The voice of the Kansas City Royals gave aspiring broadcasters a look into his career Monday in the final fall installment of the “How I Landed My Job” lecture series in the A.Q. Miller School of Mass Communications.
Steve Physioc, sportscaster and Kansas State alum, said much of his success is fed by his passion and drive to better himself and his career.
“If you continue to [pursue your passion] and not be afraid, it’s amazing how opportunities find you,” Physioc said.
Physioc’s career began by sending applications to numerous potential employers before being hired as an announcer for local sporting events in Hastings, Nebraska.
“I got maybe four of them back, most of them saying ‘sorry, we don’t want you,’” Physioc said. “But the one that accepted me was the job in Hastings, which was the one that I wanted all along, because it was play-by-play.”Related:
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In Hastings, Physioc built his resume sportscasting for more than 200 events. Unbeknownst to him, Fred White, who voiced sportscasts for Kansas State and the Royals, was following his career.
White eventually asked Physioc record himself announcing a few innings of a baseball game for him, Physioc said.
“So I sat down, I broadcast two innings, I gave him the tape and little did I know that he was taking that tape to WIBW in Topeka, having them listen to it. He said, ‘This is who I want to have as the broadcaster for the Kansas State Wildcats when I step down,’” Physioc said.
Eventually Physioc became the voice of K-State football and basketball from 1979 to 1982. He was hired to the Royals’ broadcast team in 2012.
Physioc encouraged students to start small in their broadcasting careers as he did in Hastings.
“When you start in a small market, they give you all the opportunity in the world,” Physioc said. “I was going to Kansas State, and because it wasn’t a noted broadcast school, I was given an opportunity when I was a sophomore.
“My friends at Syracuse [University] said they didn’t get put on the air until they were seniors,” he explained. “I think your opportunity at Kansas State is much greater than it could be at Mizzou or Syracuse because of [lack of] competition.”
Susan Edgerley, professional in-residence at the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications, said she agreed with Physioc.
“Starting small in the Midwest and getting experience and moving up from there is a tried and true path,” Edgerley said.
From a student perspective, Avery Osen, graduate student in mass communications, said Physioc’s career path is motivating.
“It’s encouraging to know that someone who’s walked through the same doors and been at the same radio station goes to Kauffman Stadium for a living,” Osen said. “That would be a dream for me.”
Physioc summarized his keys to success.
“Be on time,” Physioc said. “Number two is be prepared. Be enthusiastic: be joyful, don’t be a drain, be a fountain. The other one, especially true in sports, is be a good teammate.”
