Several Newhouse Master’s students upon finishing their Broadcast and Digital Journalism graduate program have been accepted to take their talents to local news stations across the country to report on NFL training camp for their respective city.
Of the ten that were selected, one was a division one student-athlete. Excelling on the field and in the classroom for the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, Sydney Staples arrived on the campus of Syracuse University in July of 2022 to embark on her S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications journey.
As a four year-letter winner for the Lehigh University Women’s soccer team, Staples decided to pursue her soccer career from a different lens.
It was difficult when the season rolled around to not be doing a preseason especially being at a different school than her undergrad, Staples said. “I’ll always think what if, but I also know I’m very happy. I’m very happy that I fully committed myself to the academic side of things.”
Being a student-athlete taught Staples how to juggle and take on an incredible schedule, she said. From live reporting for NCC News to calling division one men’s and women’s soccer games for ACC network, Staples has grown throughout her one year on the hill to where she is now.
Currently covering the Green Bay Packers for WFRV Local 5 News, serving Green Bay, Fox Valley, Lake Shore, and the Northwoods, Wisconsin, Staples has noticed many similarities from Newhouse to the professional setting.
“Newhouse definitely prepared us,” Staples said. “Everything that Professor Axe taught us, yup, I can definitely notice a difference now between a good question and a not so great question.” It’s Staples’ connection with the athlete in how she can relate to the type of interview the media conducts, specifically at camp.
Staples says, at Syracuse the sports information director picked two to three people, brought them to the podium post practice or postgame for interviews. In Green Bay, media scrums include microphones from other outlets pressed against each other with camera lights pointed toward the interviewee, ready to ask and answer questions from both sides.
Seeing the sweat on athletes’ faces from practice just before, Staples can remind herself it’s more than football. “I can relate to asking questions knowing that there are so much more than that to x’s and o’s,” Staples said. “I love going to the practices, interacting with players and I like the grind. Working with professional athletes has been amazing.”
Having the experience thus far of covering NFL football has made Staples appreciate the sport even more. She said it’s been really cool to get out of her comfort zone and cover a different sport.
For the future, Staples says being around soccer on the media side of the ball is a goal of hers. “If there is one thing I know about whatever job I take moving forward and for life, I want to be involved in soccer as much as possible,” Staples said.
Whether that is continuing to call games at the collegiate level, or pursuing an opportunity with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Staples said she would love to be around the sport for years to come.