We were lucky to catch up with Yisel Arias recently and have shared our conversation below.
Yisel, so great to have you on the platform and excited to have you share your wisdom with our community today. Communication skills often play a powerful role in our ability to be effective and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your communication skills.
The development of my ability to communicate effectively has been developed through my continued education with focus on Communications and English. This is something that is not fully developed but a constant work in progress. I work on this daily. It is beneficial that as a former athlete and my love for sports that I understand most of the various sports lingo. Being able to connect with the athletes and at times their families is a communication skills that is always changes depending on the situation. At the end of the day I not only want that interview but to build a relationship with the athletes I interview to be comfortable, build a trust so they all understand that I appreciate their time and will do my utmost best to provide a quality interview.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a twenty one year old sports reporter who travels interviewing athletes for a living. I started my own brand and organization called Alpha Athlete Vision at the age of eighteen as a senior in high school. Alpha Athlete Vision first focused on interviewing athletes in county of Imperial. After interviewing athletes in Imperial County for over a year I then made my way into different sports organizations outside of the county and have broadened my coverage areas to include southern California and Arizona. I not only interview high school athletes but also at the collegiate, and professional level. I have made my way into the MMA organizations. I have paved the way for myself and what I do by putting in the work consistently. Networking is an integral aspect in my growth within the sports reporting industry. Along the journey I have been able to travel interviewing athletes giving athletes opportunities they deserved to put them in the spotlight. The most exciting thing about what I get to do is knowing I get the opportunity to do it.
I am grateful to be able to do something I truly love!! The special thing that comes from covering sports, and interviewing athletes is that it gives the young athletes an opportunity to shine. I grew up in a rural area and there wasn’t a lot of coverage of high school athletes or any of the local athletes. This was a way to bring something special to the community. It provided recognition to the athletes for their exceptional performances. It was great to see these athletes get excited, and seeing how their proud parents are happy for them. It’s about giving back to the athletes who put in the work day in and day out. My overall goal is to cover athletes all over the world!!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most impactful skills and qualities that I have come across during my journey are communication, networking, and representation. Communication as a whole is a very big asset to my profession as a sports reporter. It is constantly evolving and I am always learning new ways of effective communication. Networking is such an integral component to have in any industry especially when in the sports industry. Always making sure I connect myself with the right people, and new people. In networking comes the building of relationships with the people you are networking with. Representation is a quality that is important. In a time where everything is on social media, I ensure that I keep myself professional and respectful and represent the brand and the athlete in a respectable manner.
The advice I have for all the people who are early in their journey for communication would be to know the material. If you don’t know the sport well, research it and speak to individuals that do. So when you are speaking to the athlete for sports reporting you have a foundation and a sense of knowing about the sport. As for networking, building a rapport and relationships with various different individuals by reaching out and connecting. In the beginning, I would email or reach out via social media to many different organizations and people and not all responded, but the ones that did and gave me an opportunity built a rapport with them. I took the risk and still to date keep networking with many of them. From there, it may provide other opportunities. For example, when I go and cover events I connect with many new people by introducing myself, handing out business cards, and providing a little insight of what I do. That’s where communication and networking work hand in hand. Another big quality is representation. At the end of the day I have to remember I am representing myself, my work, and my family. Whatever I do reflects me as a person let alone sports reporter.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
My biggest area of growth has been expanding out of Imperial County and broadening the sports coverage to southern California and Arizona. This also includes networking. This process is fluid and is always evolving and expanding. It’s exciting to see what’s to come in 2024!!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @theyiselariaschavez
- Twitter: @Theyiselariaschavez
- Youtube: The yisel arias chavez
Image Credits
@el.q.pix.photograpy
