What does it take to be a sports broadcaster?

Do you live, eat, and breathe sports? Do you love to talk about sports? Are you someone who enjoys tracking the latest stats when it comes to players, teams, wins, losses, and then telling the real story behind the numbers? If this sounds like you, a career as a broadcaster in the sports industry may be just what you are looking for.

Craig Esherick, academic program coordinator of the Sport Management program within George Mason University’s School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management (SRTM), recently took time out of his schedule to offer his advice for those who are considering a career in the competitive field of sports broadcasting. Here are some key takeaways from this conversation:

• Remember that sports events are a fun and welcome form of entertainment for most people. When you approach sports communication with a sense of energy and enthusiasm, this will resonate with the audience and capture their interest.
• Be sure to establish trust and transparency when conducting an interview with sports figures. No one likes to be blindsided and while a respected sports broadcaster must be honest and hard-hitting, they must also be fair.
• Do your homework! This means staying up to date and absorbing as much information as you can by monitoring a variety of digital and print sports media communication channels.
• Hone your on-air skills by studying what your competitors in the broadcasting field are doing—even down to the granular level of observing how they present themselves, how they act, and how they speak in front of a camera.

Esherick also discussed the differences in small and large sports markets and how each offers unique career opportunities and experiences geared to the number of teams covered, whether collegiate sports or professional sports is more popular in that region, and the size of the media or news organizations that operate within those markets.

Mason’s Sport Communication minor can prepare you for a career in sports media.

So, whether it be in a small market or a large market, one thing is certain—Mason's Sport Management program can provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to land an exciting job in sports communication. One of Mason’s most successful and popular minors is the sport communication minor. Offered jointly with Mason’s Communication department, the sport communication minor prepares students for a wide range of careers in sports media.

Mason Student Cable can provide students with valuable “career-ready” experience.

Students taking the sport communication minor will gain valuable experience through Mason Student Cable, located on the university’s main Fairfax campus. When people think of sport communication, the first thing that usually comes to mind is working on-air. But sports communication encompasses so much more and includes positions behind the scenes that are critical to any sports newscast such as director, producer, editor, camera operator, and related jobs too numerous to list here. Students in the sport communication minor at Mason will receive preparation qualifying them to fill these roles because of the experience acquired through Mason Student Cable and the knowledge imparted to them by their professors.

For more information on the sport communication minor and other degree offerings in Mason’s Sport Management program, please visit the program website.