Steele Credits IU as Foundation for ESPN Success
By Pat Manaher
Growing up the daughter of a West Point graduate, ESPN SportsCenter anchor and IU alum Sage Steele had trouble claiming one specific home. By attending college at IU, however, Steele believes the foundation was laid for finding that certain home.
“There is no way I would be here today without everything that happened at IU,” she said Friday in front of IUSMA members and other sports-driven students.
While at IU, Steele, a 1995 sport communications graduate, completed internships with the IU athletic department and B97 radio station, among other activities, before making it to ESPN. While she said it is overwhelming to think of all the little things that had to happen in order to have success, she always had bigger things in mind.
“Since the 8th grade this [SportsCenter] was my goal and dream,” she said.
Since 2007, Steele has continued to make her dream into a reality. She is a regular host on ESPN’s SportsCenter and has also appeared on First Take, Mike & Mike in the Morning, and ESPN2’s SportsNation. Even though it was her dream, Steele said working for the world-wide leader in sports can be challenging.
“The pressure that goes into each highlight, each three hour show is tremendous, there is so much that goes into it,” she said. “It’s indescribable, there’s nothing that could fully prepare you for it.”
However, Steele did not go into ESPN without some preparation. A few years after IU, she found herself working two jobs: serving food as a waitress and appearing on television. Luckily, one of her restaurant regulars, Bill Armstrong, had a connection with CBS-TV and was able to put in a good word for the aspiring sportscaster. Steele used the story as an example to stress the importance of always appearing professional.
“Like it or not, it is ESPN, but it is still corporate America and it still matters how you present yourself and how you look,” she said.
With that said, Steele strongly believes that women should be allowed in locker rooms. As a mother of three, she wants to show respect for her two daughters and not give the wrong impression of women to her son. To do this, she believes she must handle herself a certain way.
“You can’t date the players, you can’t date the coaches and expect to have credibility with your peers,” she said. “I don’t want to ever be that woman who crossed the line.”
Steele offered advice to women and men about working in the industry. She said one must have thick skin and be able to handle rejection while also questioning the reason they are pursuing the career. She has seen women and men in the industry for the wrong reasons, yet she believes it is different for women.
“As women we have to be better,” she said. “Is that right? No, but it is how it is.”
Steele also believes that in order to succeed in the industry, one does not have to choose one thing over the other. Rather, one must sacrifice something and ask themselves what it is they are sacrificing.
“Don’t ever forget what is really, really important to you. Know that you’ll never be able to be perfect at anything,” she said.
For Steele, family is the really, really important thing. So much so that she initially turned down an ESPN offer in 2004 because she did not think she could totally focus on her career.
“If I haven’t established what I want at home, then what do I have when I’m done?” she said. “Yes, it’s been my dream and my goal and I love what I do, but I would walk away today if there was a conflict between family and work.”
After traveling the world as a child, the only consistent travel Steele does now-a-days is on television during SportsCenter’s coast-to-coast coverage. Through all the hard work and sacrifices she has made, Steele said that is what keeps her going.
“What motivates me is to have a home, and my home right now is those weekend mornings,” she said.
Growing up the daughter of a West Point graduate, ESPN SportsCenter anchor and IU alum Sage Steele had trouble claiming one specific home. By attending college at IU, however, Steele believes the foundation was laid for finding that certain home.
“There is no way I would be here today without everything that happened at IU,” she said Friday in front of IUSMA members and other sports-driven students.
While at IU, Steele, a 1995 sport communications graduate, completed internships with the IU athletic department and B97 radio station, among other activities, before making it to ESPN. While she said it is overwhelming to think of all the little things that had to happen in order to have success, she always had bigger things in mind.
“Since the 8th grade this [SportsCenter] was my goal and dream,” she said.
Since 2007, Steele has continued to make her dream into a reality. She is a regular host on ESPN’s SportsCenter and has also appeared on First Take, Mike & Mike in the Morning, and ESPN2’s SportsNation. Even though it was her dream, Steele said working for the world-wide leader in sports can be challenging.
“The pressure that goes into each highlight, each three hour show is tremendous, there is so much that goes into it,” she said. “It’s indescribable, there’s nothing that could fully prepare you for it.”
However, Steele did not go into ESPN without some preparation. A few years after IU, she found herself working two jobs: serving food as a waitress and appearing on television. Luckily, one of her restaurant regulars, Bill Armstrong, had a connection with CBS-TV and was able to put in a good word for the aspiring sportscaster. Steele used the story as an example to stress the importance of always appearing professional.
“Like it or not, it is ESPN, but it is still corporate America and it still matters how you present yourself and how you look,” she said.
With that said, Steele strongly believes that women should be allowed in locker rooms. As a mother of three, she wants to show respect for her two daughters and not give the wrong impression of women to her son. To do this, she believes she must handle herself a certain way.
“You can’t date the players, you can’t date the coaches and expect to have credibility with your peers,” she said. “I don’t want to ever be that woman who crossed the line.”
Steele offered advice to women and men about working in the industry. She said one must have thick skin and be able to handle rejection while also questioning the reason they are pursuing the career. She has seen women and men in the industry for the wrong reasons, yet she believes it is different for women.
“As women we have to be better,” she said. “Is that right? No, but it is how it is.”
Steele also believes that in order to succeed in the industry, one does not have to choose one thing over the other. Rather, one must sacrifice something and ask themselves what it is they are sacrificing.
“Don’t ever forget what is really, really important to you. Know that you’ll never be able to be perfect at anything,” she said.
For Steele, family is the really, really important thing. So much so that she initially turned down an ESPN offer in 2004 because she did not think she could totally focus on her career.
“If I haven’t established what I want at home, then what do I have when I’m done?” she said. “Yes, it’s been my dream and my goal and I love what I do, but I would walk away today if there was a conflict between family and work.”
After traveling the world as a child, the only consistent travel Steele does now-a-days is on television during SportsCenter’s coast-to-coast coverage. Through all the hard work and sacrifices she has made, Steele said that is what keeps her going.
“What motivates me is to have a home, and my home right now is those weekend mornings,” she said.
