Total Sports Simcoe County Edition, Winter 2016 Winter 2016 Issue | Page 9

Broadcasting the Sports We
Love in Simcoe County
The Sports Guys – Craig and Brad
Ever wonder what it’s like to work in sports
broadcasting? Ever think “I would like to interview
athletes and be on television.”? Craig Ripley and Brad
Terry from Rogers TV, keep Simcoe County in the know
on all things sports related every week.
Craig graduated from Quinte High School in Belleville
and took the next step by studying broadcast journalism
at Loyalist College. He interned with Rogers, started
covering news, first in Midland and then into Barrie.
Simcoe County Sports started airing in 2010, first twice
per week, then three per week and now is shifting to a
new weekly format later in February. Fast forwarding,
Brad now hosts with Craig and they make a great team.

By: KC Reynolds

Craig says that he has had a ton of memorable moments
with the Barrie Colts and he loves commentating their
games and with so many stories to tell he wouldn’t know
where to begin. Telling terrific stories about amazing
people such as the Team Canada blind sprinter, Dylan
Hermans of Bear Creek Secondary School who is on the
road to stardom, or the special needs, autistic athlete
from Bear Creek Secondary, who went to OFSSA for
cross-country running, make their jobs very rewarding.
They hear from many athletes that they have previously
interviewed and some who have received scholarships
and now getting a chance to be professional athletes.
Dan VanderVoort, formerly of Bear Creek Secondary
School and alumni of the Huronia Stallions Football
Club, now plays for McMaster University and may
get drafted. “We get to see them grow up” said Brad.
Adrian VanderHelm was a chubby star who now has
a scholarship at Simon Fraser University in British
Columbia, Mikayla Brewer got a scholarship to
Stanford, and Ashley Campbell, formerly of Holy Trinity
Secondary, is the all-time leading women’s scorer on her
soccer team at Dayton University and has represented
Canada. “These athletes are living the dream and we get
to be part of it” said Craig. “It gives me chills”.
Do these guys play sports themselves? You bet! Craig
plays beer league hockey, flag football, plays a fair bit
of golf, used to curl, but his number one sport now is
tennis, where he is pretty good. Brad plays hockey in a
men’s league, slo-pitch in the summer, and he also golfs.

Brad is a local boy who attended Banting Memorial High
School, studied at the College of Sports Media, interned
with Motoring TV; a car show, and did volunteering and
a co-op with Rogers during high school.
So what’s it really like to be the hosts of Simcoe County
Sports when it’s a local show? Craig and Brad both love
their jobs and enjoy talking to athletes, their families
and friends, coaches, and the spectators. Being a local
station, these two have to know how to do everything;
shooting, producing, editing, and hosting. They rely
heavily on volunteers and appreciate what they do for
them.
The news is often negative but sports coverage is usually
positive. Craig an