How to Become a Sports Broadcaster

So you want to know how to become a sports broadcaster? Good choice.

As a former sportscaster and current owner of a Sports Broadcasting School and the TV and Radio Jobs website, I'm constantly approached by people asking what the "Secret" is to getting their foot in the door to such a cool job.

The most important ‘Secret' to know about breaking into the sports broadcasting business is ...

There are NO "secrets" to learn. There are simply things you don't know - yet.

You'll soon be informed of some of those things you don't yet know, and provided with solutions that best suit your individual situation.

Unlike Doctors or Lawyers who get an undergraduate degree, put in a few more years of post-graduate training, then take tests to become certified in their field, sports broadcasters come from all walks of life.

This is a field where, generally, your networking, communication, writing, and people skills will serve you far better than your college degree will.

Don't get me wrong - I went to college and enjoyed all twelve years of my time there (at least it SEEMED like 12 years). However, my ability to network has done far more for me than the degree I haven't set my eyes on since the day I graduated.

Becoming a Sports Broadcaster Requires Having a Strategy

Consider breaking into the sports broadcasting industry much like taking your first trip from Los Angeles to Washington D.C.

You can take a plane, train, bus, bike... or even walk. Presumably, all modes of transportation will lead you to your destination - if you have sound directions (unless I'm driving.)

Granted, some modes of transportation will lead you to Washington D.C. quicker than others. Those same alternative ‘modes of transportation' applies to breaking into the closed fraternity of sports broadcasting.

There are many paths that may lead to a career in sports broadcasting, with some getting you there quicker than others. The timing often depends upon your unique circumstances, such as budget, availability, educational background, and the degree of passion you posses to become a sports broadcaster.

ALL paths, however, require that you develop a strategy which keeps in mind the golden rule of breaking into ANY form of broadcasting, which is...

It's Not as Much WHAT You Know, but WHO You Know.

Networking should be at the forefront of you mind and motives, regardless of which path you choose to become a sports broadcaster.

Matter of fact, the Forrester group released a study claiming that 64% of broadcasting jobs were landed directly through the applicants' own network, or a contact developed through their networks-network.

Translated, 6.4 out of 10 people in broadcasting had contacts - and used them - to get their job, while 3.6 of those working broadcasters didn't either have a network - or use it - to land their broadcasting job.

The Secret to Becoming a Sports Broadcaster

If there was one ‘secret' to knowing how to become a sports broadcaster, I'd have to say it comes down to; Those who break into the business have - and use - their own network of industry contacts.

Likewise, people who have the greatest difficulty fulfilling their dream of becoming a sports broadcaster will usually tell you, when asked, that they don't have a network of their own.

If you fit into this group - don't despair. You're about to discover ways that will enable you to develop your own network, which will place you into the 64% category of working broadcasters who used their network to get their job.

You Have 4 primary options to becoming a sports broadcaster - depending upon what medium you want to work in (in no particular order):

• 1) Teach yourself.
• 2) Attend a traditional 4 year college
• 3) Attend a traditional broadcasting school
• 4) Attend a ‘non-traditional' sports broadcasting school

Keep in mind; we're looking at these four primary options to entering sports broadcasting with their networking capabilities primarily in mind. In other words, do they position you to be one the 6.4 out of 10 who most recently landing a broadcasting job.

1) Teach Yourself Sports Broadcasting

Teaching yourself can include a number of mediums from which to broadcast sports. Podcasting, public access community radio/television, Internet radio, or buying brokered time from a local commercial radio station to produce your own show, are but some of the more popular self-taught broadcasting mediums you'll see people using.

Although I personally love podcasting, have hosted shows on public access radio and television stations, and have even purchased brokered time to produce my own programming in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. - none enabled me to develop a personal network of industry contacts.

However, your goals may NOT be to pull a paycheck from sportscasting, and these can be great ways for the sportscasting enthusiast or hobbyist to get started quickly.

It's important to note that all these avenues provide great opportunities to gain valuable experience as a sports broadcaster without waiting to be hired. After all, they provide a solution to the age-old riddle of "how to gain experience if no one will hire you, which gives you the necessary experience required to be hired".

Ratings for Networking Effectiveness: Poor, but they provide great ways for those unsure if sports' broadcasting is really for them to test the waters.

Here are a few places you can host your own podcast, radio show, or even play-by-play television show for little, or no cost:

• ­ Podcast: http://hubpages.com/hubtool/edit/www.MySportsRadio.com Lot's of sports-only shows on this site, and Sam Coutin does a good job running the show. They've won awards from ESPN for their NFL pre-game podcasts, as well. On the flip side, their customer service could use a tune-up and contact information seems hidden.
• ­ Online Radio Shows: http://hubpages.com/hubtool/edit/www.AudioSportsOnline.net%20 Great tech support. You're never on your own there. For the techno-phobes like me, they'll remove any stress or anxiety you may feel about going live with a sportscast while handling your own audio. I recently conducted an interview with the owner, Robby Kendall, and can tell you the guy is hand-on with his clients.
• ­ Television play-by-play: http://hubpages.com/hubtool/edit/www.Vootage.com I only wish I had thought of this first. Jeff Proctor is an award winning television producer out of L.A. has assembled a solid team and service. Essentially, he's made it possible for anyone to become a play-by-play television announcer and host games on this site. You may never meet a nicer big-wig, either.

Disclaimer: I have NO financial, professional or personal stakes in any of the above company's. I recommend them to my own sportscasting students because they're all good at what they do.

2) College, anyone?

Your second option to becoming a sports broadcaster is to enroll in a four-year university and do an internship as a part of your course curriculum. This is the most widely traveled path to a career in broadcasting - with the operative word being widely.

Many travel the college road into sports broadcasting, but according to government statistics, only 12% reach their destination.

Ouch!

Imagine, out of one hundred who start the journey, only 12 reach their destination. In all fairness, the blame can't all be placed upon the ineffectiveness of internships. College students sometimes realize the business wasn't for them when they actually caught a glimpse, first hand.

As long as students realize what internships actually are, and aren't, then what they make of the experience is up to them.

An Internship is an exchange of your time and talents to a radio or television station in exchange for college credit and exposure to an on-the-job setting.

Things to remember about internships are:

They are not geared toward giving you on-air training. To the contrary, federal law prohibits interns from replacing employees and performing their job for free.

Upon completion of an internship, the student still has to devise a plan to acquire actual broadcast training. Networking is important, but the job still requires broadcasting skills. It is not the station's job - or intent - to train any intern to become a sports broadcaster.

I've always felt that a smart intern would recognize this and utilize the resources around him. Observe the air talent during their show prep, taping of the actual show, teasers, liners, intros, outro's, and commercial reads.

Take that information and start your own Internet radio show or podcast, implementing the techniques you've observed. You can then take the tapes of you show and ask a sportscaster from the station that you've befriended to critique them.

This not only would help you to develop your on-air skills, but would also demonstrate your initiative and desire to management.

Lack of actual training, I believe, is the primary reason only 12% of college graduates who've done internships actually go on to a [sports] broadcasting career. You can be one of the successful 12%, however, by taking the initiative and developing on-air experience without waiting for someone to give it to you.

By doing that, you're not only getting some valuable free training, but you're also building your ever-valuable network.

Top Sports Broadcasting Colleges

Having said all that about college internship programs, I'm constantly asked my opinion on the top colleges for sports broadcasting. Gauging by the quality of talent produced, my top 9 colleges for sports broadcasting would be;

1) Syracuse - Newhouse School is the gold standard.

2) Missouri

3) Kansas

4) Colorado

5) University of Southern California

6) Arizona State University

7) Bowling Green

8) Penn State - a ‘sleeper' that produces quality sportscasters

9) Fordham

Ratings for Networking Effectiveness: Fair - with great potential for strong networkers. In the above analogy, going the college route is much like taking a train to reach your destination. Typically, college sportscasters won't cross paths with professional sportscasters and broadcasting management people ... but with a little foresight and strategic planning, they could make it happen.

3) Broadcasting schools: An Expensive Gamble?

Your third option to become a sports broadcaster is to enroll in a broadcasting school such as the Connecticut or Columbia Schools of Broadcasting.

These brick and mortar facilities offer broadcasting courses much like a university. The equipment is often outdated, however, as the industry constantly evolves with more sophisticated technology each passing year.

The cost of keeping up with current technology would make it cost prohibitive for the average person to attend if Broadcasting Schools wanted to stay current on their training equipment.

Here's one of the biggest drawbacks to attending a traditional broadcasting school, besides their prohibitive costs. You're not training where the jobs and contacts are. That's important, as you're pretty much on your own after shelling out $10,000, or more.

Also, when you look their curriculum over, you'll notice they usually only devote one chapter to sports broadcasting. The rest may be geared to general broadcasting disciplines such as music DJ, weather, news or things unrelated to your specific needs.

If your desire is to become a play-by-play announcer or host your own sports radio program, your training likely wont be specific enough

Another drawback to traditional broadcasting schools for some is they're typically only located in selected large cities. If you don't live near a major metropolitan area, you're likely out of luck, anyway.

Lastly, you'll want to see tangible proof of their job placement services. Numerous broadcasting school graduates over the years have voiced the same complaint - when they've completed their training, the actual job placement services provided didn't match what the sales brochure stated they could expect to receive.

Ratings for Networking Effectiveness: Poor - Similar to driving yourself from L.A. to Washington D.C. - without a roadmap. In many ways, you're on your own since the jobs and your potential network exist inside the TV or radio station...not in a secluded classroom.

Some broadcasting schools offer internships at local stations, but even then, you're one of dozens vying for the precious few jobs that may open while you're interning.

The main question a person who attends a traditional broadcasting school has to answer for themselves is this:

What is your strategy to transition from being an outsider to the broadcasting industry while attending broadcasting school ... to developing insider contacts and landing a job at a real radio or television station?

Still, some have successfully become sports broadcasters out of broadcasting schools, but most were able to answer that question before they started.

4) ‘Non-Traditional' Sports Broadcasting Schools (apprenticeships):

Your fourth and final best option to becoming a sports broadcaster is to find an already-established sports broadcaster and become his or her personal student, or apprentice.

These are typically referred to as ‘non-traditional' sports broadcasting schools because you're in a class of one - you. Your ‘classroom' is literally inside an actual TV or radio station, while your ‘professors' are actual working sportscasters who earn their paycheck by sportscasting. Lastly, they're structured so that you determine your training schedule, based upon your availability and current work schedule.

Being mentored by another sportscaster will enable you to sound naturally behind a microphone, produce a professional demo tape, read copy, develop your own show, and market yourself.

Best of all, sports broadcasting apprenticeships enable you to develop your network from day one. You're training along-side other sportscasters, while in the midst of influential decision makers.

Not all broadcasting apprenticeship programs are equal, however. Like traditional broadcasting schools, many will offer a general curriculum that's not sports-centric. Some even offer portions of their training online, cutting down on your networking possibilities.

You'll want to find sports broadcasting schools that use the apprentice/mentor model that specialize in just sports broadcasting to have a well rounded training experience.

You'll also want to closely scrutinize each company's tangible job placement services. Although sports broadcasting apprenticeships naturally place you in a position for consideration when jobs become available, you can never predict when these openings will occur.

In the event a job opening doesn't become available during your apprenticeship, look to see what each company offers in terms of tangible job placement assistance. Questions to ask would be; do they have their own dedicated job board? Are they members of any other sports-specific job boards? What specifically, does their job placement entail?

Ratings for Networking Effectiveness: Strong. Sports broadcasting apprenticeships are like taking a jet plane to your destination. This is not to say they're a slam-dunk guarantee, because there is no such thing.

They do enable you to control your own destiny in many ways, however. Any time you can make a favorable impression by your work ethic, teachability, punctuality, and ability to work well with others, you increase the likelihood that you'll receive a favorable referral from someone in your newly formed network.

After all, they have immediate access to the decision makers, which is the purpose of leveraging someone else's experience and contacts in the first place.

Summary of How to Become a Sports Broadcaster

By using a healthy dose of common sense and thinking strategically about each opportunities networking potential, choose one of the above suggestions that best suits your learning style, budget, and availability.

Some will lead you to your sports broadcasting destination quicker than others, but all avenues will provide you an insider's perspective on answering the question of how to become a sports broadcaster.

____________________________________________________

Michael Madden is a former college basketball play by play announcer, sports talk radio personality and radio/television medical and business talk show host. He is the founder of the award winning Broadcasters & Sportscasters Mentoring Group http://www.BroadcastingSchool.com/ and current owner of TVandRadioJobs.com