Tim Foley has always been a sports fan, and long harbored ambitions of being a sports broadcaster. Studying Communications Media at Fitchburg State, Foley was a writer for the school paper and helped out at Fitchburg Access Television (FATV), covering Falcons games for an online and television audience. His contributions to FATV netted him an award at their annual celebration just weeks before his graduation in May 2022.
As his studies neared their conclusion, Foley interned with the Worcester Railers, the ECHL affiliate of the New York Islanders. The placement originated with a Twitter exchange Foley had with the team, he recalled, expressing gratitude to Professor Charles Sides for helping establish the particulars to make the internship work.
After graduating, Foley spent two months calling games for the Cape Cod Baseball League, and searching for full-time work. A professional opportunity with the Railers would be a dream come true.
And it was on his mother’s birthday in August when he got a call from the team’s chief operating officer, and Foley became the team’s broadcasting and media relations coordinator.
“I grew up going to Worcester Sharks games, so it doesn’t get any sweeter than this,” said Foley, recalling the city’s previous professional hockey franchise. “To go to the DCU Center and hear my voice echoing in the halls of the building my dad used to take me to games, it gives me goosebumps.”
Foley narrates the plays for the team’s 72 regular season games, at home and on the road. “Everything I learned last year has helped make this year easier to navigate,” he said, adding his student experience calling Fitchburg Falcons games under Hockey Coach Dean Fuller was also invaluable.
Foley’s title doesn’t convey the full scope of his duties with the team. Beyond calling games and handling media outreach, he also organizes travel details for the team (including transportation and hotel accommodations) and deals with immigration matters for international players.
“In one year of experience with the team I’m gaining three years’ experience, just because of how much is going on,” Foley said. “The thing I love most about this job is it’s very public. It’s cool to be recognized and be seen as a mouthpiece of this organization. I’m grateful my experience broadcasting has already paid off.”
He credits his time at Fitchburg State with preparing him for the comprehensive nature of his job, particularly the high expectations set by faculty members like Wafa Unus in English Studies and Rob Carr in Communications Media. “From them I learned about meeting deadlines, and appreciated how they wanted me to step up to the next level,” he said. “The curriculum at Fitchburg State couldn’t have been better tailored for a job like this, mixing public relations and broadcasting. If you have an idea of what you want to do, and meet the right teachers, you can have everything blend together.”