Seena Greiwe was a three-sport athlete at Columbus East, but now, she’s on the other side of the cameras.
The freshman digital sports production major garnered a wealth of experience in the sports broadcast field during her first semester at Ball State. Through the school’s Sports Link program, she has been able to work for entities such as ESPN3 and the NCAA.
“I really had no idea what to expect going into it,” Greiwe said. “I loved the radio and television program at East, and I obviously love sports. I just kind of went in with an open mind, not really having any background in mixing the two together. But I had amazing opportunities in the first semester.”
Greiwe has done camera work for Ball State football and basketball games on ESPN3 and run the replay system for ESPN3 soccer and volleyball broadcasts. This weekend, she is running a camera for the broadcast of two Cardinals men’s volleyball games.
Last fall, Sports Link began collaborating with the NCAA. Greiwe produced content for the NCAA cross-country and track and field accounts and worked the NCAA cross-country championships in Louisville.
Greiwe also produces content and graphics for the Sports Link social media accounts and films highlights and interviews for various sports.
“Coming into freshman year, I never thought I would be able to say I made graphics or videos on an NCAA account with thousands of impressions, but it happened,” Greiwe said. “I’ve been so incredibly blessed with all of the opportunities I have received in the short amount of time I have been here. I came into all this not knowing what to expect, but now, I am doing the unexpected.”
At East, Greiwe was a member of regional championship volleyball and state-qualifying gymnastics teams. In track and field, she was a state qualifier in the discus as a junior and a regional qualifier last year. She was named the Olympians’ overall girls Athlete of the Year by The Republic following her junior year.
Greiwe visited Ball State the summer before her senior year and found out about the Digital Sports Production track and its involvement with Sports Link.
“I came in pretty blind,” Greiwe said. “The first few weeks of being in Sports Link was a roller coaster rode. One second, I felt like I knew what was going on, and I would think I was ahead of the game, and the next thing I knew, I felt like I was drowning in the deep end and did not know how to stay afloat.”
So Greiwe began to engage with older classmates and never felt so welcomed. She said they gave her great advice, and she realized the older Sports Link students were once in the same boat.
Greiwe realized she cannot worry about what others are doing and can only control what she does. She stopped feeling trapped and dove into the experience.
“Sports Link has been one of the best opportunities I have had in my life, and I am blown away with how much hands-on action I have been given,” Greiwe said. “Many people, including my instructors, are willing to help me so I can learn something new every day and reach my full potential.”
Through Sports Link, Greiwe produced a series called “13 in 13,” a series of features on the Cardinals’ 13 women’s basketball players.
Greiwe also was asked to be sideline reporter for a women’s basketball game, but she turned it down, saying that wasn’t really her area of expertise. But she is open to reporting for one of the sports with which she has experience.
“I like being behind the scenes more than on air,” Greiwe said. “I haven’t ruled it out, but from the experience I did at East with being on air, I liked it, but it’s not something that I think I would do in the future. I definitely more like doing the editing, camera work, graphics and all that kind of stuff.”
Sports Link has been chosen as the signature academic program to be featured in BSU Day at the Statehouse in February. Greiwe is one of four students selected to attend and share their experiences.
Greiwe said she doesn’t really have a dream job right now, but she wouldn’t mind working for the NCAA, ESPN or NFL after graduation. For now, she’s getting all the experience she can.
“I know I can only go up from here,” Greiwe said. “I’m just kind exploring all my options, and I like being able to do everything because I know that if I have more background in everything and not just a specific thing, it will be easier to get a job. Right now, I’m just kind of taking every opportunity, and no matter how small it is, I put 100 percent into it.”
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Name: Seena Greiwe
High school: Columbus East
College: Ball State
Year: Freshman
Major: Digital sports production
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