A Day in the Life: Sportscaster Maria Serrao

Maria Serrao sits front-row at some of sport’s biggest events. As the only female TV sports broadcaster in the country who uses a wheelchair, she’s covered Super Bowls, World Series, Stanley Cup Finals and more. “There are so many moments that you just kind of pinch yourself and say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I was there,’” she says. 

Ironically, Serrao never played sports or aspired to be a journalist when she was growing up. Born and raised in Thousand Oaks, California, her dream from early childhood was to be an actress. At the age of 5, she was severely injured when her mother’s car was hit by a drunk driver. “Doctors said my spinal cord was stretched, not severed. They said I’d probably never get out of bed,” she says. “My parents didn’t believe that and pushed me to be as active as possible. I did regain some movement and sensation, but use a wheelchair full time.” 

In her early 20s, Serrao got out of a bad relationship and gained 50 pounds. Her doctor didn’t believe a wheelchair user could lose weight. She not only proved him wrong, but she teamed up with her personal trainer to produce a public access TV show and videos showing different ways wheelchair users could exercise. “During that time, I started thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could have some professional athletes showing how they rehab and doing the same exercises side by side with me?’ I started cold-calling all these professional teams in the area,” she says. “Nobody thought they would come on this little show, but they did.” 

Aware of her NFL knowledge, a Cox Media producer in San Diego invited her to host a show two years later. “I started covering the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders. It was just all about football, which I loved,” Serrao says. “After a while they asked me to be their sports anchor and cover all the professional teams in LA. I didn’t know anything about baseball, hockey or basketball, but I said, ‘This is an opportunity, and I’m going to go for it.’” 

For the past 15 years, she has worked for RPVtv in Rancho Palos Verde, California, which airs her weekly sports show, Playing the Field. Here is what her typical day looks like. 

6:00 a.m. I’m an early riser. I make a list every day of what needs to be done that day. I’m not really a breakfast eater but I absolutely have to start my morning with the first of many Diet Cokes throughout the day. I’m kind of addicted to it. I like to get all my chores done early, like grocery shopping, laundry, getting gas. There are no weekends in this business, so I have to take advantage of my free time when I get it.

8:00 a.m. As I plan my day I’ll check my email. I get quite a few emails from journalism students with disabilities wanting to break into the industry and looking for advice. I tell them I had so many TV stations turn me down and refuse to give me an opportunity because they were nervous about hiring someone with a disability. The interesting part is, none of the athletes I interview or the teams I work with care that I’m in a wheelchair: They treat me just like any other reporter. I tell these students, do not let people tell you no — it can be done. Just keep going.

11:00 a.m. I wear many hats — producing, writing and editing my weekly show. The show is about sharing athletes’ stories. I’ve had the opportunity to interview so many stars, like Kobe Bryant, Albert Pujols, Aaron Donald, Mario Andretti. Research is key to getting to know these guys on a personal level. I don’t look at them any differently than anyone else. Others see them as superstars, [but] I just get to see who they are as people. That is what I love the most about my job, learning about who they are and telling their stories.

12:30 p.m. I’m on my phone, calling public relations people to set up interviews. I don’t have an assistant, and in this business it’s all about building personal relationships.

2:30 p.m. I arrive at Dodger Stadium with my cameraman. I’ve been to Dodger Stadium countless times, but if I’m going to a place I’ve never been, I leave early so I have time to figure out how to get around. The game doesn’t start until 7:30 p.m., but there is always so much to do. Today, I’m filming a story on the Dodger Stadium DJ.

Serrao interviews Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua.

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TV acting credits:

21 Jump Street, Knots Landing and Prison Break.

Biggest fangirl moment:

Interviewing Indy race car driver Mario Andretti. It was early in my career, and I was so nervous because he had always been an idol of mine. He could not have been nicer.

4:30 p.m. I head into the locker room and interview some of the players, and shoot some video of them warming up before the game. People are shocked I get to the game so early, but those hours go by so fast.

7:30 p.m. By the time the game starts, I usually grab dinner. At Dodger Stadium they have a kitchen where they cook for media. All the newer stadiums are very accessible, but for some of the older stadiums, it takes extra time to access the field.

9:00 p.m. I start to head home. Early in my career when I was still trying to learn about all the sports I was covering, I would stay for every game, but as my show developed into stories about the athletes and the different things that go on in sports, there isn’t a need for me to stay and film a game recap unless it’s playoffs or something big happened in the game.

9:30 p.m. There is a huge gym in the building I live in. I try to work out for 30 minutes to an hour. It just depends on what I’m doing that day. I do a combination of stuff. I do a lot of core work, stretching, yoga and cardio.

10:30 p.m. I am a longtime General Hospital fan, so I’ll go to my phone and watch that day’s episode. It’s my guilty pleasure. After that I’ll head to bed so I can get an early start editing the story we shot today.  

Follow Serrao on X at @MariaSports or playingthefieldtv.com.