BHS grad gets experience on youth show
Interviewing youth football players helps Skylar Ruth earn the improvisational skills she's been seeking.
Ruth, who is a 2015 Butler High graduate and a freshman at Point Park University, gets to test her skills as the host of the “Steelers Youth Football Show,” which airs at 10 a.m. Saturdays on ROOT Sports.
Interviews with the players provide her with a lot of material.
“It's a blast,” Ruth said. “They are so funny. I have them ask a question for one of the (Steelers) players. They want to ask 'What's your favorite dance move?' or 'Can I play you in Xbox?'”
Ruth, who is in her second year on the youth football show, was at the filming Saturday at Memorial Park in Butler. She was filming a game between teams from Butler Area Midget Football and Mars Youth Football.
The show is the next step in what Ruth hopes will blossom into a career in broadcasting. She auditioned with the Steelers as a ninth-grader and worked as a teen host for the McDonald's Steelers KidsZone Show.
“Everything about this is a great learning opportunity for me,” said Ruth. “When I was doing the other show, it was completely scripted. Everything I did was memorizing, then going out and performing. Here, you are working with your environment.”
Jared Robinson, who has been a producer on the show for six years, has enjoyed working with Ruth. When she was trying to get into colleges last year, Robinson provided a letter of recommendation.
“She's a quick study,” Robinson said. “She learns quickly and things she doesn't know she picks up. She asks questions and is a diligent worker.”
For the show, Ruth interviews players and fans and does on-camera work.
Robinson, who shoots highlights of games at all levels from professional to youth, says it's a valuable experience.
“There's something genuine about it,” Robinson said about why he likes the youth games. “I like high school football. Here at the youth level, from a creative aspect, we can get in there real tight and make things look good. Creatively, it's good because there are less restrictions.”
The show films at different places each week. Ruth said she's traveled as far as two hours to see youth football.
Ruth also has been trying to get the show to come to Butler. Following the game at Memorial Park, she went to Evans City as the second part of a doubleheader. There, she filmed Seneca Valley Junior Football, which played Highlands.
“We've actually asked a couple of times here and there if we could go to Butler,” Ruth said. “It was basically just scheduling, when we had an available week lined up. We didn't ask this year, and they scheduled it.”
Ruth, who lives on campus but grew up in Clearfield Township, hopes to continue doing so once her time at school is up.
“It would be a dream for me to be on TV,” Ruth said. “I love all the on-camera stuff I do on this show. I love working for the Steelers.”
Highlights from the Butler/Mars game will be on the program on Saturday, and highlights from the Seneca Valley/Highlands game will be on the Oct. 3 program.
