ASU grad is making his own calls as a sports broadcaster
Spring 2021 ASU grad Adam Noel has all but devoted his life to sports. Both in his academic and professional careers, the Albuquerque, New Mexico, native can’t seem to get enough.
Since the beginning of his time at ASU, Noel has written about athletics for Inferno Intel, eventually becoming president and editor of the publication. Noel also spent some time at Blaze Radio, the school radio station, covering sports and at one point hosting his own show.
Now, Noel has graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism and hopes to continue immersing himself in the world of sports.
ASU grad Adam Noel
Noel’s involvement on campus also extended beyond his experiences at the journalism school. Since his first year, Noel worked with Sun Devil Fitness and Wellness at ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus. Last year, Noel was promoted to sports program manager. In this position, Noel helped run and oversee intramural sports. In his time with Sun Devil Fitness and wellness, Noel has scheduled intramural games, hired referees and even stepped in to ref himself.
Noel feels that his experience in this position has contributed to his overall academic experience in a unique way.
“When you’re covering a game, you’re taking in all these different perspectives and you’re telling a story,” Noel said. “If I know the perspective of what [the referees] are going through in addition to the players and the people watching, then it gives me another angle I can attack it from instead of just critiquing a ref on a bad call. It gives me a bit of humanity.”
Noel also credits his job with contributing greatly to his social life and creating bonds with others who are just as passionate about sports as he is.
“The most rewarding things that I got out of the job itself were the friendships. All of my coworkers were friends, and we had such a tight knit group because we’re downtown and we have a small staff. The people I have worked with have become some of my closest friends at ASU,” Noel said.
Looking back at his time with the program, Noel remembers his experiences as a referee for intramural basketball as some of his fondest memories.
“Everyone takes it so seriously. It’s always a sport that you get yelled at for and everybody is mad at you no matter what,” Noel said. “It took me a while to get used to being a ref and being confident with my calls. In my second year [of being a referee], I felt confident and I felt better about everything in general so I was able to make more confident calls.”
In addition to working as a sports program manager, Noel stayed involved on campus being a part of Barrett, The Honors College. Noel even worked as a peer mentor for the honors college his sophomore year.
Noel is also a recipient of the National Hispanic Merit Scholarship awarded by ASU in the form of the New American University Scholarship.
As he prepared to graduate, Noel reflected on his time at ASU and shared advice for fellow Sun Devils.
Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?
Answer: My “aha moment” came when I was in high school. I had joined my student newspaper, and I was a sports writer. I realized that I really enjoyed journalism. Going into my junior year of high school, I didn't really have a clear plan about what I wanted to do when I eventually went to college. Joining the newspaper was a great experience and definitely made me realize that I was passionate about journalism and sports, specifically. That was definitely what led me to ASU and to major in sports journalism.
Q: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you or changed your perspective?
A: One thing that I learned from a broadcast perspective of journalism was how difficult broadcast actually is. You get to see people on TV and you get to see stories that are more visual, but the difficulty of a reporter’s job is not only getting the story to the audience but also captivating the audience. You only have two minutes to tell a whole story, and you have to condense it into a form of media that a person can watch, engage with and understand. That was definitely the most difficult thing that I ended up learning. I feel like writing is easier when it comes to giving the reader what they want and you can go as long or as short as you need.
Q: Why did you choose ASU?
A: I’m from New Mexico, and it isn't too far from home. It makes it really easy for me to see my family and friends and feel like I’m not too far away. But the main reason I went to ASU was for Cronkite and the opportunities at the journalism school. I got to know a lot of people and it was really competitive, but it was a place I felt I could jump right into the fire and learn everything and then translate it into content and be involved. Throughout my years here, I have been as involved as I can and that definitely turned into something. People knew me, and I feel like I was a strong part of the Cronkite community.
Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?
A: I had TV sports reporting with Jason Snavely, who had worked at ABC 15. He was just an amazing teacher and really taught me to be confident, both with broadcast skills and with being on camera.
Before his class, I always felt nervous or out of place when the red light went on. After his class, I just got a chance to really embrace being on camera and being able to act natural and be confident. That was definitely a class and professor who really taught me one of the most valuable things that I think I learned at Cronkite.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?
A: I’d say the best piece of advice is don't be afraid to be involved, whether that's with a student organization or or with a campus job. From my perspective, if you isolate yourself or are afraid to do anything outside the box, that limits who you’re going to end up meeting and all the friendships you could possibly make.
I didn't really know anyone coming into ASU; I didn’t have any friends from high school coming here with me. Because I joined these organizations and because I got a job, I was able to meet people who eventually became my really good friends and the people I spend the most time with.
Don’t be afraid to get involved and really branch out, because you never really know where your skills are going to be needed or where they will be useful.
Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?
A: I think my favorite spot was honestly the Cronkite building. I’ve spent most of my time there working on stuff and hanging out with friends. There's so many spots where you can just relax and there's nice little areas for you if you really need to work on something and need peace and quiet.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: Right now, my plans are a work in progress. I’ve been applying to some television stations locally and around the country. My plan is to probably relocate and find a sports reporter position somewhere. My plan is to find a job as soon as possible and hopefully have it be digital or broadcast in sports reporting.
Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?
A: A good issue to tackle would be poverty. There’s so many homeless people and people scraping by who can barely afford to live. I would use that money to find a solution for that and maybe provide them with job opportunities. I think that’s an issue that affects every city, state and country. It is definitely something that should be addressed in the future or as soon as possible.