The return of Transatlantic Storytelling is officially underway as 16 Ball State students have been selected to participate in the second iteration of the award-winning project with Cardiff Met University in Cardiff, Wales.
The highlight of the project will be a 12-day cultural immersion trip to Wales in late February and early March 2024. While on the ground, students will collaborate with their peers in the Cardiff Met Sport Broadcast course to produce feature stories, live sporting events, studio shows and podcasts.
Dom Liacone (Junior)
There are several reasons that I am interested in this project, one of which is the incredible opportunity to travel overseas and work with another sports production program that is incredibly similar to Ball State Sports Link. Also, to be able to collaborate with other creative minds from another country and culture to tell the stories of their native athletes is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I may never again get. Speaking of the athletes, I would be able to work hands-on with some of the best athletes from Wales, which is another reason this project excites me.
To be a part of this project will not only be an incredible honor, but it would also allow me to grow myself as both a sports industry professional and obtain a unique perspective on the Welsh culture by interacting with other students and athletes, as well as visiting numerous places I may never get the chance to see again in my life. This project’s multi-faceted approach to working with students and athletes across the world is why I am interested in being involved.
I am a third-year junior at Ball State University majoring in Media with a concentration in Digital Sports Production and minoring in Sport Administration.
I am a member of the prestigious Ball State Sports Link Program, the nation’s only four-year academic program focused on live sports production and feature storytelling.
My passions include play-by-play announcing for television and radio and creating creative content surrounding athletes. I have been a part of multiple ESPN productions as an on-air talent and behind-the-scenes presence, as well as feature stories and other creative pieces.
In my young career, I have received numerous student awards, including a Crystal Pillar, for live sports production, sports programs, and writing.
At Sports Link, I have been the Co-Director of Sports Link Digital Radio, have done play-by-play and sideline reporting on ESPN for Ball State Sports Link and Athletics, and produced short and long feature-length stories on Ball State athletes.
For the past five consecutive summers, I have worked for collegiate summer baseball teams and been involved in media, the most recent of which was with the Bismarck Larks of the Northwoods League, where I called over 50 TV games and even field-side reported for the 2023 Northwoods League All-Star game which aired nationally on ESPNU. I also produced creative content for social media and wrote online news stories.
I hail from Bolingbrook, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago.
With the passion and attention to detail Sports Link students have, this program can develop an award-winning piece that will continue the legacy of Transatlantic Storytelling.
From learning about new sports I never thought I’d see to going to places rich with history, I might never again get the opportunity to see and do some of the things that Sports Link will have the opportunity to have. I want to immerse myself as much as possible in an entirely new culture and broaden my horizons of knowledge. I believe with my skills and passion, and with Sports Link’s incredible group of students, we can achieve and learn so much from being a part of this trip.
Dom Liacone