Charlie Tipton
SPORTS JOURNALIST & CONTENT CREATOR
JOURNEY & BACKGROUND
Ever since I could speak or think, I have been passionate about storytelling.
I started producing content in 2016 during my first production internship at Fox Sports Midwest. Over the course of three months, I created a 30-page project, which was utilized in pregame broadcasts for St. Louis Blues Hockey.
In the fall of 2017, I was referred to TheGameHaus.com to write long-form content. I published two articles per week through the spring of 2018. My articles were posted on the company website and across several Reddit channels.
In the following fall of 2018, I became a member of the St. Louis Blues In-Game Entertainment Team. I spent my time writing copy for the in-game presentation while developing interpersonal skills by way of interacting with the club’s fans and consumers on game days through June 2019.
Before finishing my education, I gained further valuable experience as a Junior Copywriter at BAM Marketing Agency. My most notable work comprised of a 12-page marketing research project that investigated the backgrounds of over fifty collegiate athletes. The project was used in the media coverage for the company-sponsored College Football All-Star Game.
After finishing my degree in December of 2022, I started working for my family business in St. Louis. But, I knew I wanted to create my own path. So, over the last year, I have been educating myself on content creation for social media and have fallen in love with the process.
Sticking to what I know and what I am most passionate about, hockey has been the main theme. There has been plenty to learn from a technical standpoint, but the digital media ideation skillset has been there from the start.
Skills
Articles/Social Media Posts
Copywriting/Ghostwriting
Short-Form & Long-Form Content
Marketing Research
Creative Thinking
Interpersonal Skills
Focuses & Interests
Sports (Business of, Local Teams, History, Trends)
Pop Culture (Music, Movies, Narratives)
Self-Development (Habits, Mindset, Social Skills, Growth)
Team-Oriented Collaboration
Education
Maryville University - BA Degree in Psychology
Companies worked for:
Resume:
EDUCATION
Maryville University
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Graduated December 2022
Honor Student
St. Louis, MO
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Expressions Furniture - Furniture business, owned by my family
St. Louis, MO
2022 – Present
Associate
Establishing brand presence by publishing impactful copy for organic and paid social media marketing and email marketing, as well as coordinating with interior design team to ensure consistent messaging
Own logistics for all furniture shipments and facilitate on-time delivery for $15M+ of product, achieving high customer satisfaction from all individual and commercial clients
Lead house calls for premier clients due to strong relationships with entire client base
BAM Marketing Agency
St. Louis, MO
2019 – 2020
Junior Copywriter
Created media best practices repository for student-athletes by building FAQ answers and suggested replies to media; deliverable used by media coverage team for College Football All-Star Game
Produced player profiles for 53 student-athletes by conducting interviews throughout 4-month period
Wrote copy for a wide range of advertising campaigns directly used by company clients
Spearheaded marketing research projects for company-sponsored events
St. Louis Blues - NHL hockey team
St. Louis, MO
2018 –2019
In–Game Entertainment
Interfaced with clients and fans as representative of team to foster energizing gameday environment
Drafted detailed game notes including key storylines, trends, and player statistics for in-game production
Created player profiles ahead of each game – critical for production crew’s in-game player analysis
Retained as 1 of 2 remaining members of in-game entertainment team – 10 initially hired
The Game Haus - Digital media outlet
Cincinnati, OH
2017 –2018
Content Writer
Recognized as top author in the hockey section after first month of employment with company
Published 2 articles per week over 8-month period covering a variety of NHL-related topics
Company maintained personal author page on website due to quality and positive reception of work
Fox Sports Midwest – Regional TV network
St. Louis, MO
2016
Production Intern
Composed deliverable for the St. Louis Blues’ 50th season showcasing memorable highlights throughout history of team; strategized creative direction and executed content release in 2016 – 2017 season
Project utilized for all print, digital, and audio content related to St. Louis Blues’ 50th anniversary
Assisted team leaders in the production truck for the St. Louis Cardinals and worked with lead director to ensure lead producer’s vision for broadcasts was consistently carried out
SKILLS & INTERESTS
Skills: Copywriting, long-form & short-form content, digital content creation, ghostwriting, social media strategy
Interests: Hip-hop / rap music, sports films, fiction writing, St. Louis Blues & Cardinals, nutrition
Writing Samples
Writing Sample #1
The following excerpt comes from the first article I published at The Game Haus. It illustrates aspects of hockey and connects them with aspects of life. There is a small cohort of fans who live and die by this sport. In order to meet their passion, I sought to weave as much emotion as possible into this piece.
Hockey in Two Words: Battle and Grind
(Excerpt from article posted on thegamehaus.com)
The terms battle and grind are so ingrained into the minds of hockey players and die-hard followers of the sport. It is so overwhelming that they find their way into fans’ and players’ everyday lives. The difficulty for outsiders to comprehend is vast. But, over time, it becomes more seamless of a transition as curiosity becomes intrigue. This is when one comes to realize that hockey is the most captivating and competitive sport to either play or follow.
Hockey season technically comes to an end after seven months of a grueling 82-game schedule that is followed by eight weeks of postseason play. But, when you add it all together with the draft, free agency and training camp, the sport becomes a 12-month long battle and grind.
A battle is “a fight between people or groups where each side attempts to win a contest.” It is not defined or illustrated any better than in the grind of the NHL regular, post, and offseason. It is one of the few places where you will constantly hear the importance of “winning your 1-on-1 battles,” “getting it deep,” “to the net,” and “going North.”
Your 1-on-1’s stem from the desire to gain possession of the puck, as Jaden Schwartz (St. Louis Blues) best illustrates shift after shift. It is the puck possessor that will gain an opportunity to put the puck into the back of the opposing team’s net. These battles in the sport can be related to almost any desire in life. Battling for a degree, a masters, or occupation all fit into this category.
Every goal in life, like hockey, has its obstacles. Therefore, as long as the goalie is guarding their net, you gotta get it deep as well. Deep is used when getting the puck into the offensive zone where the opposing team’s net is placed. You get it deep, win your 1-on-1 battles, and you generate an opportunity to score. Getting it to the net and going north is simple. It highlights the relentless attack of scoring and moving forward. All you can ask for in the game of hockey, and in life, is a chance to succeed and achieve your goals. Some have it easier than others, but everyone has to battle.
A grind is “a movement that has great difficulty and friction.” 31 organizations compete every year for one big, silver, shiny Cup named Stanley. This causes hatred between teams and fans on their quest for that trophy. It is the hardest trophy to win in sports. The journey towards it, is not on foot, nor land, and with more parity than any sport by far.
Writing Sample #2
This next excerpt comes from the article I am most proud of from my time at The Game Haus. My pride stems from the hard work completed around the writing process. As a spectator, I sensed a divide between a particular athlete and the rest of his team. To confirm my hypothesis, I spoke at length with people in close contact with members of the organization. Once I felt like I had sufficient information, I got to work.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work?
(Excerpt from article posted on thegamehaus.com)
Eighteen skaters, two goalies, and a coaching staff suit up on a nightly basis with two points on the line. It happens 82 times throughout the year for a particular team. This then continues past mid April if those 82 games go particularly well. The unit has a common goal. They want to win 16 games beyond those 82 matchups and win a glorious trophy for a starving community.
What do those champions say night after night? “We got a good group of guys in this locker room.” “You know everyone’s fighting for each other. One guy goes down, then another steps up.” - It’s the same dialogue used by virtually every club that has ever become a champion. For those that mean what they say, does that truly have an impact on the team’s ability to capture those 16 elusive victories?
No team ever understands why they do not come out victorious unless they blatantly do not have the talent to measure up. Players are always seen crying, saying how much they love their teammates after they lose four out of seven in a playoff series. As Jack Black states in The School of Rock though, “you can’t just say it man, you gotta feel it in your blood and guts.”
Dmitrij Jaskin came into the league on draft day with a smile on his face. The young star recorded a 99-point season in just 51 games for his junior team before arriving in St. Louis. Then, in the very first game he played on December 28th, 2013, the fans in attendance saw him score for the first time and be embraced by his teammates. Since then, he has struggled. During the 2016-17 season, he had an abysmal 1.8 shooting percentage. What changed?
On November 22nd, 2016, a goal was scored with Dmitrij on the ice. Then, in an effort to celebrate with his teammate, his fellow defenseman skated right past him with no embrace. Are they not entirely connected as a group? Up until this point in time, that team has never won a championship. It might be overthinking, simply looking at statistics and small non-interactions. But, when players yell “come on boys!” to everyone on the bench and inside the locker room, one would hope each member truly feels a part of that brotherhood.
Writing Sample #3
The moment discussed in the excerpt below was a part of the anniversary project at Fox Sports. It was the most historic night in the organization’s history, making it critical to capture. The most improbable of comebacks brought the city of St. Louis to “insane life,” so there had to be a captivating build followed by a definitive end. I had never been more focused when consuming old footage and reading about these moments in time, which set the tone for the rest of my writing experiences. Storytelling can be impactful and making an impact is my aim.
May 12th, 1986 – The Monday Night Miracle
The Blues trailed the Calgary Flames 4-1 at the end of the 2nd period at the St. Louis Arena. It was Game Six of the Clarence Campbell Conference Final in a series they were behind three games to two. A loss here would have meant the end of yet another unsuccessful playoff run. Many fans headed toward the exits, knowing it would take a miracle at this point for their season to continue. But, what was to come was something those that remained would remember forever.
The Blues got an early goal in the third and final period from Doug Wickenheiser to make it 4-2 to give the crowd some much needed hope. Joe Mullen of the Flames, the former Blue, then quickly made it 5-2 on a one timer from the top of the slot with twelve minutes to play. Loyal fans stayed simply on a point of pride, understanding the slim to none possibility of coming back. However, four minutes later, Brian Sutter responded on a rebound kicked out by Flames goalie Mike Vernon on the far side of the ice. The Blues’ captain slammed it home to make it 5-3 with 8:08 to play. Greg Paslawski made it 5-4 from point blank range with four minutes to go on a beautiful backhand pass from Sutter in the near corner. Then, with under a minute remaining on the clock and hearts racing, Greg Paslawski does it again. The pesky Blue comes from behind the net and steals the puck from the Calgary defenseman with a quick stick lift. Then, Paslawski slings the puck past Vernon, falling to his knees to send the game into overtime. The crowd comes back to insane life. Disbelief and overwhelming excitement met with fans busting back into the building. Doug Wickenheiser capped the night with the game winning goal. A rebound was sent into the open net after a shot by Mark Hunter was stopped from the far circle just seven and a half minutes into overtime.
Tears were shed, glass surrounding the ice was possibly damaged in celebration, and memories were made that would last a lifetime.
The Blues would overcome two three-goal deficits and eventually win 6-5, forcing a series-deciding Game Seven meeting in Calgary. The triumph soon became known as The Monday Night Miracle, which many consider to be the greatest moment in Blues History.
Marketing Research
As a member of the St. Louis Blues organization, I understood the marketing aspects of a sporting event. Creating engaging content, hitting your target audience, and relying on partnerships drives results. The experience prepared me for my next opportunity at BAM Marketing Agency.
What I also gathered from previous engagements was that a willingness to learn is paramount. I had not collaborated with a production team before Fox Sports Midwest. I had not participated in journalistic writing before The Game Haus. I had not written for large scale events before my time with the Blues. But, I accepted each challenge positively, which was key when taking on assignments at the agency.
My main project ended up involving media assistance for the College Football All-Star Game that they sponsored. Player background stories were to be highlighted for their media pressors.
Senior leadership gave praise and I understood the importance of team collaboration.
1 of 53 Players Researched - Branden Bowen - Media Bullet Notes from Project
Branden pursued a girl named Kate Lindsey who swore she did not want to date a football player in 2017..They now plan to get married.
That season in 2017, Bowen became a starter for Ohio State, but broke his tibia and fibula in the 6th game of the season that he had to battle all the way back from and reclaim his starting job at the beginning of this past season.
I would definitely discuss his relationship journey with Kate, his injury obstacles, and how it coincides with his football journey at Ohio State.
The above notes piqued my interest in comparison to most. First of all, I am a sucker for a good love story. The most memorable for me are the ones you least expect. It had to bolster Branden’s football mindset in my eyes. Then, after reaching his first mountain top at Ohio State, he suffered devastating injuries he had to battle back from. Along with a good love story, redemption for me is right up there as well.
I had been fearful my notes were not usable, simply because it was my first try. Therefore, to get positive feedback from my colleagues was incredible.