Sports Broadcasting

We have a secret place to help you grow your sports broadcasting career...

What a great surprise for the beginning of the course!

The quiz was simply a tool to help you determine where you stand in terms of raw sports knowledge. The knowledge alone doesn't mean a thing, however, until it is combined with proper communication skills and ability.

I've always started a college semester with a similar quiz, to give students a true picture of where they stand. If you are truly pursuing sports broadcasting as a career path, it is imperative that you have a solid grasp on the subject material. For example, a tennis broadcaster must know the ins and outs of tennis - the players, event, rankings, history, etc. A baseball team broadcaster must know his team, the league, its history, the players, the opponents, etc. When you cover a specific event or team, you must be an expert on that sport and team. Sports talk shows take it to another level completely, as you are expected to know a lot about a wide range of sports and events.

Successful sports broadcasters have both knowledge about the events they cover, but also a polished communication style that makes it easy to relay information to the listener/viewer.

Most successful sports broadcasters have a deep love for what they are doing and feel a strong calling to be involved in the sports media industry. Most would do it for free if allowed.

Two books discussed in this lecture were....

Simon Sinek's "Start With Why"

Napoleon Hill's "Think And Grow Rich"

These are not sports books, but they are terrific for helping anyone determine their purpose, values, goals and desires. I highly recommend them!

If you only have two minutes and need to know it all, read How To Get Started In Sportscasting.

In this lecture we discuss a Philosophy of Sports Broadcasting pioneered by the great Marty Glickman. The foundation of his philosophy is that the broadcaster's duty is to - first and foremost - describe the action. On radio, he should "paint the word picture" by using descriptive words. On TV, he should identify players and actions and complement the picture.

Most importantly, the viewer is NOT tuning in to see the broadcaster. He is tuning in to watch THE GAME! Marty was fond of saying "the only person who tunes in to hear the broadcaster is his mother."

Marty Glickman is an historical American sports figure. He was:

- a world-class track and field star

-a key figure after being replaced in the 1936 "Nazi Olympics"

-the first ex-jock turned sportscaster

-a legendary, pioneering radio and TV sports voice

-a teacher and mentor to hundreds, and through them thousands, of current and future sports broadcasters

Sports fans and aspiring sports broadcasters need to understand the differing philosophies of sports broadcasting. Only by examining differing opinions can one develop and their own style and preferences.

Sports fans should now be able to identify favorite sportscasters and describe the overarching philosophy of their work.

As a result of studying differing philosophies, you should be able to pinpoint what YOU think the role of the sportscaster should be. Do you identify more with the Marty Glickman school or the "attitude" crowd? Are you focused on describing the action journalistically or generating a reaction with catch phrases? There isn't necessarily a right answer, only a right answer for YOU as an individual fan or broadcaster.

The two textbooks for this course....

The Fastest Kid on the Block: The Marty Glickman Story

Call of the Game - Gary Bender

It is crucial to be precise with the words you use.

Don't rely on cliches and catch phrases, like this one.

Sports Broadcasters need to develop their own voice. It is very important to craft your own style - while incorporating positives you see in others. That doesn't mean "copy" or "imitate." It means incorporate.

HERE is a nice quick piece about developing your own unique voice.

Smart broadcasters are always listening to and watching other professionals, in order to gain a little more insight into what they like or don't like.

Sidenote: In 1999 I interviewed baseball great Tony Gwynn, who was watching a minor league game. He said he was hoping to pick up some things - from 20 year olds - that could help him improve. That is the mark of a true professional who never stops learning and improving. That is what you need to do as a broadcaster.

A brief quiz recapping some of the key points about the Ingredients for Successful Sports Broadcasting

Bonus tips regarding the top qualities qualities for sports broadcasters.

Bonus exercises to help you evaluate your abilities and find your voice.

During this lecture you'll hear some of my play by play clips. Using my own material is quick and easy.

You'll hear:

Army Basketball (featuring Chris Spatola, a fine broadcaster in his own right)

High School Football

Norwich Navigators Baseball

Hudson Valley Renegades Baseball

Having solid chemistry with your play by play colleague is also very helpful.

Erin Andrews did a tremendous job at follow up during this infamous postgame interview.

Stick to the information and don't try to make it about you.

HERE is an interview that tells about a very special friendship with Jackie Robinson. Your take on the interview style?

Sports talk show hosts need to generate reaction. Period.

Without reaction, there are no listeners. Without listeners, there are no ratings. Without ratings, say goodbye to your cushy talk show hosting job. Without the cushy talk show hosting job, kiss your daily froo froo latte's goodbye. OK, you get the picture. Generate a reaction!

Sports talk show hosts need to use knowledge to share opinion. Your strong opinions generate a reaction, which keeps listeners tuned in and calling. You don't have to know every solitary detail about every sport, but you must possess enough knowledge and fluency to hold a conversation and develop opinions.

Talk show hosts need more than just knowledge. They also need superb communication skills, able to inform and entertain.

Here is one professional's excellent advice about Television Anchoring.

Brief quiz on the different sports broadcasting roles and the duties of each

Many more critiques and discussions about real radio and TV sportscasting clips. Learn to improve by picking out the good and the bad from these real life samples.

Much more discussing the roles and specific duties of each area of sports broadcasting.

One of the most important things an aspiring sports broadcaster can do is learn from those who have gone before him. Mentors.

There is no need to re-invent the wheel. Find out what has worked - tactics, strategies, approaches - and learn from them!

Most successful sports broadcasters are willing and eager to share their experiences and insight with you. Think about it, when they are asked to share their thoughts regarding their success, you are giving them a huge ego boost. (Most of them have big egos that need big boosting). Beyond that, most appreciate the chance to help because, chances are, they were helped along the way as well.

Marty Glickman taught Mike Breen. I learned from both of those legends. Hopefully YOU can take some things away from this course and use for your benefit, and the benefit of many others!

We have developed an incredibly complicated method for connecting with potential mentors. How do you find them? How do you approach them? Will they really assist you? Are they interested in an aspiring sports broadcaster like you?

The complicated answer to these questions - JUST ASK.

It doesn't hurt to ask - by letter, email, phone or in person - and you'll be surprised with how many are enthusiastic about helping. That's been my experience, which is why I created this course. And you probably know we also do much more to help at Sportscasters Club.

On a funny note, hopefully your mentors don't do this.

Preparation is the foundation for broadcasting success.

Read HERE what happens when you fail to prepare.

Preparation takes many forms, and includes the cumulative work you do to gather as much information as you can for a broadcast.

For play by play, you must prepare yourself to be familiar with rules, regulations, teams, equipment, players, league information, current team trends, etc.

A talk show host's preparation never ends. You are ALWAYS preparing. You must know a lot about a lot, so every minute you spend watching, listening and reading is valuable preparation.

Use your preparation time to get your scorebook or spotting charts ready. Have all the names and pertinent information at your fingertips, if not already committed to memory. Funny thing is, as you prepare your scorebook for the game, you will simultaneously filter much of the information into your memory. The simple process of writing the details down will allow you have a better grasp of the important stats and tidbits.

THIS is the best baseball scorebook out there, in my opinion. I used it for most of my professional career.

Sometimes, some funny things happen while you are preparing.

Some real-world tips to help you build the best resume and demo tape possible!

Resumes should be concise and highlight your best work.

Demos should include certain aspects of your work, and should absolutely NOT include certain other things.

Once you have your resume and demo, the delivery may be the most important step for your career!

Enjoy our tips!

Many things can happen in this crazy business....and often they are out of your control.

Here are some of the common situations that occur in the sports broadcasting industry.

More importantly, here are some approaches YOU can take to help minimize the damage if you are caught up in one of these career setbacks.

Enjoy!

Brief quiz on the key points regarding building a successful sports broadcasting career

Want to jumpstart your career in sports broadcasting? This section deals with some real-world tips to help you do just that.

No pie-in-the-sky, dreamworld stuff here, just the real truth. Priceless things to know.

Here's one tip to boost your career today. Decide what area of sports media you want to pursue. Next, pick three professionals in that field. Then, contact them! Tell them your broadcast professor - ME - gave you an assignment to interview an established sports media professional. Ask great questions, gather wonderful information and put together a special report for yourself. Next, maintain the relationship and start building your professional network - one mentor at a time!

Sports fans tune into a game, event or program for one specific reason......to hear the game! It is increasingly important - and equally as difficult - to stay focused on the game and stay away for all other issues. This video will give you an overview of why we need to stay focused on the game and how to do it.

A few years back, I tried something unique in my Sports Broadcasting class at Marist College. I picked a handful of well-known sports broadcasters from around the country and had my students ask them questions. These broadcasters are friends of mine, so I had my students come up with the burning questions they would want answered. These are big-timers in the industry. Names you would know from your TV and radio.

I sent off the questions, and below are the answers. I hope they can add some depth to your understanding of the industry. Plus they are fun to read!

Bonus Audio Conference - May 28, 2013

"How To Get Started In Sportscasting"

7 tips for getting started in sports broadcasting

3 myths about the sports broadcasting industry

The top 2 sports broadcasting universities (this is very subjective, I agree)

1 thing you can do today to boost your sports broadcasting career

Questions and Answer period not included. We didn't get permission from those who asked questions, so I want to be fair and protect their privacy.

Stay tuned for a Live Session here on Udemy! Email us for info - [email protected]

Thank you for joining us for our Sports Broadcasting Udemy course.

I hope you enjoyed the material!

If this course was helpful and increased your enjoyment of sports, please share with your friends and give an honest review.

And of course, feel free to connect through this course so we can continue to help.

Talk to you soon, and also at SportscastersClub.

Thanks!