Brenan Betro ’19 wanted to pursue a field that allowed him to be creative, innovate and tell stories. As graduation approached, Betro was searching for a job that combined his interests with his passion for sports.
Thanks to all of his hard work, Betro’s dreams became a reality when he accepted a position as a digital content assistant with the San Antonio Spurs.
In his position, Betro will have a hand in the creative conceptualization and maintenance of the digital visual identity of the Spurs through social media, the team's website, and their app. On home game days, Betro will assist with coverage regarding photo and video management and any other tasks that need fulfilled with the high-paced, high-stakes responsibility of in-game presentation. Betro’s position falls within Spurs Sports & Entertainment, so he will also have the opportunity to complete various tasks for San Antonio Rampage hockey.
“I grew up in a family of marketing/advertising professionals, so I felt an inherent pull towards the industry and that I had a skillset to match,” Betro says.
It is no surprise that throughout his time at John Carroll, Betro always had an interest in his coursework within his digital media communications major, and a passion for his campus jobs, which provided him the opportunity to be around college athletics.
“My courses aided in establishing a solid groundwork for my knowledge of the industry, specifically in the sports field, and provided me with experience in curating digital content, including graphic design and video production,” Betro said.
For four years, Betro was an employee of the sports information department, where he was provided with numerous lessons and exposure to day-to-day athletics operations. Betro also worked closely with the sports crew of WJCU 88.7 FM.
“I remember I worked a football game for the radio station my first weekend at Carroll,” Betro says. “It was a really amazing opportunity that you wouldn't get at most places and it was a moment I'll never forget. I will always remember working behind the scenes or announcing some of the best games in John Carroll history.”
During his time at Carroll, Betro added some impressive material to his resume through internships. He was a college associate with LRMR Ventures and LeBron James Family Foundation for two years. Betro was the sole developer of written content for lebronjames.com during that time. In addition, Betro gained valuable experience communicating with clients, partners, media, and sister companies.
His coinciding volunteer work with the Foundation allowed him to plan and coordinate major events involving their education incentive programs with Akron Public Schools and eventually the I Promise School. He did extensive media relations work, accommodating local and national media members, while representing the Foundation, James, or any special guests present for the occasion.
Betro was also a news intern at WKYC-TV, contributing to daily show planning meetings with on-air talent and producers, traveling to off-site live shots, assisting with digital archive and upload, doing story research, and more. Betro led social media coverage of the Cavs' Finals watch parties, attended NBA Draft press availabilities, and Browns training camp.
Betro is looking forward to applying lessons and concepts he learned throughout his experiences. “I am looking forward to the fact that I will be involved in the creative and strategic aspects of the process,” says Betro. “Of course, I’m excited for the adrenaline-filled game night tasks that will arise while following the team every step of the way.”
