“Welcome, sports fans, to the first installment of Naperville Sports Weekly”. 19 years ago, under the soft glow of studio lights, then NCTV17 Sports Director Jeff Mahoney took to the airwaves, not only introducing a new program but also setting the stage for student-athletes to shine. “It was the thought that our community, Naperville, had a lot of wonderful high school athletes, and it was worth really diving in and showcasing them in a way that had never been done before,” said former Sports Director Will Armistead.
“Every athlete has a story to tell…”
When Naperville Sports Weekly kicked off in the fall of 2007, it broke the traditional broadcast mold. It wasn’t a spotlight reserved only for the best and brightest, but for all athletes with equal coverage and equal pride. “To make a compelling show for the entire community, we needed to go past the football field and the volleyball court in the basketball courts. Every athlete has a story to tell, and we wanted to make sure that we weren’t missing any of those stories, ” Armistead added.
Naperville parent Anju Khanna said, “I find that sports is very important in Naperville, and NCTV17 captures all the sports, not just one, whether you’re doing well or not well as a team, special moments for parents like us who get to see their kids on TV. How many parents get to say that?”
“Some of the greatest stories, you know, were of chess matches or wrestling or gymnastics. Not to exclude anybody, to include everyone,” Jeff Mahoney shared…