ABOUT ME
Hi! My name is Kendall Smith and I am the Team Reporter and Host for the Charlotte Knights (AAA- White Sox), and the Host for the Charlotte Checkers (AHL- Florida Panthers). Back in 2019 when I was a high school senior doing the PA for our baseball team, I would've never thought I'd write those words, but here I am today on a journey working in sports that has been nothing short of amazing.
I was sixteen-years-old when I earned my first sports broadcasting internship. I covered the Charlotte Hornets, UNC Charlotte Football, the Belk College Kickoff, and the Charlotte Knights. I actually got that internship as a high school sophomore because I met my boss at a game that I was the PA announcer for. It taught me at a young age the value of making a connection, and it was the beginning of a career I have dedicated countless hours to.
I am a 2023 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. In college, I worked for Gamecock Central with the On3 Network as a Host and Reporter (I still contribute to the website to this day), primarily covering Gamecock Football and Recruiting, and traveling to all South Carolina football games to work. I also hosted my own sports talk radio show on 107.5 The Game, the official radio home of the Gamecocks, while in school and I was the only college student to ever do that. In February 2023, I started a four month internship with the NCAA Digital team at Turner Sports, covering all NCAA sports and championships, including March Madness. I had six jobs my second semester of senior year, including a full-time job I began with the Knights a few months before graduating. I spent more time in Charlotte than at school, but I love what I do so much that I feel regret in making those decisions. I even missed my senior year spring break to host the 2023 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament.
My college work experience extended far before I was an upperclassman, though. As a sophomore in college I was the Team Reporter and Host for the Lexington County Blowfish in the Coastal Plain College Wood Bat Baseball League. I also was the youngest Station Manager at Student Gamecock Television, where I became a College Media Association Pinnacle Award-winning journalist as a college junior. I worked inside Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte at Seacrest Studios as a freshman, and was the in-game host the 2022 ACC Baseball Championship at Truist Field in Charlotte.
Now, outside of my full-time job in baseball and my part-time job in hockey, I work as a sideline reporter for ESPN+ broadcasts and for Raleigh/Durham's CW Station, myRDC. To say I put a lot of miles on my car is an understatement!
On a more personal note, I am a retired competitive figure skater of fifteen years. I joined the Professional Skaters Association in high school, and I still skate often (even during the hockey games I host/report at!)
I am also a hot yoga teacher, so when I'm not working, I am usually at the yoga studio teaching or taking classes. Some of my favorite things include traveling to new places, sushi, and avocados (I eat them every single day.) If I could buy a house anywhere, it would be in Charleston, South Carolina or Miami, Florida.
I'll leave you with this. I have been fortunate to have many mentors and supporters in my short career. People have provided me with opportunities beyond my wildest dreams, so I'd like to take a brief moment here to just say "thank you" to all of these great people. The know who they are, and they know I am better off because of their kindness and guidance.
-Kendall
I was sixteen-years-old when I earned my first sports broadcasting internship. I covered the Charlotte Hornets, UNC Charlotte Football, the Belk College Kickoff, and the Charlotte Knights. I actually got that internship as a high school sophomore because I met my boss at a game that I was the PA announcer for. It taught me at a young age the value of making a connection, and it was the beginning of a career I have dedicated countless hours to.
I am a 2023 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. In college, I worked for Gamecock Central with the On3 Network as a Host and Reporter (I still contribute to the website to this day), primarily covering Gamecock Football and Recruiting, and traveling to all South Carolina football games to work. I also hosted my own sports talk radio show on 107.5 The Game, the official radio home of the Gamecocks, while in school and I was the only college student to ever do that. In February 2023, I started a four month internship with the NCAA Digital team at Turner Sports, covering all NCAA sports and championships, including March Madness. I had six jobs my second semester of senior year, including a full-time job I began with the Knights a few months before graduating. I spent more time in Charlotte than at school, but I love what I do so much that I feel regret in making those decisions. I even missed my senior year spring break to host the 2023 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament.
My college work experience extended far before I was an upperclassman, though. As a sophomore in college I was the Team Reporter and Host for the Lexington County Blowfish in the Coastal Plain College Wood Bat Baseball League. I also was the youngest Station Manager at Student Gamecock Television, where I became a College Media Association Pinnacle Award-winning journalist as a college junior. I worked inside Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte at Seacrest Studios as a freshman, and was the in-game host the 2022 ACC Baseball Championship at Truist Field in Charlotte.
Now, outside of my full-time job in baseball and my part-time job in hockey, I work as a sideline reporter for ESPN+ broadcasts and for Raleigh/Durham's CW Station, myRDC. To say I put a lot of miles on my car is an understatement!
On a more personal note, I am a retired competitive figure skater of fifteen years. I joined the Professional Skaters Association in high school, and I still skate often (even during the hockey games I host/report at!)
I am also a hot yoga teacher, so when I'm not working, I am usually at the yoga studio teaching or taking classes. Some of my favorite things include traveling to new places, sushi, and avocados (I eat them every single day.) If I could buy a house anywhere, it would be in Charleston, South Carolina or Miami, Florida.
I'll leave you with this. I have been fortunate to have many mentors and supporters in my short career. People have provided me with opportunities beyond my wildest dreams, so I'd like to take a brief moment here to just say "thank you" to all of these great people. The know who they are, and they know I am better off because of their kindness and guidance.
-Kendall