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Thomas Gamba will have quite the what-I-did-last-summer tale when he goes back to school in early September.
The 16-year–old from Garden City, an incoming junior at Chaminade High School, landed a big-time broadcasting gig for ESPN2’s “KidsCast” of Sunday night’s New York Yankees-Detroit Tigers Little League Classic game from Williamsport, PA.
“The whole ESPN experience, going behind the scenes, being on camera, that was just unreal,” he told Greater Long Island Monday while traveling home from a four-day stay in Williamsport, home of the Little League World Series.
Gamba secured his spot in the broadcast booth after winning a competition among seven other finalists from the Bruce Beck Sports Broadcasting Camp.
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The weeklong camp at Iona University in New Rochelle gives aspiring broadcasters a chance to learn from the longtime NBC4 New York sports anchor, as well as other faces and voices familiar to sports fans.
To win a shot at appearing on ESPN2, Gamba had to beat out more experienced finalists from the broadcaster’s “Veteran Camp,” as he was the only participant from Beck’s introductory-level “Rookie Camp.”
“It was really cool that Bruce had faith in me,” Gamba said. “The fact that they chose me as a finalist is just an honor, same with ESPN.”
Gamba has been sharpening his skills behind the microphone as a student at Chaminade, where he has done play-by-by and color commentary for Flyers football, soccer, lacrosse and volleyball games.
He also serves as executive producer of the all-boys school’s sports media group.
“Chaminade gives me so many opportunities to get better and I’ve used those opportunities to get better at my craft,” said Gamba, who also praised the sacrifices his mother, Allison, has made for his education.
So even before getting his permanent driver’s license in February, the soon-to-be high school junior has ESPN experience on his resume and an impressive addition to his broadcast reel.
He worked alongside fellow young broadcasters Owen Hefron, who was on his second KidsCast and Pepper Persley, who was making her third appearance on the ESPN baseball broadcast.
After arriving in Williamsport on Thursday, Gamba and his partners had to fine-tune the ins-and-outs of going live before a primetime Sunday night audience.
“It was pretty easy to know the Yankees because I live in New York, but I don’t live in Detroit, so it was a long process to learn about the Tigers,” he said. “We just prepared like crazy.”
Here’s a clip from the broadcast:
Thomas Gamba, a 16-year-old from Garden City, helped call Sunday's Yankees-Tigers game for ESPN.
— Greater Long Island 📰 (@Greater_LI) August 23, 2024
Here's a clip from the broadcast:
Credit: ESPN pic.twitter.com/PvZCQmE2hS
He was able to work in the booth alongside New York pitching-great-turned-broadcaster David Cone and conduct in-game interviews with Nestor Cortes, Oswaldo Cabrera and Ben Rice of the Yankees and the Tigers’ Kerry Carpenter.
Gamba also met Bronx Bombers superstar Aaron Judge, a “nice guy” whose handshake left an impression on the 16-year-old.
“As I said on the broadcast, his hands were ‘ginormous’ and it was crazy shaking his hand,” he said. “For him to recognize us as the KidsCasters is really cool.
“He is an icon in the New York sports world and I will forever remember that surreal moment.”
Gamba’s starring role on the Sunday night broadcast flooded his phone — “I had it on ‘Do Not Disturb’ during the game,” he said — as texts and calls poured in from friends and Chaminade classmates.
“My phone was blowing up,” he said.
Gamba, whose brother Christian will enter the Mineola school as a freshman this year, said he plans to use the ESPN experience “as a teaching moment for the rest of the guys.”
And he said he’s ready to do whatever is necessary to fulfill his dream of breaking out as a mult-isport broadcaster.
But first, he’s got Flyers football and soccer games to call this fall.
“This is just one step towards my goal,” Gamba said. “I’m ready to grind, I’m ready to work hard and I know that if I continue to work hard, I will reach my goal someday.”
Top: Photo of Thomas Gamba during ESPN’s “KidsCast” segment. (Credit: Allison Gamba)
