I stumbled upon the blog of college basketball announcer Adam Young recently. In search for information on spotting boards, I found a series of posts he had published back between 2012 and 2014 on advice he had for up and coming broadcasters, particularly those in college.
While Adam hits a number of key points multiple times, the five part series is a great read and provides both some basic fundamentals and some more advanced tips and advice for those looking to hone their skills. It’s well worth the time to read through all five parts.
With a lot of people graduating from college this week, I figured I would write about sportscasting and what it takes to succeed after college. By no means do I know it all (heck, I’m only 24) but I think I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to make it in this business. Getting started in the business as a young sportscaster is something I think about often and have a lot of opinions on..so here I go. Warning: This will be a long post and you may disagree with some of the things I write, but I’m going to write anyway!
First off, I love this business. It’s tough and grueling with long hours (like many professions) and it’s competitive as heck. “So you think you want to be a sportscaster?” is a question that a lot of veterans in the business will ask a youngster when they first talk about getting into it. I never discourage someone from going into sportscasting, but I’ll be straight up honest with them when they ask me questions. Be ready for rejection, because it happens to everyone. Don’t expect to be good when you start (no one is). If you don’t have drive, thick skin and a strong work ethic, forget about it.
Here are links to all five parts
Advice to College Sportscasters
Advice to College Sportscasters Part Two
Advice to College Sportscasters Part Three
Advice to College Sportscasters Part Four
Advice for College Seniors
