Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors is pleased to introduce you to a family who likely needs no introduction, The Barkann Family: Michael, Ellen, Emily and Matthew. Life for the Barkanns is Philled with Phun, Phamily, and Philadelphia Pride.
Michael Barkann is one of Philadelphia’s best-known sports media personalities. He is a native of East Brunswick, NJ, where he grew up with his parents, younger sister and brother. He was an active kid, participating in basketball, baseball, hockey and track. After high school, Michael attended Syracuse University, where he ran cross country and earned his degree in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse’s prestigious Newhouse School of Public Communications.
After graduation, Michael began his career as a desk assistant at NBC News in Washington, D.C. From there, he went to New Jersey Network in Trenton, working behind the scenes. But in February 1983, after the area was hit with a big blizzard, the station asked him to fill in as a weather reporter. Though it was Michael’s first time on air, the station allowed him to host a program called Weather Watch, which led to him doing the weather for their regular broadcast. After a short while, he started doing backup sports for the network.
A few months later, Michael moved to KYW-TV in Philadelphia as a sports reporter, where he spent five years, then headed to Boston, where he became sports director at WLVI-TV. However, after five years in Boston, Michael said he received a fantastic opportunity and returned to Philadelphia, beginning his current role as host at NBC Sports Philadelphia, then Comcast SportsNet. Michael’s award-winning career earned him an induction into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
Although Michael may be known as one of the leading voices of Philadelphia sports, his wife Ellen holds the honor of being a true “Delconian,” born and raised in Havertown. She grew up there with her parents and older brother, just a few blocks from The Haverford Skatium Ice Rink on Manoa Rd. “I remember when the Skatium was built, and my parents would take my brother and me there,” she said. “When I was just six years old, a skating coach noticed me on the ice and asked my mother if she could train me.” Ellen said that from that moment on, she was hooked.
Ellen continued to skate and compete while attending Haverford High School. She passed her U.S. Figure Skating gold figures test at 13, at a much younger age than most skaters, and at the age of 16, made the move to national dance competition. Ellen practiced at the Philadelphia Skating Club with renowned skaters like Scott Hamilton, Todd Eldredge, and Kitty and Peter Carruthers at the Skating Club of Wilmington. She was inducted into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
After high school, Ellen went to Temple University and earned a B.S. in Physical Education and a B.A. in Psychology. Though she was no longer a competitive skater, she continued training, coaching and mentoring young athletes. In fact, she met Michael for the first time while chaperoning a Haverford High School field trip to the Philadelphia Spectrum to take a tour and watch the Flyers warm up before one of their games. “I was at the Spectrum to cover the Flyers vs. Canucks game,” Michael said. “That’s when I saw Ellen with her group of kids. She was standing right outside the Flyers locker room door, and I knew right then that I had to ask her for a date.”
Ellen and Michael laughed when recalling that encounter. “Ellen told me she couldn’t go out on a date because she already had plans,” Michael said. “I asked her if she could change those plans, and she said she could not.” Michael said that while they were talking, Ellen told him her last name and suggested he call the Skatium office to speak with her. “I was persistent and thought maybe I could reach her at her home if I called directory assistance,” he laughed. “Turns out I wasn’t used to her Delco accent and kept misspelling her last name, so I never got through.” Michael eventually called the Skatium, spoke with Ellen, and the two agreed to go on a date to the movies.
That date turned into the first of many and eventually to a proposal back where it all began, right outside the Flyers locker room door. The happy couple married in September 1992 at White Manor Country Club and enjoyed a brief honeymoon in Bermuda. “We originally planned to honeymoon in Hawaii, but Michael’s work schedule changed, so we had to cancel that trip,” Ellen said. “We rebooked it for a later date, but his work schedule changed once again.” This time, though, Michael was asked to travel to Albertville, France, to cover the 1992 Winter Olympic Games, so Ellen went with him, and they enjoyed time in Europe as newlyweds.
Back home was Boston until Michael was offered the job hosting pre-game and post-game live shows for the Phillies, Eagles and Sixers. “When we returned to the Philadelphia area, we decided to build a home in Glen Mills,” Ellen said. “We thought it would be our forever home, but Michael’s commute to and from the sports complex was longer than we thought it would be.” She said that after about 18 months, they decided to find something closer to the city. Ellen said that after a lot of looking around, they decided to build a home in Newtown Square. “We live in a wonderful neighborhood that has been good to us and our family,” Michael said. “It didn’t hurt that I could shave off a good 30 minutes off my commute, too!” Michael and Ellen recently celebrated 24 years in their home and said it was the perfect place to raise their two children, Emily and Matthew.
Emily is now 27 years old and lives in Philadelphia. She graduated from William Penn Charter School, where she was Captain of the tennis team. Like her father, Emily earned her degree in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University (SU) where she was also a member of SU’s nationally-ranked crew team. She went to work for NFL Films, where she won an Emmy Award, but unfortunately, when the pandemic hit, the industry shut down. Not to be deterred, she was accepted to Villanova University and earned her master’s degree in Political Science online. Today, Emily is in her second year of law school at Drexel University.
“Emily is strong, ambitious, smart and compassionate,” Ellen said. “She has a funny and silly side, too, just like her father.” Michael added that when Emily was young, anytime she would be upset or have a little tantrum, all he had to do was take his phone out and pretend that he was recording her. “She immediately would flip a switch and start smiling for the camera!”
Ellen and Michael’s son Matthew just turned 23 years old. He graduated from William Penn Charter School, where he was Captain of the track team and a golf team member. He then earned his Urban Studies and Real Estate degree from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania (PENN). Matthew now works in real estate brokerage and resides in Havertown. “Matthew actually lives in my childhood home,” Ellen explained. “After my mother passed away, my father moved in with us, and Matthew now spends his free time working on the home to make it his own. It’s really special.”
Michael said that Matthew is very much like Ellen. “He’s calm, quiet and easygoing.” Ellen explained that when Matthew was young, though, he was a curious kid who had a hard time sitting still. “When Matthew was in elementary school, I would get daily calls from his teachers,” she laughed. “He was the kid who always got caught. It was never anything terrible, but if all the kids were doing something, Matthew was the one who got called out.” Ellen said that every time she would talk to Matthew about it, he would assure her that once he got to high school, he would turn things around, and he did.
These days, even though Ellen and Michael are empty nesters, they are busier than ever. Ellen is the Co-Owner of LaurEllen Productions. “I am currently producing a docu-series about the collaboration between the Black community and the Jewish community in music, sports and culture against the backdrop of the Civil Rights period in the United States,” she explained. “It has been a very rewarding experience, and I am excited to see the film released in the coming year.” Michael continues to host the pre and post-game shows for the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and Sixers and serves as Master of Ceremonies for the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremonies.
The Barkanns also run a foundation that grants money to local families who have suffered a tragedy to help them get back on their feet. Through special events, private donations and contributing sponsors, The Barkann Family Healing Hearts Foundation provides support to ease the immediate financial burden for local families. Ellen serves as the foundation’s President. She explained, “It all began when my good friend, Mark Maggi, and I started running a golf outing to raise funds for various charities. After a few successful years, we decided it was time to form our own non-profit to assist the families living and working in our community directly.”
The foundation has grown far beyond the annual golf outing. The Healing Hearts Foundation now hosts special events like Touch a Truck, a day filled with fun family activities and the opportunity for kids to learn and explore public works and emergency vehicles as well as construction and farming apparatus. “And we begin our Holiday Hearts program every October,” Ellen explained. “It’s a fundraising effort to provide families in need with gifts for everyone and the chance to celebrate the season by attending a fun holiday party hosted by the foundation.” For more information on how you can help, visit www.TheBarkannFoundation.org.
Thank you, Michael and Ellen, for sharing your family’s story with your Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors. Your love for each other and commitment to caring for others is inspiring and admirable. Here’s wishing you all the best this upcoming holiday season and Go Birds!
Do you know a Newtown Square family, individual or nonprofit group who should become known by our community? Make your nominations for upcoming feature articles by emailing your ideas to Sheila Turner-Hilliard at STurnerHilliard@BestVersionMedia.com.