Stepping Up to the Plate

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ALLENTOWN - Before starting his junior year at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg, Eric Wood stepped into a professional sports control room with a foundation in campus broadcasting and a longtime fan's enthusiasm for the team on the field.

As a paid crew member for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Bloomsburg media and journalism major helped operate the production elements that shape the ballpark experience, from lighting and sound effects to music, video, and graphics.

Rotating through control-room positions gave Wood experience with different production responsibilities and the demands of working during live games. It also challenged him to balance his enjoyment of baseball with the focus his role required.

"I had a truly incredible time and gained so much experience," Wood said.

Based in Allentown, the IronPigs are the Philadelphia Phillies' Triple-A affiliate. For Wood, joining the crew meant working behind the scenes for a team he's followed since childhood.

"I've been an IronPigs fan since their first home game in 2008, which my family and I attended," Wood said. "I love baseball and getting to work behind the scenes with such a talented crew was the highlight of my summer."

Wood credits his work with the Bloomsburg University Streaming Network (BUSN) with helping him make the transition to a professional production environment. His campus experience introduced him to the pace and intensity of sports coverage, giving him a foundation he could build on with the IronPigs.

"Working in sports is fast paced and intense," Wood said. "With the experiences I gained working for BUSN, I was prepared to jump right in with the IronPigs."

The summer also taught him that knowing and loving a sport brings its own challenge in staying focused on production responsibilities when the action demands a fan's attention. One memorable moment came as Wood and his coworkers watched infielder Christian Cairo escape a rundown.

"The energy in the booth was electric," Woods said. "We all lost it when he finally got out of the pickle and was safe."

Moments like that captured the excitement of working in live sports. They also underscored the balance Wood was learning to maintain.

"Staying focused on the task at hand while also enjoying a good game of baseball is a tricky balance," Woods said.

By the end of the summer, Wood added professional control-room experience to his resume and gained a clearer understanding of the working environment he hopes to pursue. His time with the IronPigs gave him opportunities to build his production skills while learning alongside an experienced crew.

"The IronPigs gave me so many skills and the experience to work in a professional sports environment was so crucial to both my own skillset and my resume," Wood said. "I hope to get the opportunity to work more with them in the future and to gain even more insight into the world of live sports."

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