Bill Schoening has climbed up the ladder of success during his 30 years of broadcasting. He knows firsthand it takes hardwork and persistence to reach your goals in life.

“You have to be humble,” Schoening said. “You might have to start at a small publication or a news station, but hardwork is the most important thing to succeed.”

Schoening, who is the voice of the San Antonio Spurs for WOAI 1200, will be part of Mass Comm Week on Wednesday. He will give his insight into sports broadcasting and also talking about the importance of working hard and climbing up the ladder.

“You’re not going to get ahead because you have a cousin or an uncle that works somewhere,” Schoening said. “It’s a competitive world out there and you have to work hard to get to where you want to be.”

Schoening grew up in Philadelphia Pennsylvania and knew that broadcasting was calling at the age of 10.

The Spurs broadcaster attended Temple University after high school but then transferred to  the American Academy of Broadcasting in Philadelphia.

He attended the academy because the institution gave him the opportunity as a freshman to get hands on experience in broadcasting, whereas at Temple, he would have to wait until his junior year.

“I was chomping at the bit to do broadcasting,” Schoening said. “I was able to get hands on experience doing music, sports, and news right away.”

Schoening began his career doing local high school sports in Pana, Illinois before transferring to Lamesa to do high school broadcasting for its high school.

Shortly after, he did play by play for Sam Houston State for six years before being offered a job at the University of Texas at Austin, where he did play by play for its major sports programs for 12 years.

In September 2001, he was hired to be the Spurs play by play man. This season will be his 10th season with the organization.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Schoening said. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure that I am not dreaming that I am here.”

Schoening paid a lot of dues in his 30 years of broadcasting to get to the level that he is at today as the Spurs play by play man for WOAI 1200.

Wednesday, his message to  mass comm students is that persistence pays off.