
Kaylee: You know, I’ve always thought that sports really had the power to change lives. And not just the lives of one particular group, but anyone’s life. For women specifically, it has the power to promote gender equality by teaching women the significance of teamwork, confidence, and resilience. Being a woman in sports allows me to break through the barrier put in place by gender norms and stereotypes that give me the opportunity to one day be a role model for someone else & display to other young girls that gender doesn’t define who you are, especially in an industry that has been male dominated since it’s origin.
Furthermore,
Kaylee Mansell: I want to shoutout my entire family for supporting me in following such big dreams and always reassuring me that I’m going to make it there one day. I also would like to shoutout all the students who are apart of the SM Major Program at KSU. I love how close knit we are and that we support and help each other in any way we can. I also want to shoutout you! BJT, you are an incredible writer with a huge talent but you’re an even more incredible human being and none of this could’ve been possible without you!
In conclusion, Kaylee Mansell has a bright future ahead of her in sports media. She’s smart, savvy, charismatic, hard working, energetic and more. She really knows how to light it up. Her opportunities in her career field are bountiful and it’s nice to see a woman in sport perform as well and work as hard as she does. Kaylee is getting closer and closer to her dreams and goals in sports media. She’s Almost There. Who knows, you just might see her on your favorite sports show, or working in your favorite sport organization, or broadcasting for your favorite sport. Either way, she’ll be making a difference like she wanted to just like she stated before. Stick around to watch it unfold.
-BJT
My Instagram/Twitter: @bjt_era
Kaylee’s Instagram:@Mansella__
Kaylee’s Twitter: @mansellkaylee
