As a child, Chris McKendry was faced with a choice: play anything she wanted, but do it alone; or play sports, and enjoy the company of three energetic brothers.
“When you grow up with three brothers, if you want to have a playmate, you have to do what they are doing,” says the 1990 communications graduate. “So I was exposed to athletics at an early age. I would go play soccer with them, or go shoot hoops. I am a Title IX child.”
Her love of sports continued at Drexel, where she played three years of tennis under head coach Laura White. After graduating, McKendry worked in television sports broadcasting in Minnesota and Washington, D.C., before landing a job at ESPN in 1996. She has been there ever since, currently as the mid-day anchor of the popular “SportsCenter” news program. And her days of tennis didn’t end at Drexel — she hosts Grand Slam tennis events around the world and covered Wimbledon in 2007. Since 2010, she has covered the Australian, French and U.S. Opens.
This summer, hosting the Wimbledon Championships, the “crown jewel” of tennis tournaments, stands as her most prestigious assignment to date, she says.
McKendry spoke to Drexel Magazine about growing up in a sports family, how she ended up at Drexel and how she made the transition from tennis courts to television studios.
Why did you choose to attend Drexel?
I grew up in Northeast Philadelphia. My brother Dan (a 1989 graduate) was on a soccer scholarship at Drexel before I went there. He was a goalkeeper for the soccer team, and that’s when I was first exposed to the school. I played a lot of tennis and I really love the sport — I felt really comfortable at Drexel, a school with so many commuters and athletes who really stuck together.
I am a city kid at heart. I knew after visiting a couple of schools a city school would suit me best. That was Drexel. Even today, I truly miss the vitality and energy of city living.
How did your tennis career at Drexel help you get into broadcasting?
I played three years and going into my fourth I got my first job in television. It was a full-time job at the KYW studios for Westinghouse, where I was a field producer for sports. I chose to leave the team to start my professional career. But, [my tennis coach] Laura [White] was so good about it and said, “You came here [to Drexel] to go to school and get a job.” I got an earlier start to my career than others.
What were some of the pivotal experiences for you at Drexel? Who were some professors or coaches who made a significant impression on you?
I was a student interested in communications at an engineering school, and I wanted to work in sports broadcasting. I went against the norm. I had a lot of incredible opportunities at Drexel with the co-op program. You get out there in the real world and make contacts. You head into the city and find a job in your field. People were going off to work all the time. [White] was a great influence for encouraging me. She is so passionate about athletics, and she was a great role model for us at that time because she was starting a family of her own.
Did you consider yourself a pioneer early in your career?
I don’t consider myself a pioneer at all. It was just something new (for a woman in Washington sports). Now it seems like every (woman) who comes to ESPN comes from Washington — there are so many of us. I was only 24 in Washington. I was just trying to get hired and hang on to a job in this industry. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t a novelty. I really know sports and I really know broadcasting. And I’m also a writer. I have always written everything for myself — nobody has ever written a word for me.
What excites you about working for ESPN?
The people I meet, really, and the people I interview. It is still my passion for sports – I absolutely love sports. I continue to improve; that has been the most thrilling thing for me. It honestly takes so many reps to be good at broadcasting, to be good at hosting a show that is on the air as much as we are. For the Australian Open, I am on the air about 120 hours in two weeks.
What was it like to have been given the opportunity to host the 2014 Wimbledon Championships?
Wimbledon completes my career grand slam as a host. I believe that it’s important, especially for women, not to be afraid to let your goals be known, not in an entitled way, but with an attitude that says you’re willing to work for it. I made it known that hosting Wimbledon is something I’d like someday. It’s been hard-earned and I’m prepared for it.