By Kylie Garrett
Staff Writer
Sophomore broadcasting major Nick Mattina took the reins in the WCWP sports department as former sports director Tom Scavetta (‘17) stepped down on March 26.
WCWP Director Dan Cox commended Scavetta’s role in rebuilding the sports department at the campus radio station. “Tom has done an outstanding job rebuilding the WCWP sports department during his tenure and I am grateful and appreciative of his service. Tom leaves the department better than he found it and has prepared Nick for this leadership position,” Cox said in an email to the staff announcing the change. Mattina will be assisted by sophomore broadcasting major Matt Weinstein, who will be the assistant sports director and coordinator of on-air talent for the sports department.
Scavetta was a member of WCWP for 4 years, both while he was a student and after he graduated, working as the sports director for the past year and a half. Scavetta is emotional about the change. “It’s been the best experience of my life, I’ve met a lot of lifelong friends and we took a department from 5 to 20. It wasn’t an easy process, but it was definitely worth it,” he said.
Scavetta’s job as sports director for WCWP helped him develop a new appreciation for business in sports. He plans to earn his MBA so he can direct sports on a professional level, and will attend either Quinnipiac or Sacred Heart in the fall. Until then, Scavetta will work with the New York Lizards, a major league lacrosse team that plays at Hofstra. While there, he will assist in their day-to-day game operations, rotating from sideline work, to the booth, and even sales and retail.
Mattina feels prepared for his new position. He received training from Scavetta on everything from how to handle the department and people to helping staff with critiques to make their broadcasts better. Mattina expects to lead the department by becoming everyone’s friend; he wants the staff to learn from their mistakes and give one on one attention to each and every member. “I think I am going to love this new position; I’ve been ready for it for a while and I am excited to finally take the helm,” he said.
Mattina has always had a love for sports. He grew up watching hockey and always wanted to broadcast just like the guys he saw on TV. At WCWP he is making his dreams become a reality. “I’ve played many sports over the span of my life, like soccer, baseball, hockey and track, but my love for hockey tops everything else. Watching hockey I’ve always enjoyed listening to the commentators on TV or the radio and always wondered what it would be like to sit behind the microphone at any sporting event and now I get the chance to do that at WCWP,” Mattina said.
Weinstein has also worked at WCWP for the past year with both Cox and Scavetta, and he feels he is equipped to help Mattina lead the department. “I think the two of us are going to do a great job alongside a great staff; the sky’s the limit to what we can do together,” Weinstein said. In addition to assisting Mattina, Weinstein will also be responsible for training, selection, talent scheduling, and air-checking of all sports related programming.
The WCWP sports department has grown since Mattina’s start almost two years ago, when there were five members. Today, the staff numbers 20. Although they have grown so much in a year and a half, Mattina is not satisfied. One of his goals is to grow even more, and to broadcast every sport. Now, WCWP broadcasts a select amount of sports a semester, including baseball, softball, basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, and lacrosse. Next year, Mattina would like to broadcast rugby and field hockey, which are two sports they have never done before.
“I’ve been in the driver’s seat for a while and now it’s time for them to take control. I left a path here and I don’t want them to follow that path, I want them to lead their own trail, be their own version of sports directors,” Scavetta said.
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