The University of Rhode Island wasn’t Kyle Standing’s first choice, but it ended up being one of his best.
A 2023 graduate and former sports editor at the Good Five Cent Cigar, Standing wrote more than 100 stories in seven semesters with the sports section, serving as a contributing reporter, staff reporter and eventually as sports editor during his final year in fall 2022. He covered several teams from track and field to basketball, and was also featured on ESPN+ as a commentator for various broadcasts across URI athletics. As an undergrad, he also spent time as an intern for ABC6 Sports and the Atlanta Hawks.
From his first weeks as at URI, Standing got his foot in the door early. He saw his first story – a recap of a tight women’s soccer loss – published before his college career was even one month old.
“To me, a guy who wanted to go to Syracuse [University]…That was never going to be the case,” Standing said. “If I was going to go to Syracuse, it was never going to be a case of like, you get opportunities right off the rip. So I was so stunned. Like, first day, they’re already giving me an opportunity to be a part of something.”
Now, less than one year after graduating with a double major in sports media and journalism, Standing is enjoying professional experience at one of New York’s premier sports production companies as a production assistant at Madison Square Garden Networks.
“When I did my interview, [I’m] hearing from the person that was interviewing me, ‘Your resume is amazing,’”Standing said. “‘Like your resume is really impressive,’ you hear that it’s like, okay, so it was worth it…it’s been everything that I could really hope for.”
The role didn’t come easy. In a rapidly changing and increasingly more competitive field, Standing said he spent years wondering whether or not his stressful schedule and hours of writing, production meetings, game preparation and broadcast repetitions were worth it.
“Not long ago, it was just you go through school, right,” Standing said. “You’re doing a lot of work, and a lot of people are telling you you’re doing a great job, but you don’t really know what it’s gonna amount to, and you’re just hoping that all this hard work is gonna pay off.”
The drawback of such a work-heavy industry, according to Standing, is the pace at which those working towards their career goals can get lost in the rush. Long hours and late nights, while rewarding, cause students to lose focus on the fact that they are just that: a student.
“[I was] trying to enjoy that time of like, you know, I worked my a** off, and I’m about to start this new, exciting, next chapter of my life, so let me just kind of enjoy this in between periods and celebrate this last chapter,” he said. “I spent a lot of it being stressed about what’s next. I would just tell my past self just to, you know, have fun for once.”
For Standing, he can finally look back at those years with a sense of accomplishment and success. As a production assistant at MSG Networks, he works alongside fellow URI graduate Adam Bernstein, working behind the scenes to provide timestamps of highlights during live games for use during various sports broadcasts and programs. He also began writing for Sports Illustrated as a beat reporter for the New York Mets and the New York Yankees soon after he graduated from URI.
His message for those following a similar path through the uncertain world of sports media: Enjoy it. It’s worth it.
“Do what you do what you feel like you love to do, and you figure it out later,” Standing said. “Things will work out if you work hard. And if you do what you love to do, then then you’ll always be rewarded, and you’ll always feel fulfilled. That’s always been my goal with sports media.”