Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy Paetz.
Hi Stacy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I knew at age 15 that I wanted to be a national television sportscaster. I took the proper route of earning a degree in communications and did anything extra I could to get in front of the camera and tell the stories. I was a 3-sport athlete…so the combination of loving sports and finding powerful stories to share lead me down this career path. I had my first story air on espn2 when I was only 19 while I was an intern. A producer told me if I found an intriguing story, got a crew together to film it, wrote it, sat in on the edit, and impressed him, he would submit it to the network. The story was completely outside of the box, as I found a go-kart racer who wanted to eventually make it to NASCAR. Like me, she was a young female who wanted so much to get a chance to do what she loved. I was on camera twice in the feature and it was over 3 minutes in length with my voice throughout, as well. Watching my mom’s face when she saw the story was one of my proudest moments. My career has spanned two decades on FOX, NBC, TNT, CBS, and ESPN. I’m grateful for every opportunity and know that sharing stories of athletes, coaches, and teams is my purpose. I get to use my platform to give them all a space to be seen and heard.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a young female covering male sports in a male-dominated world, my choice of career came with challenges. There’s a harsher judgement that hovers over this position. I can only control the controllables. I focus on getting the details right, making people feel as comfortable as I can with a mic in their face, and sharing information with positive intention.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an international television host and reporter covering a variety of sports. I host studio shows, voice-over highlights and produce and host feature stories on athletes, coaches, teams, and breaking news.
I’m most proud of my resilience. I’m outgoing, but I’m also shy…being on camera is home for me when I’m working, but I shy away from cameras in other situations. There have been waves in my career that were challenging and unexpected, and I kept pushing forward.
I believe what sets me apart is my storytelling. I get invested. It’s not just an assignment. I cover a game, and I want any information I give or story I share to reach viewers in a way that they feel I’m talking to directly to them. It’s not about me. It’s about the fans, families, and athletes we celebrate.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I was born and raised in a small Indiana town (750 humans). I love the weather, the copious amounts of eateries, and the endless opportunities to learn or find something new regularly. What I like least is cost of living and traffic.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stacypaetz.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stacypaetz
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/StacyPaetz
