From Jersey to Dress

By Kendra Sheehan - At 4:56pm graduate student Isis Young was still on the basketball court, after the team had a dominating opening match against North Dakota. By 6:00pm, instead of basketball shoes and her number 23 jersey from the court, Young had transitioned to a red dress and heels and was seated at the anchor desk ready to switch rolls. Young serves as a sports analyst and last night she covered  the men’s basketball opener against Eastern Washington on the ACC Network pregame and half time show.

It was a hectic day as I had the chance to follow Young through the quick transition from student athlete to broadcaster. While her schedule is jam packed, Young says the immense time and effort she puts in to be successful at both is completely worth it.

“I tell people that I really love what I do,” said Young. “I love basketball. I love broadcasting.  You know I don't mind putting the time in to be able to do it when I truly enjoy what I'm doing.”

From a 3 point score to a steal, Young acted as the 6^th man on the court, bringing energy and speed into the game. After a great home opener it seemed effortless as she transitioned to providing a thoughtful analysis for the ACC Network.

Co-host of the ACC network show Drew Carter says with the incredible amount of time it takes to prepare for one show, he can’t imagine how Young is able to find time for it all.

“It's not just about the day of. Obviously this has to be crazy hectic for her but it's more about the day to day grind, “ said Carter. “I feel like I work a full time job as a student and doing all this stuff, and this is basically doing that two  fold and I can't even imagine doing that, it’s crazy.”

When I asked if there was ever any concern that she would make it in time for both, Carter said knowing the type of person Young is; there was never a doubt in his mind.

“I’ve hosted with former athletes and it wasn’t nearly as smooth,“ Carter said. “She is super super talented and very smart. I always tend to think that the quality of work ethic off the air translates on the air.”

Young also attributes her success to the strong support system she has back home. Her family was at the game showing their support with a warm embrace before she had to rush off the court. As a concerned parent, Young’s mother Denise Young wonders how she can manage it all.

“We absolutely get worried when she's gone to work and we wonder how she's really doing it all but I think it's a tribute to her time and skills and her dedication to both,”  she said. “One thing I like to say is that we're extremely proud of Isis and we wish her the best of luck in everything she does.”







Gallery Photos:
(c) 2018 Ashtyn Hiron