From player to play-by-play, O-M grad describes his broadcasting journey

As a speech competitor during his days at Orient-Macksburg, Wiley Ray was on the cusp of qualifying for all-state more than once in radio broadcasting. Now, he could be looking at a career in the field after finishing his college studies next month.

Ray, a senior at Northwest Missouri State University, spoke alongside his co-workers to Nodaway Valley Middle School eighth graders last Friday, sharing insight into sports broadcasting and what the career entails.

Ray began his college career at Southwestern Community College, where he gained valuable experience working with KSIB Radio’s then-sports director Damon Helgevold, who happened to call Ray’s final high school basketball game against Diagonal.

“He kind of took me under his wing while he was still there, was really supportive and always giving me feedback,” Ray said, and others did as well. “It’s kind of surreal to stand on a field talking to coaches or players I played against or just know because of the area.”

When classmates ask what drew him to broadcasting, Ray said it stems from growing up in a small school like Orient-Macksburg and appreciating when his teams received local media coverage. He now hopes to provide that same experience for others, regardless of where they come from.

“My biggest mantra here at Northwest is I want to give small town kids a chance to dream big,” Ray said. “I want to put them in the spotlight and give them their moment. Coming from a small town, you don’t get the spotlight a whole lot like the city kids, but that’s what I’ve learned down here, that I want to give a kid from the small town market a chance to make it big.”

At Northwest, Ray has served as sports director and now operations director. He has called games, worked a variety of events and shows, and contributed to the campus TV station in similar roles. One of his favorite memories has been watching Skyler Stamps of Diagonal develop — now Stamps is on Channel 13.

Ray believes he has built a strong portfolio to find success in broadcasting, though he is still determining where that next opportunity will be. In the meantime, he enjoys sharing his experiences and knowledge with others, much like mentors did for him.

“I have the portfolio and the experience to get me to that next step, but finding that job is the goal right now,” Ray said.

Ray said he enjoyed speaking with the Nodaway Valley eighth graders, many of whom already appear to have a strong interest in sports. For him, the biggest benefit of career day is helping students see the possibilities a career in broadcasting can offer.

“Bringing that into their sight and into their mind is what’s going to generate the next level of broadcasters, media or journalists because right now in the world, press is kind of getting hit,” Ray said. “Being able to create a new generation that’s going to consistently stay true as the press and for journalism and broadcasting, that’s really cool to be a part of. All of us here in our department love what we do and love spreading the word about it.”