A Sisterhood in Sports Broadcasting

While at LJCDS, Julie Landa Keryc ’99 was involved in the arts and athletics. She performed with the Madrigal Singers as well as in the annual musicals. She was seen on the field and the courts as a multi-sport athlete in volleyball, cheerleading, basketball and track. These passions laid the foundation for her future career in sports broadcasting. 

 

“I really loved anything that involved being behind the scenes. I think that came from the fun I had doing musicals with Keith Heldman at Country Day and from watching my brother, Greg Landa (class of ’87), as he built his business providing temporary power for sporting events and concerts.” 

 

Julie earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and religion from Northwestern University. Though she enjoyed her areas of study, she felt a pull back to her love of sports, which led to an internship with CBS Sports. Post-internship, Julie worked for a variety of networks covering the San Diego Chargers games and other regional broadcast events, including covering the Olympics in Athens for NBC.

 

Currently, Julie serves as coordinating producer, overseeing the production of sports broadcasts on CBS and CBS Sports Network. “My specific area of focus is our partnerships with leagues who produce their own content, for example, the National Women’s Soccer League and PBR. Because we aren’t producing these shows ourselves, my role is to coordinate with and support these partners, and ensure that the quality of their broadcasts matches anything we would produce internally.”

 

Julie also co-produces “We Need To Talk,” an all-female-hosted studio show on CBS and CBS Sports Network. “It’s an absolute dream to work with sports legends like Lisa Leslie, Swin Cash, Dara Torres and Summer Sanders, plus incredibly talented reporters and pioneers in the sports business. Our roster of hosts is awe-inspiring,” she shares. “They bring a perspective to the current conversations in sports that is unique and extremely important. This past April, we produced our first show on-site at the Masters, which was a bucket-list moment for me. Plus, we’ve had a yearlong exploration and celebration of the impact of Title IX on women’s sports as the legislation celebrates its 50th anniversary. It’s been such a gratifying show to produce, and I pinch myself that I get to be a part of it.”

 

Julie shares how LJCDS impacted her work and life path. “I was extremely well-prepared for college based on the academic strength of Country Day. I also think my teachers at LJCDS taught me to think critically, ask questions and explore things that capture my interest in ways that have helped me into adulthood. I had incredible mentors, namely Chris Schuck who was my second-grade teacher, fifth-grade teacher, high school English teacher and headmaster all during my tenure at Country Day. He definitely helped me cultivate a lifelong love of learning. I credit a lot of my love of sports to former basketball coach and Athletic Director JoAnn DeMartini, who created such a fun and rewarding atmosphere on the court, held us accountable to each other as a team, taught us important life lessons on leadership and always kept her door open as an advisor. I was also fortunate to play for Coach Bamford at the start of her tenure at LJCDS. It’s been incredible to watch where our basketball program has gone since I graduated. I have a lot of Torrey pride watching what those teams have been able to accomplish.”

 

For fellow Torreys interested in sports broadcasting, Julie advises, “I would encourage you to start noticing things that you might not normally pick up on when you watch a game. What do the graphics look like? What stats are they showing? What replay angles are they using? How many different cameras do you see? What are the announcers talking about? How are the graphics, highlights and camera shots supporting what they are saying? What do you as a fan enjoy about the broadcast? What do you dislike? There is a lot you can start to learn about the business just by watching at home. If you want to take the next step, I would seek out a university with a broadcasting program, and try to get as much experience as possible. What networks are coming to your college or San Diego to produce games? We often need local runners to help us out. Seek out sports productions and then carefully observe what’s happening around you. Ask questions as respectfully and non-invasively as possible. You’ll make great connections that way.”

 

She shares that women looking to pursue careers in the industry should “know that there are a lot of us these days! Own your spot in the room, take up space. This industry belongs to you as much as it does to the guys. A sisterhood is waiting for you here if you seek it out.”