By Kim Hilsenbeck
You don’t hear about many 13-year old entrepreneurs. But Hayden Oswalt isn’t your typical teenager. This Dahlstrom Middle School student will join the ranks of media organizations as he covers the X Games in Austin later this week.
AustinXcite.com is where Hayden will offer his unique perspective into the games, the athletes, the fans and the atmosphere of the event.
Why the X Games — does he skate board or ride bikes?
“I’m an inside kid. I don’t really do any sports,” Hayden said during an interview at the Hays Free Press last week.
But the X Games, he said, are different.
“It’s things you couldn’t see anywhere else,” he said.
Hayden started this endeavor with his dad, Ron Oswalt. And in terms of news reporting, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Ron began as a sports reporter at a college in Mississippi, his home state. Ron is a now a sports marketing consultant and CEO of his own company, SportsMarketingExperts.com
For several years he also ran an arena football team in Austin. But he said writing and photography are his passion.
“I wanted to teach him my skills,” he said.
Ron said Hayden loves video games and computers, but just never was big into playing team sports.
“We tried to find one for him,” Ron said.
But it wasn’t in the cards.
Each weekend, the two partake in what they call “Adventure Saturday.” With an older son playing college football, Ron makes time to spend with Hayden doing whatever it is he wants to do, which recently included redecorating his room into a garage, complete with repainted parts from junkyards and about 70 license plates from across the country.
As far as the X Games, Hayden considers that a project with his dad, too.
The father-son team are working together using many of Ron’s contacts in both media and sports industries.
But Hayden is bringing his own style and approach to the project.
“My point of view is different from adults,” Hayden said. “I plan to go and get meetings with drivers and just BMXers and everybody who is there.”
Ron is working with Hayden to set the media schedule for their time at the event, which takes place at the Circuit of the Americas in south eastern Travis County.
Hayden worked with his dad on creating the website. At the games, he will conduct interviews, video interviews and events, blog and take photographs.
“He’s a very good photographer,” Ron said. “He’s got the eye and the angle.”
He said his son’s writing has also improved.
“He watches You Tube videos [about the X Games] and blogs every day. I call it ‘X Games homework’,” Ron said.
Hayden already has advertisers on his website.
Ron said it’s not crazy money, but it will establish a college fund — and perhaps some fun money for an Xbox.
Hayden is about to start using Twitter and already uses Facebook. His site has several hundred likes already.
Following an event in Bastrop recently where Hayden was blogging, the energy drink maker Rock Star has already reached out to possibly advertise on the teen’s website.
“It’s just cool what I learn from [the experience],” Hayden said. “It’s fun, but when we’re all done, I can learn from this. This can help me in life at some point.”
Ron said the skills Hayden is learning now will help sustain him through college.
If this endeavor is successful, Ron said the popularity and reach of the X Games in Austin will only grow, which will allow Hayden’s success to grow as well.
A Buda Chamber of Commerce member told Ron that Hayden will be the youngest billionaire in Hays County someday.
Hayden said he is also prepared for the criticism that comes from being in the public eye.
“There are always those people,” Hayden said.
But Ron explained that Hayden can also learn from the naysayers.
The teen is also trying to prepare for long days and hard work at the X Games.
“I’ve already warned him it’s going to be 12-hour days in the heat,” Ron said. “It’s going to be a great learning experience.”
Aside from their work together on AustinXcite.com, Hayden and Ron are looking forward to a summer filled with fishing, ball games, races, swimming and more.
