An internship with the Tennessee Smokies may have brought graduating senior Ben Slotnick to Knoxville, but it was the Tennessee Vols culture that made the area feel like home.
Slotnick applied for the internship on a baseball coach’s recommendation, and for the past two years he has been a studio host and play-by-play commentator for the minor league baseball team.
Slotnick said working with the Smokies helped him get used to Tennessee Vols culture, adding once he got to the school, it helped make the transition much easier.
Prior to enrolling in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the Florida native was studying sports journalism at Arizona State University. However, he felt ASU was not the right fit for him and treated the internship opportunity with the Smokies as a sign to transfer to UT.
“I’m really appreciative of UT,” Slotnick said. “I just really like the atmosphere here and everyone buys into the University of Tennessee. It’s not like other schools. Here I feel like I am part of a family.”
As he prepares to graduate, Slotnick said he will miss UT, adding the culture here was so accepting once he transferred. Mentors including School of Journalism and Media Professor Shannon Scovel helped him not only through building his journalistic skills, but also with his confidence and resume.
Scovel said Slotnick’s passion for sports was clear to her from day one. He always sat in the front row, was quick to raise his hand to offer a thought or opinion on the topic of the day, and frequently stayed after class to talk more about the sports news of the day or ask questions about building a sports career.
“The enthusiasm he showed in my class was contagious, and I appreciated his willingness to improve,” Scovel said. “If he takes that mindset into his next role and embraces the chance to keep learning new things, he’ll be successful.”
Slotnick’s interest in sports journalism began when he was ten years old. He grew up admiring sports broadcasters such as Kenny Albert and Al Michaels. He started off broadcasting games in his house and uploading the recordings to YouTube as a way to get started in the craft. His preferred sports are hockey and baseball, but he has some videos covering other sports such as basketball and football.
Slotnick feels he has learned much while at UT. He enjoyed having the flexibility to take advantage of opportunities outside of campus as a student.
In addition to working with the Smokies, he has been the play-by-play broadcaster for the Kingsport Axmen, a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League in Kingsport, Tennessee.
Slotnick said he enjoys working with the Kingsport Axmen because it is composed of some of the top college baseball players from around the country spending a summer trying to improve their game ahead of the next season. He plans to help broadcast their games again this summer after he graduates.
He also is the play-by-play broadcaster for the Tennessee Ice Vols Club Hockey team. A hockey fan, Slotnick said it was awesome these past few months seeing the team improve. Back in February, the Ice Vols won their first College Hockey South Division II title for the first time in 15 years after defeating the Clemson Tigers in the final.
Slotnick said his aspirations after graduating is to just be able to continue working in the industry in some capacity. While he loves hockey, he is open to whatever sports broadcasting opportunity may come his way in the future.
“I’m impressed by how he’s fearlessly created opportunities for himself and worked to make his way in the industry,” Scovel said. “He’s never deterred by setbacks or challenges, and he’s someone willing to do what it takes to be successful. I look forward to following Ben’s sports media career.”