Meet Des Moines Register deputy sports editor Will Kennedy, a musical theater aficionado

Job: Deputy sports editor

Years at the Register: 3

I grew up in: Fort Lauderdale, Florida … and I’m quite proud of it.

I live in: Des Moines

I graduated from: The University of South Florida and Northwestern University

Family: My girlfriend, Kady, and my cat, Flo (short for Florida).

Email: [email protected]

Why journalism? Like most sports journalists, I grew up with a dream to play professional sports. Reality hit after a mediocre high school baseball career and one very bad season at the Division III level. Still, I wanted to stay around sports as much as possible, even if I wasn’t on the field. Once I started taking journalism classes, I fell in love with the profession. Unearthing impactful stories and giving a voice to the voiceless is more rewarding than I ever could have imagined.

My major responsibilities are: I oversee five staffers spread between Des Moines, Ames and Iowa City. I am primarily tasked with organizing our statewide high school sports coverage plans, which is particularly exciting around state tournament times. I also play a part in organizing our college sports coverage, assisting sports editor James Kramer when needed.

I like my job because: It’s never boring. With Iowa being the only state in the nation that has high school sports deep into the summer, there’s never truly an ‘offseason’ for me and my staff. I’m also fortunate to work with an elite group of reporters who are fantastic at their jobs and very fun to be around.

Some of the major stories I’ve been involved in covering recently: I planned and coordinated the Register’s coverage of the Drake Relays and the high school state wrestling and basketball tournaments. I also assisted sports editor James Kramer on all things March Madness.

Some stories I’m working on next: Some of our top summer sports coverage includes the state high school track meet, Iowa Speedway’s IndyCar and NASCAR events, state softball and baseball tournaments and Big Ten and Big 12 football media days.  

When I’m not working, I like to: Ride my bike on the trails Des Moines has to offer, cook something new in the kitchen and travel, mainly to visit friends scattered all across the country.

My favorite Iowa haunt: Hello Marjorie.

Fun fact about me: I absolutely adore musical theater and even have lyrics from “Les Misérables” tattooed on my arm.