Meet A Roo: Cody Tapp

Before Cody Tapp lent his voice to 610 Sports Radio, UMKC communications professor Peter Morello saw something unique in the UMKC alumni. 

  “Cody was a leader, both free-spirited and had such a high capacity for discipline,” Morello said. “I knew that he was destined to go far. Cody had a very curious mind, and when a student is curious and really wants to gain something from your class, then it makes it such a pleasure to work with them.”

  Tapp’s curiosity played a key factor in working for KRoo, UMKC’s student radio station. When he didn’t know where to start, Tapp and fellow Roo Ryan Witkowski bought all the equipment, set it up and taught themselves how to use it. His first experience with being a radio personality started when he announced games for the Kansas City Roos.  

  After calling a plethora of games, Tapp wasn’t sure that he would enter the world of journalism. During his time, he ended up editing and narrating a documentary for Morello that aired on Kansas City Public Television (KCPT) while working alongside three-time regional Emmy award-winner Nick Haines. 

“I decided in what capacity [journalism] was going to present itself, but it ended up being sports, but at the time at school, I was still open to radio or TV, news or sports,” Tapp said. 

He would later apply at KCPT and work full-time until he received an offer to join 610 Sports Radio. 

  After working numerous months around the station, Tapp’s boss reached out to him, wanting him to host his own show. At the time, Kansas alumni Alex Gold interned at the same station. He applied for the co-host position after someone backed out of the opportunity. 

Since Jan. 2019, Tapp and Gold have hosted “Cody and Gold”, a midday sports show that will soon reach the five-year mark. 

With all the years they’ve worked together, Gold is grateful for the friendship he has with his fellow co-host.  

  “Cody and I have a great relationship,” Gold said. “We’re pretty close because you kind of have to be when it comes to sports talk radio. It’s a ton of fun working with Cody, there’s not a show that goes by where we’re all making each other laugh.”

Though his career led him to a successful radio gig, Tapp continues to work hard at his craft. 

“There are people who are probably more talented than me, but I’ll outwork them,” Tapp said. “You just have to be hardworking; you have to be self-motivated.” 

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