Sports coverage has never been limited to one format. It varies from written recaps to watching highlights or listening on the radio. Providing these services is important for engagement within a community, and it has been proven with Whitewater being an example of growth and connection through sports. Students and locals can tune into media outlets to keep up with the latest sports, and UWW-TV is usually one of the first places people look.
UWW-TV is a student-run TV station that operates under University Housing. The station’s staff is just around 20 people, but their coverage stretches across multiple sports seasons, including football, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball. A major piece of that extensive coverage comes from students like senior Gabe Sadoski, who serves as one of the station’s student supervisors and sports programmers.
Sadoski’s role involves far more than just showing up and calling a game. He works directly with student announcers, writes scripts and helps train underclassmen who are still learning what it means to be on air.
“My job with TV is essentially working a lot with our student announcers,” Sadoski said. “That includes writing all of the scripts for game days and making sure our announcers are all set to go live.”
Sadoski tries to inspire the underclassmen and instill that professionalism should be a priority. While most students working in Warhawks athletics coverage naturally care about the teams, he emphasized that broadcasting requires a different mindset.
“You got to be professional first,” Sadoski said. “The fan part of it has to come very, very down on that list, near the bottom.”
Sadoski explained that he urges announcers to try and separate themselves from Whitewater bias and cover the game neutrally. Announcers may not be immediately familiar with the teams they are calling, at both the collegiate and professional levels.
He also explained that when students step into the broadcast booth, they represent more than just themselves. There is a lot more at stake when they are on air.
“You’re representing mostly four things: the university, UWW-TV, each other and yourself,” Sadoski said.
Game days are where the workload of UWW-TV becomes most visible. According to UWW-TV Video Production Manager Joe Mabie, preparation begins hours before the broadcast ever goes live.
“My role starts out with making sure all graphics and visuals are ready to go,” Mabie said. “Then myself and a crew of students get the event set up, whether it be at the football stadium, basketball, or wherever the event is.”
About an hour before the broadcast, the rest of the crew arrives and gets prepared for their responsibilities.
“I help train a little, make sure that everyone is comfortable knowing what role they’re doing and what is expected of them,” Mabie said.
Once the game begins, the broadcast becomes fully student-operated. Mabie said his job becomes more about guidance and troubleshooting rather than control.
“Students are running the show,” Mabie said. “I’m there to help guide and answer any questions that they may have, but ultimately, it’s their show.”
The live aspect is what separates UWW-TV from print coverage.
“We’re not telling a story that’s already happened,” Mabie said. “We’re telling the story that’s currently happening.”
That unpredictability is what makes live broadcasts difficult. While announcers can research stats and storylines beforehand, they have to be ready for anything once the game begins.
“You don’t know if Whitewater’s going to go on a 25-point run until it’s happening live,” Mabie said.
With everything being live, challenges arise. Mabie explained how equipment can be unpredictable, working perfectly one night then failing the next. These are things you have to prepare for.
For Sadoski, he said the demanding schedule is one of the biggest challenges for students working at UWW-TV, especially during busy sports seasons.
“There’s gonna be weekends where you don’t want to work and you want to have the weekend off,” Sadoski said. “But you still have to go to work and you still have to cover those games.”
Despite that, Sadoski said the station’s culture makes the commitment worth it. He described the staff as close and supportive, with students pushing each other to improve instead of being jealous of others’ successes.
“I’ve met some of my greatest friends,” Sadoski said. “That’s what makes you want to keep coming back.”
Sadoski also explained the experience is bigger than just learning broadcasting skills, especially for younger students who want to build connections and leave college with real opportunities.
“You want to leave this place a better person than you came in,” Sadoski said.
That mindset can be taken anywhere. The idea of constant improvement lingers with Sadoski and injecting that into the UWW-TV staff only shows positive results.
With Warhawk athletics continuing to thrive across multiple sports, UWW-TV has become an important part of how fans stay connected. Behind every broadcast is a student crew learning how to work under pressure, solve problems in real time and deliver coverage that engages the viewers.
If you are interested in learning more about or being involved with UWW-TV, visit their website at uwwtv.org.
