Trojan Tribune – Natalie Kalibat
November 17, 2015 | Women's Swimming & Diving
The second-to-last day of my internship with NBC Sports had arrived. It was now or never to ask Fred Roggin, a host on the network’s “Going Roggin” and “The Challenge,” and a seasoned Los Angeles sports media personality, for advice about making it in the sports media world.
“If I were to receive an on-camera position at USC’s student-run television station and have the freedom to steer my own ship, how do I differentiate myself from others?” I asked Fred.
“Natalie, do something at USC that will intrigue the viewers, and allow them to find information that they couldn’t gain anywhere else,” Fred said. “Make it unique to you and USC.”
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This fall, I landed that anchor position at Annenberg TV News here on campus. The most exciting part about the opportunity is having the freedom to create a 45-60 second package that I can craft on my own, allowing me the opportunity to take advantage of Fred’s advice from the outset.
While searching for a distinctive angle for my news package, I came across the USC Athletics Trojan Outreach program, which plans and executes community service opportunities for all 21 Trojan teams.
I’ve always respected athletes who make an impact in their communities with their time and resources, and I have personally enjoyed serving others with my own free time.
I was already a member of the Trojan Athletic Senate (TAS) and, along with a few other student-athletes, helped create community events like a candy giveaway for kids at Halloween, a Reading with Trojans event at a local elementary school and upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas-themed events.
I also interned with the Special Olympics World Games this past summer, where I was in charge of spectator services at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center.
Through these experiences, I gained a deeper appreciation for the impact student-athletes can have on the lives of challenged athletes and the public in general.
I thought about what makes me different from both other athletes and others in the sports media realm and realized these experiences set me apart in a way, or at least provided that niche I hoped take advantage of after my conversation with Fred. I knew that highlighting USC athletes doing positive things off the field and in the community was the perfect fuel for my ATVN packages each week.
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The stories I have discovered through my journey highlighting athlete service are incredible and inspiring. My motivation is to show viewers that USC athletes not only spend a staggering amount of time and energy on their athletic endeavors, but that they also go out of their way to help build the foundation and confidence for others who aspire to be like them someday.
I’ve reported on athletes encouraging proper study habits at a local middle school, supporting the tennis team’s annual breast cancer research philanthropy event and donating their time to kids during Halloween. In a sense, I’ve given student-athletes a voice, just as ATVN and USC provided me a voice to share my passions for sports, television and giving back.
Now a senior on the women’s diving team, I understand what an honor it is to compete and represent this university and the competitive PAC-12 conference. Spending countless hours in the pool, weight room and dryland room reminds me of how thankful I am for the opportunity my talent of diving has granted me.
Much like diving, television reporting requires precision, concentration and a practice-‘til-you-drop attitude. It can be excruciatingly frustrating when you need 17 takes to nail those three lines in a row, or when you find out that last sound bite didn’t save. But thinking about the difficulties of the individuals I’ve served and reported on really puts it all in perspective, a perspective I wouldn’t have without Fred Roggin, my TV-reporting duties and USC Athletics.
