CBS Sports’ Golf Producer Visits HPU to Mentor Students
CBS Sports’ Lead Golf Producer Sellers Shy, who also is High Point University’s Network Television Producer in Residence, answered students’ questions about working an externship at the PGA’s Masters Tournament.
HIGH POINT, N.C., Date 9, 2024 – CBS Sports’ Lead Golf Producer Sellers Shy, who also is High Point University’s Network Television Producer in Residence, recently visited campus to mentor students.
Shy described how TV producers succeed and what goes on when covering a major golf competition when he taught two classes during his Nov. 15 visit. He shared lunch with communication students and answered questions about working at The Masters Tournament, one of the PGA’s ultimate externship opportunities where HPU students have gained experience working for the past two years. Shy shared how he first started building relationships with professional golfers as a teenager while volunteering at the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic, which was then his hometown’s only professional golf franchise. After working for CBS at that golf tournament for several years, he was invited to cover other major tournaments.
“Building relationships is just like building your resume,” Shy said. “Next thing you know, I was producing a Memphis Tigers game and the announcer got sick or had flight trouble and I got that opportunity. You have to be ready to take advantage of it. Continue to open your eyes. There are so many opportunities you can take advantage of in this space.”
Shy said he enjoyed golf and sports in general but advised students to pay attention to other opportunities.
“It’s amazing how I’ve seen local affiliate anchors or sports reporters, and the next thing is they’re the spokespeople for the Memphis Police Department or they’re the lead communication director of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital,” Shy said. “Why? One reason: When the red light comes on, they’re not afraid to look it straight in the eye. The opportunities are there, but make sure you don’t corner yourself in sports. While you may like it, there are just as many opportunities outside of that world. I don’t want you to narrow your focus. Make sure you open your eyes.”
Zachary Williams, who wants to pursue a career as a teaching professional at a private country club, arrived early to hear Shy speak and stayed late to continue asking questions. Williams said taking advantage of his opportunity to work an externship at the 2023 Masters Tournament was a valuable learning experience.
“It really helped refine those skills, especially for me in merchandising and sales,” said Williams, a junior sales major from Marietta, Georgia.
Lucy Shively, a freshman majoring in journalism and performance theater, said Shy’s comments were helpful for her career goals as a news anchor or a theater producer.
“I learned that it’s important to have a lot of connections in multiple different ways, not just in the path that you want to go,” said Shively, who is from Kansas City, Missouri.
“I really loved hearing about the sports side of it, but I feel what I learned today was how to keep the viewer engaged,” said Marissa Janis, a sophomore broadcast journalism major from Mooresville, North Carolina. “You see the person presenting but you don’t hear a lot about what goes on behind the scenes, so I loved hearing that.”
Shy is part of a group of global leaders who regularly visit campus to mentor students. Other industry experts who are members of HPU’s Access to Innovators program can be viewed here.