Bradley Parks

I believe that there are certain things every human being should live their life with. The number one thing to bring along in every day of life, I think, is passion. Without passion, the work people do and the decisions they make don't seem as meaningful to the person.

I try to live my life with passion. There are things that I love in this world and I love them with every fiber of my being. My dream of becoming a sportscaster is one of those things and something I have held near to my heart. I want that to be what I do for the length of my career and in order for that to happen I feel as if I need to take every moment I have in the press box and put all of the passion I can into those moments.

I like to draw inspiration from Gus Johnson, sportscaster for CBS. Johnson is able to bring excitement into every play and every second of every game no matter what the sport. He could make a timeout seem exciting! I try to do the same when I am on the mic. I want my listeners to feel the same excitement that I have pumping through my veins. If I'm calling a basketball game, I'll watch the ball being passed around among the players and calmly describe it to the listening audience. As the penetration into the lane increases, so does the volume and excitement in my voice. It's like a volcano on the brink of eruption. As the ball inches closer and closer to the hoop, I want my listeners to feel the emotion swelling up in my body. When that leather sphere passes through the thin nylon cords is when the eruption occurs. Excitement overflows my passion bucket and spills out onto the floor. The game could be a blowout, but each basket scored, to me, is like a lightning strike. It's quick and exciting and gets my adrenaline going on high.

Next to my friends and family, there is nothing I love more than the sport of basketball. I've never been the best player, but I am completely obsessed with the sport. I love to play, love to watch, and love to study the game. I also love to bring the sport to other people by being in the booth. Basketball is one of the things I'm most passionate about.

I carry my passion bucket with me everywhere and I think that others should too. What is in others' buckets? That's up to them. What is in mine? Family, friends, school, sports, theatre, politics, and the list goes on and on. With every piece of work I do, I reach in the bucket and sprinkle passion on every inch of that work. I feel if I'm passionate about what I do, it gives it that much more meaning to me.