Jaime Rivera: CEO, President, and Founder of the YSN Sports Broadcasting Academy
The Youth Sports Network is unlike any other program in the nation. According to its website, the Sports Broadcasting Academy is a prestigious, 13-week national training program for high school students and recent graduates looking to delve into the world of sports broadcasting. It is a live, interactive, web-based program with faculty who are seasoned broadcasting professionals (including NBA radio play-by-play broadcasters Matt Pinto of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Mark Boyle of the Indiana Pacers, former ESPN SportsCenter/Fox Sports broadcaster, Larry Burnett, Rich Burk of ROOT Sports and former National ESPN Radio Host Jon Chelesnik, CEO of Sportscasters Talent Agency of America.) YSN's mission is simple: “to provide unparalleled sportscasting instruction, life, communication and business skills benefitting students throughout their lives, whether they choose a career in sportscasting or elsewhere.”
Behind this unique academy is the man to whom all its success is accredited to: Jaime Rivera.
When asked how the idea of YSN came about, Rivera told me that he simply “had a vision”. One day while watching TV he suddenly thought to himself, 'Why isn't there an ESPN for kids?' That simple question started the wheels turning for Rivera. “There are kids all over the country who want a career in athletics.” he says. “The youth of America have so much talent... why wait until college to have them get that exposure?” Among an endless list of benefits the academy produces, it is the contacts and relationships that the students form that tops the list. Through YSN, they are given the opportunity to have experiences and make contacts with seasoned professionals. “The students actually become best of friends.” Rivera says. “And the close interaction between students and instructors allows them to build incredible rapport.”
Despite the high level of success Rivera's academy has already acquired, his hopes and dreams for YSN are only just beginning to bud. His long-term goal and vision is to establish an actual Sports Casting College in which students can earn a degree in sports casting as a major. If (and when) this happens, it will be the first college in the nation that has a major in sports casting and not just broadcasting.
His work ethic, drive. and commitment for what he does is so strong that it is almost tangible and the humility he exhibits is truly a rare pleasure to behold. “I don't have the education or even the training that qualifies me to do what I'm doing.” Rivera humbly admits, “But what I do have is a post doctorate in passion, vision, and execution.”
In addition to running YSN, Rivera is also the manager of a Christian band called One31[one31music.com]. A second album for Rivera and the group is in the works and its release date, along with a music video premiere, is January 31, 2013.
But long before the title of CEO or band manager, Jaime Rivera had a different role in life—being a student at our very own Roberts Wesleyan College. But Rivera was no average student-athlete. In fact, he is the all-time leading goal scorer for Men's Soccer, a title of which has yet to be broken in the 31 years since he graduated. And what is even more impressive? Not a single one of those goals came from a penalty kick. True, Rivera could have insisted that he take PKs, and based on his scoring record, it was probably a request that would have been readily granted. And by doing so, he could have raised his record by a substantial amount. But instead, he put his team first and gives all the credit to teammate Jeff Farnsworth who was “a beast” at penalty kicks. In other words, Rivera possessed a character trait that many athletes today are lacking—selflessness.
When I asked about his most treasured memory here at Roberts, he dove straight into a story without hesitation, recalling the facts and names as if it had happened yesterday. In his Junior year, the Roberts Wesleyan Men's Soccer Team earned a spot at the National Championship. Despite earning their place in the tournament, they were not even ranked in the top 25 for NAIAs. Their opponent, on the other hand, was King's College—a team's whose cumulative goal record for the year was an astounding 77 goals for… and only 3 against. Talk about a David and Goliath match up. However, Roberts Wesleyan was not without hope. “We went there on a mission,” Rivera said… and by the end of the night, his words proved true. At the end of the first half, Roberts was winning 3-0. “In 45 minutes, we scored the same amount of goals against them as all of their opponents combined in the entire season.” I asked him how many goals he scored, certain that his all-time favorite memory must also include an all-time favorite goal, but in true Rivera humbleness, he merely laughed and said, “The most memorable game in my entire career was the one that I didn't score a single goal in.”
In regards to attending Roberts, Rivera is a grateful graduate, proudly displaying the college's name in his professional bio. “Roberts played a huge role in my life and allowed me to be the man that I am today. It planted seeds that would have never been planted otherwise.”
So what can we learn from a man who has accomplished so much—both on and off the field? His advice to student-athletes is simple: give everything you've got. “Don't assume that you'll be this young forever,” he says with a laugh—sharing a joke with himself that I imagine can only be understood with age. Don't live life only to look back and say 'could have', 'should have', and 'only if'. Give it everything you've got: every practice, every game. You dig deep. These days are going to pass a lot faster than you can even imagine.” The cliché proves true: you truly don't know what you've got until it's gone. At this point, Rivera begins reminiscing about what it felt like to play soccer. During his description, I am certain that he is no longer with me on the other side of the phone— instead, he is back on a freshly cut field, out under a clear blue sky, breathing in the crisp cold air…playing the sport that he loves.
It was clear to me within the first few minutes of the interview that Jaime Rivera was no ordinary man. It is hard to describe in words the level of joy in his voice when he talked about his academy, or the emotion he radiated when he recalled soccer games of years past—but one emotion that was constant in every word he spoke was simply… love. A love for
life, a love for the kids who are involved in his program, a love for the sport that will always have a part of him… it is that pure, deep love that causes him to be such a positive impact on those he comes in contact with.
He ended with this: “These are the days where you will look back and say, 'Those were the best days of my life.'” And while these are indeed some of the greatest days of our lives, Jaime Rivera is living, breathing proof that there are plenty of amazing “best” days left to come.
