Full Sail Stories

A longtime Los Angeles sports fan, Southern California native Bryan Flores has always been influenced by his love for competition. So when deciding how to channel his passion into a career, it was only natural for Bryan and his warm personality to gravitate toward sports broadcasting.

“Sports, especially during my childhood, were an outlet. Going to Staples Center to watch the Kings was better than going to Disneyland because it was a magical place [for me]. Even going to Dodger Stadium now still gives me that feeling, and I want to give other people that feeling,” says Bryan.

Finding Full Sail’s Sportscasting bachelor’s program helped Bryan hone his skills in broadcasting, allowing him to develop his on-air talents while learning from instructors with years of industry experience.

“The person who I really have to take my hat off to is [Sportscasting instructor] Gordy Hershiser. He treats your grade like, ‘Here's your benchmark, you're at a C,’ and he gives you coaching on how you can get back up to a B or an A. And he taught me a lot,” shares the grad.

Bryan also gained hands-on experience at Full Sail by shoutcasting for Armada, the university’s esports team. When traditional sports teams paused their operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, Armada gave Bryan the opportunity to announce for esports matches in titles like Rocket League.

Armed with the skills developed during Full Sail’s accelerated bachelor’s program and his time with Armada, Bryan jumped into the professional world, eager to take any opportunity to break into broadcasting. By starting in local high school and collegiate sports, Bryan was able to build his reputation, leading to a road paved with opportunity.

“I got my start in Los Angeles. I started as Director of Broadcasting for the USC Trojans, and I moved on to the LA Kings High School Hockey League and then on to the USPHL [United States Premiere Hockey League] Long Beach Shredders. That's when I got the call to move out to Bismarck, North Dakota, to announce for the Bismarck Bobcats.

“Even if you're [announcing] for free, or even if you're not doing it at a professional level, like if you’re working at a local hockey game or a local baseball game, you have to go through the motions,” shares Bryan. “No one comes into the booth ready to be the next Vin Scully. You have to work your way up there.”

Today, Bryan is working his way to his dreams of announcing for the NHL, recently wrapping up his first season with the Federal Prospects Hockey League and the Baton Rouge Zydeco as their Director of Broadcasting and Communications. In addition to calling games solo, Bryan also serves as a liaison to Baton Rouge media outlets while managing on-air graphics.

As he’s progressed, Bryan has enjoyed seeing the step-up in professionalism with each new gig, saying, “Going up the ladder, it's really cool to see the evolution. When I was the USPHL announcer, our booth was one of those foldable tables in between two bleachers, so fans were just bumping into us and we're just like, ‘Give us space,’” he laughs.

“Now, I'm in a stadium, a stadium that seats over 8,000. It's cool to be part of this professionally – because that's what it is. It's professional.”

Bryan says his goal is to keep climbing, chasing that childhood spark he feels in LA ballparks and stadiums. “I want to make it as far as I can when it comes to sports, because it's just giving people that feeling I had as a kid and making their day. For me, it makes everything worthwhile.”