Lynner Jessica Starbard ready for sports broadcasting job in Michigan

Jessica Starbard admits she?s a bit embarrassed that someone wants to do a story on what is essentially her first job in the broadcasting business.?My first job,” says Starbard, who will start an assignment as the sports anchor for WBKB, Channel 11, television in Alpena, Mich., next week, “and someone wants to do a big story on it.”However, women in the sports broadcasting field — in whatever capacity — have come into sharp focus in the last two weeks thanks to WEEI radio personality Kirk Minihane?s controversial comments about FOX reporter Erin Andrews.Starbard, daughter of Lynn School Committeeman Richard Starbard and his wife, Lois, has her own perspective on this.?He?s not the first person to say something like that (calling out Andrews in crude terms for what he perceived to be her lack of journalistic aggression during a post-All-Star Game interview),” said Starbard, “and I don?t think he?ll be the last, either. And that?s unfortunate.?I wish there was mutual respect for one another,” she said. “But as far as I can see, the Minihanes of the world are few and far between. Most of the people I?ve dealt with are very nice, and very helpful. They?re good people to work with.”But she?s realistic too.?That?s probably not always going to be the case,” she said. “That kind of criticism might come. All you can do is keep your head down, and do the job you?re supposed to be doing.”Starbard, who graduated from Lynn English in 2009 and got her degree from Northeastern, was always a sports fan growing up. The trouble is, she never considered herself particularly adept at team sports.?I didn?t play them,” she said. “I tried them all, and failed miserably. If English had a ski team, I?d have been on that. I love to ski, and I?m pretty good at it.”She also likes to play golf, but, as she jokes, “I don?t think golf likes me playing it very much.”If she likes to ski, her new job venue will be just the place for her. Alpena is five hours north of Detroit, “and (her new station) is more into outdoorsy sports,” she said. “Right now, they?re in the middle of a fishing tournament.”Starbard was an intern at Channel 7 for a year, and ultimately ended up — after passing the writing test — as a news writer. She also was a sideline reporter for the Everett cable station last fall for the Crimson Tide?s football game.?She was always professional, enthusiastic and well-prepared,” says Paul Halloran, who was on the broadcast team with her. “I knew she?d get a job in the business. That was her goal. She?s paying her dues. She has all the elements to be successful.”She found out about the Michigan job from a friend, interviewed last Thursday and was offered the job that very night. She accepted the next day.?We?ll be doing a lot of high school stuff,” she said, “and a lot of the outdoors stuff. But we?ll also be getting feeds from all the major professional and college sports in Michigan too.?It?s fun working with high school kids who aren?t expecting the coverage,” she said. “We make them feel like rock stars.”Her ultimate goal is to come back to Boston “and report about the teams I?ve loved, and followed, for all my life,” she said. “I can?t think of anything better than reading the sports to my family and friends. I grew up wanting to do this.”