Communication Alum Chris Petersen '89 Talks About 'Youth Sports Live'

Chris Petersen '89, a School of Communication alum, came back to the University on Thursday, Oct. 15, to speak to students about the startup company Youth Sports Live Broadcasting, Inc.

Petersen is the Vice President of Sales and League Relations for the company, which was started by his former Hartford baseball teammate and former Major League Baseball player Jeff Bagwell and three other individuals.

The company delivers live streaming broadcasts, accessed at www.youthsportslive.com, of over 200 Little League games. Their services also include Replay-on-Demand and DVDs of youth sports games. For just $14.95 a month, family members can re-watch their player's first homerun or the first game in which they pitched, over and over again.

Petersen spoke about his time here at the University and his first jobs right out of college.  He talked about his hesitancy when approached by his best friends to leave his career as a history teacher to help start the company, but told his audience that you "have to trust your partners in order to be successful. You have to trust your partners and believe in an idea."

The idea behind the company was a result of the men having to miss their children's baseball games. "It is heart-wrenching to miss your child's games and this website allows everyone from parents, to grandparents, to the players themselves to watch the games or re-watch the games," Petersen said. He said that the market for Little League was great, but coverage of the games was non-existent, creating a perfect opportunity for them to make their mark.

Students asked Petersen questions ranging from information about the company to his advice on how to achieve goals. When asked if the company would expand to include other sports, he replied that at this time they were perfecting coverage of baseball and softball but in time he was sure they would expand.

Petersen concluded the lecture by giving an encouraging message to students on making the most out of their time here at the University of Hartford. The event was sponsored by the student group, Hawk Sports Television.