Steve Pesek has a job that some students would dream of. A sports broadcasting career requires not only a lot of work, but determination and a fun and positive attitude as well. Pesek is the Food and Beverage Supervisor/Digital Communications Manager for Delaware North Sportservice at Target Field. He’s also a broadcaster as well as the Director of Communications and Marketing for MSBN Sports Network, as well as an announcer for the Minnesota Wild. On top of all of this, he’s a Minneapolis native as well as a graduate from the University of Minnesota with a major in Communication Studies from the College of Liberal Arts. He wanted to pursue sports broadcasting since middle school, and received great opportunities around the Twin Cities area. With all these various jobs to handle, Steve’s able to keep a light hearted and passionate attitude about his job. In his free time, he loves to vacation in Colorado, and couldn’t live without chips. He has been caffeine-free since Thanksgiving of 2008, and cancer free since April 20, 2005.
Q & A With Steve Pesek
HER CAMPUS: What’s your best memory at the University of Minnesota?
STEVE PESEK: Greek Life. My individual fraternity was fantastic, but working with the entire community on projects was very rewarding and beneficial to my growth as a leader.
HC: What does your job entail?
SP: The main part of all of my employment endeavors is communication. Whether I am handling social media responsibilities, training staff members, doing live play-by-play, or any other day-to-day activity, communication is key.
HC: What activities were you involved in on campus and how have they enhanced your career?
SP: My fraternal involvement was my main on-campus activity. It really helped with respecting others in large and small group situations. It was equal parts patience, team building, social development, giving back, listening, taking ownership and learning. Being committed to something for that long gives you perspective on what it takes to build a career and be a better person.
HC: What’s your favorite part about your job?
SP: The next day. I’m not one to examine the past as much as others. I like to focus on the future and try to continuously adapt to trends and the individuals I work alongside. The more I learn about people, the more I understand how we can best complete tasks and develop the business that we do.
HC: What is your favorite part about working at Target Field?
SP: Being in a professional sports setting is wonderful. The “team” aspect of the stadium is apparent, not only with the players on the field, but with the individuals in our unit. There are leaders and followers and both are integral to being successful. I actually see very little baseball when the Twins are playing. Having been around sporting events constantly for a decade now, I generally have an understanding of what is happening on the field by just looking at the reaction of the fans.
HC: What made you choose this career path?
SP: I knew I wanted to work in sports broadcasting since I was in middle school. Committing to that field and actually getting opportunities to work was the hard part. How my broadcasting interests brought me to the restaurant world, was just built out of necessity. In college, everyone wants money and working in restaurants around the U of M was great. Being able to pair my restaurant background with my sports-based interest is the best of both worlds. I get to work alongside media members at the ballpark and use my communication skills to promote the food and beverage offerings that we have at Target Field through our recently-launched @TFEATS Twitter account.
HC: Who’s your role model and why?
SP: My grandfather. He’s a very dedicated and hardworking family man. He was always hospitable with guests that would come over to his home business and respected their wants and needs. He built friendships that lasted a lifetime quickly and understood that if you don’t take care of the people that take care of your business, you won’t be successful.
HC: What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
SP: Sit still. I mostly did the opposite growing up, but now that I have the time to do so, being able to analyze my surroundings and react confidently in situations is rewarding.
Steve is inspiring to any college student: he got out there and achieved his long-time goal and was able to land amazing careers. Steve is such a proud alumni that he can still be found doing laundry loads full of solely maroon and gold clothing. He can also be found on campus in various food and beverage establishments, press boxes and shops. On top of his many jobs, he also manages four Facebook accounts and four Twitter accounts. His job is very exciting given that nothing’s the same in sports every day: He was even recently seen on Sportscenter! Because Steve understands how difficult it can be to know what next step to take toward your career goals, he’s always available for advice and direction! It’s obvious that Steve has a passion for communication and people, on and off the playing field.