For nearly a decade, Lethbridge has been getting their local sports coverage from a journalist whose passion for all things athletic started in his hometown of Cochrane.
Paul Kingsmith always had a great enthusiasm for sports, but his career in journalism started out almost by accident, according to the veteran reporter.
In Grade 11 at Cochrane High School, Kingsmith said he was assigned to go out and job shadow someone. He didn’t really know what he wanted to do for a career, but knew that he loved hockey.
“Basically my idea was that if I went to a TV station I could probably get to see a Calgary Flames practice,” he said with a laugh.
Kingsmith called Global Television Calgary, and just as he had hoped, got to go to a Flames practice as part of the job shadow.
“I pretty much fell in love with it and from there I started to actually figure out what it would take to get into broadcasting. It was sort of by accident that I fell into it,” he said.
After attending SAIT in Calgary, Kingsmith got his first job in Swift Current, Sask. He headed out to the small town eager to start out his career in broadcast journalism, and quickly found out the station was sold and would be shutting down. Kingsmith was laid off on his second day.
From there, he ended up in Dawson Creek, B.C. at a TV/Radio station for three years and after that eventually found his way to Global Lethbridge where this year he will be celebrating 10 years at the station. For anyone who is a sports fanatic, Lethbridge is the place to be, according to Kingsmith. He said high school sports are incredible with thousands attending football and basketball championships. They also have multiple athletic events tied to Lethbridge College, the University of Lethbridge. The Lethbridge Hurricanes from the WHL are also a big draw, and made it to the finals in 2008.
“Just watching the team and getting to cover it all the way to the final was one of the best experiences as a journalist. You feel close to a story and you get to follow it for so long,” said Kingsmith, who listed it as one of the highlights of his career, along with covering the world women’s curling championships in 2012.
But the stories that really have had an impact on Kingsmith are the ones that are ‘not based on events, but on people.’
One story in particular Kingsmith mentioned won him a prestigious Edward R. Murrow award last year. It was about a man named Paul Pisco, an athlete who chose to have his leg amputated after years of dealing with chronic pain.
“That connection, that’s what I like most is getting to meet those people and tell those stories. You can see the effect that they have on other people who watch them and who can be inspired by them. That’s what I like about the job are those kinds of connections,” he said.
Sports are something that has always inspired Kingsmith even from a young age. He said that passion was ingrained in him with his father being a huge sports fan and Flames season ticket holder.
“Some of the things that sports can give you are amazing. Working in a team atmosphere, learning to be a leader, learning to deal with disappointment – there are a lot of life lessons that can come from sports that you don’t realize at the time, but you pick up on later,” he said.
Cochrane was a great place to develop that passion according to Kingsmith. He recalled playing in Cochrane minor hockey for 12 years making some great friends and meeting some amazing coaches. He also competed in track at Cochrane High and played baseball.
For any other young aspiring journalists in Cochrane Kingsmith had some advice. Firstly, he pointed out that it is an unconventional job, not ‘9 to 5’ or five days a week. He said it is something that could end up taking over your life, but it is ‘very rewarding when you do love it.’
And most importantly, Kingsmith stressed to never turn down any opportunity to experience and learn new things in the industry.
“The way that broadcast journalism is going is you have to have multiple skills and you shouldn’t ever turn down the chance to learn anything. Don’t be afraid to move and experience and learn new things. I think my experiences are so much better for having to move around. Really try and experience all of the things that you can with your job because it can be pretty rewarding when you do it right.”
