There is so much focus and attention given to getting a job in sports broadcasting. It’s an industry that can be incredibly difficult to break into, and once you’re in you’ll cling to a job like your life and livelihood depend on it. However there are few articles on how to get BETTER once you have a job. Using your time at a current position to improve, hone your craft and ultimately become a better broadcaster.
Presumably the longer you stay at a job, the more comfort you have with it. With more comfort likely comes more time to add tasks and responsibility and allow for things that you couldn’t achieve when you were learning in previous seasons. Here are some thing to do with that extra time to make you a BETTER broadcaster.
Practice, practice, practice.
This one is hardly a surprise but the main way to become a better broadcaster is to get more practice. This comes one of two ways…call more games in the course of your job or generate more opportunities for you to call games. Repetition is the best way to become more comfortable with your role and try new things. Some will work, some won’t.In terms of generating opportunities for you to call games, this can be done one of two ways. Use your off-season to try calling a different sport. If you’re a baseball broadcaster, try sports like hockey or volleyball. If you specialise in football, maybe baseball is something you can occupy your summer with. If opportunities are few and few between for you in your city, create you own. A while back we wrote on how to practice and call games, without actually being with a team.
Diversify your portfolio
Speaking from experience, when I first started broadcasting hockey it would take me almost the full two hours to setup and get ready for my broadcast. By the time I put my 5th season in the books, that was down to an hour, which left me a lot of time. That time allowed me to do video previews, digital features on the website and other ‘extra’ elements.By diversify, I mean try to pick up extra skills. Sure you’re a good broadcaster, but can you edit video? Can you take quality photos for the newspaper or online? Can you produce podcasts? Digital newsletters? All of these things not only give you more arrows in your quiver it makes you more attractive to your next employer. Sportscaster Life has plenty of articles on different topics like podcasting, video editing and more.
Read, watch and listen
If you’re comfortable in your job, you have diversified your skill set and still have some time on your hands, one fantastic way to become a better broadcaster is to take in information from others. One of the best things to do with some extra time is to listen to other broadcasters, ones at higher levels and ones you like and respect. You can either do that live or via a podcasting method that we did a tutorial on earlier.If you’re not into listening, then read. Reading, whether for business or pleasure can enhance your vocabulary and help train your brain into accepting new information. Those skills can be very useful to broadcasters who are looking to improve the way they call or prepare for a game.
There is never a wasted moment as a sports broadcaster. If you’ve earned spare time thanks to your comfort and familiarity with a current position, don’t get complacent. Get better and get noticed.
