Play by Play Day by Day with Amy Lawrence

Happy New Year!! I can hardly believe 2012 is now in the rearview mirror. Sometimes it seems as though time moves faster and faster and the days pass more and more quickly until I want to slam on the emergency brake. It’s entirely fitting, though, as I stand on the gas to go full speed ahead for the new year. So many changes in store, so many adjustments to my lifestyle, so many new challenges await. But I’m thrilled for this new open door, and I’m diving in headfirst!

After almost nine years at ESPN Radio, I’ve accepted a full-time position with the brand new CBS Sports Radio Network launching across the country on January 2nd. I’ll be hosting my own four-hour shows every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. What an amazing creative opportunity — 12 hours per week to tackle the biggest topics, welcome a variety of guests, and interact with sports fans from coast to coast! I’ve always loved working nights and weekends because mine is the job to share and analyze events and stories as they break. I enjoy the immediacy of the information, and I’ve spent years honing the ability to react in the moment. It’s one of my favorite things about radio: the adrenaline jolt that comes with being the voice that delivers breaking news and scores. There may be chaos all around me and a producer may be yelling in my ear; there may be new details bombarding me from all sides. But my job is to filter quickly and then communicate what I know accurately with a sense of urgency. All this while staying relatively calm on the air. Ha! Most of these moments happen nights and weekends, so I can’t wait to get started at CBS Sports Radio the first Friday night in January.

In addition to my weekend shows, CBS will use me to fill in for Dana Jacobson weekday mornings as well as other time slots on the network. Throw in a few evening anchor shifts, and it’s a total package. I’ll choose diversity and variety over routine any day! A job that requires me to wear different hats and show off my versatility is right up my alley. To morph from a solo talk show host to a co-host to an anchor keeps me engaged and challenged and focused. Within the confines of a full-time job, I maintain the freedom to juggle several different roles. Perfect!

The best part is I don’t have to give up my play-by-play aspirations as I jump to CBS. I’m thankful to the network for recognizing my desire to broadcast basketball on both radio and TV. Not only did CBS Radio make a way for me to finish my season with the Hartford Hawks, but CBS Sports Network will use me an analyst for several TV games this winter. I’ve never asked for more than an opportunity to prove myself; and CBS is offering an unbelievable platform to showcase my knowledge, experience, and passion for the game of basketball.

The nine years at ESPN Radio changed me. There is no way to adequately describe the impact on my life and my career. I barely recognize the host who filled in for the first time in 2004. From the outside, the job may seem like a breeze. All you do is sit down and talk about sports for a few hours. But hidden from view are the constant pressure, the stiff competition, the glass ceiling for women in sports radio, the politics, the never-ending scrutiny, and the absence of any job security. These last nine years were the toughest of my career; but I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m stronger, tougher, more confident and armed with a wealth of experience. I believe in myself and my abilities because they’ve been tested and shaped by years of adversity.

As I launch this next phase of my career and my life, I would be honored if you’d join me on this ride. As my first CBS show approaches, I’ll let you know when and how to listen; and I’ll continue to share the journey on Facebook, Twitter (@ALawRadio), and this blog. Thank you so much for all your support, encouragement, and prayers. They’re invaluable, and clearly, they work!

Bring on 2013! Let’s attack the new year with a vengeance!! Wooooo!

This entry was posted on December 29, 2012 at 12:39 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.