Skubie Mageza was behind the camera when his career in broadcasting began but he soon was on the other side. A few years later, not only is he a studio host, but also doing it for the “worldwide leader in sports” ESPN.
Mageza, who spent the day at East St. Louis High School on March 14, 2024 (314 Day) joined with Special Olympics Illinois and ESPN in presenting the home of the Flyers with a Unified Champions Schools National Banner Award.
He shared with enthralled students, first in the school’s library and then a packed gymnasium, how he crafted his career, overcame obstacles, and focused on achievement “not just every day; every hour.”
“I was told I could not wear jewelry; that I could not have facial hair,” Mageza said of his first jobs on television after being a teleprompter operator.
Neither could deter him or slow his progress following his first job at FOX25 in Boston.
His first on-air role was at WBKB in Alpena, Michigan as a sports anchor. He moved on to Davenport, Iowa at KWQC, also as a sports anchor. He joined ESPN in the summer of 2021, and appears as a host on SportsCenter on Snapchat, The College Football Show, The Wrap Up, Sports Center Australia and other ESPN platform shows.
“I always had faith in myself. There are obstacles to overcome, but I approached my jobs like I approached being an athlete. I practiced, I studied, I wanted to get better every day,” he said.
When challenges came, he faced them and, importantly, quickly moved on.
“You can’t have a bad day. You can have a bad moment. You can have a bad hour. But you can’t let that become a bad day.”
Mageza was born in Zimbabwe, and his family moved to Boston when he was 7 years old. He graduated from Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts, where he played football and studied communications with a focus in sports media.
He is now an international force in sports media. It’s clear that has not changed him, his outlook on his career or life.
When asked about his salary, he told a student, “If you’re getting into anything for the money, you’re getting into it for the wrong reason.”
East St. Louis was joined by just two other schools nationally in receiving 2024 National Banner Awards. Schools must demonstrate their commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 national standards of excellence to support the Unified Champions Schools mission.
“At our school, we believe in creating opportunities for all students to thrive and our unified athletes are absolutely thriving. They are champions and are a part of the ongoing legacy of champions within our community,” said Dr. Brittany Green, principal.
Mageza said he experienced one of ESL’s championships in person while working in Davenport, which joins Rock Island, Moline and East Moline, Illinois as members of the Quad Cities.
“Oh, I’m familiar with your football program. Y’all came up there and put a 70-28 whupping on Rock Island,” he said of the Flyer’s quarterfinal victory on the way to the 2019 6A state title.
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