Amanda Wood was born in the city of Gainesville and home of the Gators where she developed her passion for sports. She attended Keystone Heights High School and became involved in several athletic programs including Volleyball, Softball, Competitive Weightlifting, and Competitive Cheerleading.
Her interest in broadcasting began in 9th grade when she started as the morning news anchor for her high school. Upon graduation, she attended Santa Fe College where she achieved her Associate’s degree in Journalism in May 2012. Prior to graduating from Santa Fe, she transferred to the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications where she specialized in the sports department, earning a degree in Telecommunication News & Broadcasting.
In her first semester at Florida, Amanda began her radio work on the All Sports Radio Reading Service where she researched and reported the latest sports news for the local Digital Audio Broadcast(DAB) radios, which are used by the clinically blind. In Fall 2012, Amanda joined Florida’s Innovation News Facility where she began interning for ESPN 850 WRUF. While there, she broadcasted live and recorded local sports updates on the radio’s commercial breaks and wrote interactive sports web stories for http://www.WRUF.com
She continued to work with ESPN 850 WRUF through the Spring and took the role of beat reporter for Gators Baseball. During the Spring, Amanda passed the highly competitive sports news test, allowing her to enroll in the sports news writing course where she was assigned various feature projects on Gator athletes, coaches, and professional athletes. Along with sports, Amanda passed the highly competitive news placement test which allowed her to enroll into the Electronic News 1 course. While in this course, she worked in the news part of the Innovation News Facility to research, attend, and report local news events for WUFT-FM.
In the Summer of 2013, Amanda stayed in Gainesville to enroll in Television News 1 where she learned how to be in front of and behind the camera for news. She was assigned reporting shifts for the Innovation News Facility where she traveled the town to film local stories for WUFT News.
Beginning in Florida Football’s spring practice in 2013, Amanda took a position with http://www.FightinGators.com for the Gators Football team. She filmed all player and coach interviews, hosted recruits on camera for a personality profile, hosted Gator insiders on camera for video content and wrote stories for the website’s premium content subscribers. During home football games, Amanda attended the press box and post-game media access to film these player interviews with her own camera. She also attended various high school football games showcasing top recruits during interviews. Following Florida’s home games and mid-week media, Amanda hosts Gator insider Cody Jones for recaps and inside information on Gators football.
During the Fall of 2014, Amanda enrolled in the graduate course Television News 3, where she wrote, shot and edited packages, as well as broadcasted live shots for the 6pm newscast on WUFT-channel 5. Also during the Fall, Amanda anchored and produced the sports segment for WUFT First at 5.
Amanda continued to pursue opportunities in sports production through 2015 as she accepted a position with FOX 13 Sports in Tampa Bay. In this role, she assisted in the development of FOX 13’s sports segment as an intern production assistant throughout the Spring. She edited and created compelling sports packages and vosots for the 5pm, 6pm, 10pm and 11pm shows, while also assisting in the production of live sports casts from different locations in Tampa. Amanda was also able to film and interview professional players and coaches in the Tampa Bay area including the Buccaneers, Lightning, Rays and more. She took part in many big time sports news during this time such as the Rays getting a new GM, the Lightning going to the Stanley Cup, the Buccaneers getting the first pick in the draft, preseason baseball with the Grapefruit League and even the Valspar Championship. Highlighting her time in Tampa, Amanda attended the opening night of Gaither High School baseball. This was a special night for Tampa, as the Rays General Manager Kevin Cash returned to his high school to honor his long time baseball coach’s retirement. Amanda assisted in the broadcast of FOX 13’s sports segment from this location, while Chip Carter interviewed Kevin Cash and his coach Frank Permuy. Also highlighting her time in Tampa, Amanda was able to cover the Lightning as they were hunting for a spot in the Stanley Cup. She attended morning skates and interviewed Jon Cooper and Lightning players in the locker room as they were taking on the Detroit Red Wings on their way to the Stanley Cup.
As a recent graduate from the University of Florida in May of 2015, Amanda is currently on the hunt to begin her career in sports. She is exploring many opportunities and appreciates any information or advice given.
Amanda Wood 
Look’s like you’re killing the game girl! Love your sports blog!!! If your blog is just a snippet of all that you do, I can’t wait to see you on TV!
Doing a great job. Proud of you.