When the game changed, Ben Rekosh found a new way to stay in it

By Sophie Tran

While fans cheer from the stands, Ben Rekosh makes sure they don't miss the stories behind the game.

Rekosh, a senior at Virginia Commonwealth University, recently spent his fourth summer interning with the Charlottesville Tom Sox, which competes in the Valley Baseball League, a summer league for college baseball players. He served as the team's chief storytelling media officer.

For Rekosh, working in sports was always the plan - it was just a matter of how to do it.

"I realized pretty early on that I wasn't going pro as a [baseball] player," said Rekosh, who is majoring in mass communications with a concentration in journalism from the Robertson School of Communication, part of the College of Humanities and Sciences. "So I started thinking about how I could still be involved in sports."

He found his answer in sports media.

Rekosh's first summer with the Tom Sox focused on hosting the team's daily podcast. The following year, he expanded into graphic design and social media as the team won a league championship. Last season, he took on a leadership position, and this year, he joined the organization's management team while continuing to support its media efforts beyond the summer season.

"It's kind of become everything," Rekosh said of his role. "Every year I've added something new."

His experience with sports media extends beyond the Tom Sox. In March, Rekosh was among the WVCW broadcasters praised for capturing the VCU men's basketball team's postseason run. The student broadcasting team delivered extensive play-by-play coverage and two dozen multimedia posts as VCU secured its second consecutive Atlantic 10 tournament title by defeating Dayton.

This season with the Tom Sox initially created a new storytelling test for Rekosh. The team opened the summer with the worst start in franchise history before battling back into playoff contention. Through it all, Rekosh and the media team continued documenting the season.

"You just keep showing up and doing your job," he said. "That's part of sports."

Their work didn't go unnoticed. Rekosh and his fellow media interns were recognized as Media All-Stars during the Valley Baseball League All-Star Game, honoring the behind-the-scenes contributions of the league's media teams.

His work includes telling stories that go beyond scores and statistics. One of the stories Rekosh is most proud of featured Beth Warner, the first full-time female coach in Tom Sox history and one of only a handful of women to coach in the Valley Baseball League's more than 130-year history.

"It's stories like that that remind you sports are bigger than wins and losses," he said.

Rekosh has also seen how sports media can help athletes gain visibility beyond the field. Three Tom Sox players are set to join the VCU baseball program next season, and Rekosh said the organization's coverage can help college coaches discover players.

"There are players who enter the transfer portal, and because of the work we're doing, coaches can find them," Rekosh said. "It's cool knowing that something we create can actually help someone's career."

For Rekosh, VCU's Internship Funding Program helped make it possible to return to the Tom Sox for another summer of professional experience.

"There are so many internships that are unpaid," he said. "Programs like this allow students to say yes to opportunities where they can build real experience without worrying about how they're going to afford it."

After four summers with the Tom Sox and his experiences covering VCU athletics, Rekosh knows he wants sports to remain at the center of his career. He isn't sure yet whether that will mean working behind a camera, behind a microphone or in another role, but he knows he wants to keep telling the stories that make athletics meaningful.

"I'm open to a lot of things," he said. "I just know I want to stay in sports."

For students hoping to break into sports media, Rekosh encourages them to start before they feel ready.

"Confidence comes with reps," he said. "Join organizations on campus, try new things and don't be afraid to put yourself out there."

And above all, he said, remember why you started.

"Have fun," Rekosh said. "If you lose the love for it, then what's the point?"

VCU's Internship Funding Program is funded by a combination of VCU funds from the Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success and the School of Business, donor funds from the Student Life and Learning Fund, and grant funds from the State Council for Higher Education of Virginia.