2 Ways a Sports Broadcaster Can Improve During Quarantine

While we may be quarantined in our homes during these unprecedented days, we must take advantage of every opportunity for improvement. With sports and, seemingly, our lives on pause, there are still ways to continue our growth as sports broadcasting professionals.  Today is a day - as is every day - for improvement!
In this episode, we discuss 2 ways that every sports broadcaster can improve today!

These days will end and this period of upheaval will undoubtedly come to a close.
We must make every day count in our goal of becoming a better sportscaster.
Use these 2 tips to get better today, so you will be better prepared tomorrow.

As an aspiring or established sports broadcaster, a podcast is a great way to help you improve your skill and get your work out to the public! At Sportscasters Club, we use Buzzsprout to host our online radio show, most importantly because it is the easiest and quickest solution out there.
If you are considering starting your own podcast, click this affiliate link to learn more.
(You also get a $20 Amazon gift card for trying out Buzzsprout)

Much more - including our sports broadcasting books, our 7-hour online course and tons of free articles and sportscasting tips at SportscastersClub.com

Also, join our free Facebook group - search for the "Sportscasters Club Community"

Thanks for listening! (and for subscribing, liking, sharing, etc, etc, etc)

Much more - including our sports broadcasting books, our 7-hour online course and tons of free articles and sportscasting tips at SportscastersClub.com

3 of the absolute best sports broadcasting books to jump-start your career...
The Fastest Kid on the Block: The Marty Glickman Story
Call of the Game
Press Box Revolution: How Sports Reporting Has Changed Over the Past Thirty Years

As an aspiring or established sports broadcaster, a podcast is a great way to help you improve your skill and get your work out to the public! At Sportscasters Club, we use Buzzsprout to host our online radio show, most importantly because it is the easiest and quickest solution out there.
If you are considering starting your own podcast, click this affiliate link to learn more.
(You also get a $20 Amazon gift card for trying out Buzzsprout)

Thanks for listening, leaving a review and sharing this show with others!

Transcript

spk_0:   0:00
even though your schedule has changed, even though we're all pretty much quarantine in our homes, you can improve as a sportscaster, and I'm gonna give you two ways coming up in just

spk_2:   0:12
a minute. Welcome to the Sportscasters Club radio show, where it's all about becoming a better sportscaster on a better sports fan. And now your host, a man who has trained sportscasters at Marist College, the Connecticut School of Broadcasting and Fordham University's W F U V Radio. Eric Schultz. All right, welcome to the Sportscasters

spk_3:   0:57
Club online radio show I am Rick Shults, and there's no question that these are unprecedented times thes air, difficult times for us living here in the United States and certainly

spk_0:   1:11
other places around the world. But what we do here is we talk about sports broadcasting. We talk about how to become a better sportscaster, and we need to realize that, yes, things are not ideal right now. Things are difficult, but it really starts with our mindset and having a positive outlook and realizing that within a matter of weeks months, we are going to be on the other side of this, and where do you want to be as a sports broadcasting professional at that point, and this is a time that you can use to become better. And I'm gonna talk about two ways that you can improve and can become a better sportscaster through this time because there are things you can do and things that will put you in a better position a few weeks or months from now. What you want to do is try to picture that right now. Picture yourself three months from now, two months from now, six months from now, whatever that time frame is. And consider the fact that you're looking back. What were the things that you wish you had done right now to be a better sports journalists better sports broadcaster at that point? So

spk_3:   2:28
let's talk about the two things. But first, a quick message. Are you an aspiring sportscaster or an established sportscaster? Or how about just a sports fan? Well, you probably are, which is why you're tuned into the Sportscasters Club online radio show. A great way to get practice to build the platform and to become a better broadcaster is by doing exactly what I'm doing right now. Hosting a podcast and The cool thing is, it's really easy. It's really simple. I mean, if I can do it, really, anybody can do it. Hosting a podcast now is something that's available to anyone. If you're a beginner or if you're advanced number one, it's a lot of fun. Number two. It allows you to improve and become better in your craft and number three. It's a great way to put your name out there and network and build a career. So if you would like to host a podcast, you can do the same thing I've done. And I've chosen to use Buzz Sprout as my host number one. They're pretty much the easiest one out there. It is so simple to start a podcast with buzz sprout and again, if I can do it, you can do it. Number two. They're very inexpensive and number three they have all the tools you need to grow your podcast the way you want to do it. You have complete control, So if you're interested in setting up a podcast for yourself, check out the show notes. You can take a look at the process is so simple you can go right on there. Click it and you could be set up literally within a few minutes. It's very easy if you have questions about the process. You can always send a message to me at questions at sportscasters club dot com. But again, if you're interested in hosting your own podcast, check out the show notes. I'll put the link in here for Buzz Sprout. Check it out. And if you have questions, I'd be glad to help is, Well, all right, so we're talking about a couple things you can do right now to become

spk_0:   4:29
a better sportscaster. Number one. And this is something that I did throughout my career and still continue to do to this day. Regardless of what specific area I'm focusing in, you can really dive in and learn more about whatever area you're going to be covering. So, for example, when when I was working in professional baseball and broadcasting professional baseball and then into the college ranks at Army at West Point, basketball and football into their football broadcasts, I had the opportunity to broadcast hockey, and hockey was not a sport that I grew up as a huge fan off. It was the number four sport in my mind, certainly if you had to consider baseball, basketball, football, hockey. But I had the opportunity to do radio play by play for the Army games at West Point. So what did I do? I spent about a year diving headfirst into the game of hockey. I read everything I could read. I watched every game I could watch. I learned as much as I could. I talk to people in the industry, talk to people around. The game, went to games, and I did every single thing I could do. Toe learn Maura about hockey, about broadcasting, hockey, the history of the game, watching, listening to every game I could. And that's how I became better. That's how I was able to step to the microphone with confidence when that first, when that first broadcast came, that must have been 1999 and I was able to confidently go out there and broadcast hockey. And so for you and for me and for any sports broadcaster right now, we're thinking okay, we're stuck in her home. What can we D'oh! Well, where you gonna be six months from now? And what can you do to prepare right now to be better than so. If you're going to be broadcasting for a baseball team, now is the time to start reading. Read every book you can get your hands on. It could be a physical book. Yes, to learn about the history of the sport, the history of the league, the players, the tradition, the philosophies of the game. Or it might be digital. Or it might be Webinars. It might be YouTube videos, all the different resource, the podcast like this for sure. Great resource. These are all things we can do now to be better, so dive headfirst into into the things that you can learn to make you better. And it's funny. I'm one of those people that I'll be listening to a podcast and I'll hear book recommendations and all quickly go out and do the research on the book and maybe go out and purchase it and and read it. And that's why I have a bookshelf with hundreds and hundreds of books, just about every one of them I've read. But there's about 10 of them that still haven't been read yet, because I'll I'll hear a book I want to read. I'll know. I want to learn more about that. 95. Probably 98% of my books, maybe 99 are non fiction. And so there are always things that can help me improve, not only as a professional, as a sportscaster, but as a person. And so, if you recall the episode with Bill Rogan that we had a couple weeks ago here on the Sportscasters Club online radio show, he mentioned a book, uh, the biography of Ty Cobb. And if you have a chance to go back to Let's Listen to that episode terrific episode. But I went out and bought the book, so I bought it online at Amazon, and immediately I could start reading the digital copy. I still haven't received the physical book because they're backed up a little bit right now with shipping. I'll receive that book in about three days, and I really I usually like the physical book compared to the Kindle version, even though I've got, I think, nine books on Amazon right now in Kindle audio and physical format books that I've written and that you've seen at sportscasters club dot com. But that's the way I try to improve. So I heard about this this autobiography of Ty Cobb. Um, much different than the Alexander biography that was written, I guess, 20 years ago. And so it really piqued my interest. I did some homework. I read the sample. I actually talked to Bill again after the interview and said, You know, tell me a little bit more about this biography of Ty Cobb that you mentioned, And so I went out and bought the book, and so I've been reading it on Kindle. I'm opening my phone now as I talk about this, because I want to give you the title of the book, the exact title so you have a chance to go out and purchase it if you'd like a CZ. Well, it's a terrific book and called a terrible beauty, and it's the biography of Ty Cobb. I, ah, terrible beauty came out, I think, in 2016. Really awesome book were very, very interesting. Kind of shattered all the things about Ty Cobb that I thought I knew. I thought, if you if you listen to that interview with Bill Rogan, you hear me mentioned when he said he'd love to have dinner with Ty Cobb. My reaction was, while that would be a feisty, antagonistic dinner, But that's really a lot of the caricature of Ty Cobb that in many ways is not true. He was a very smart guy. I'm very astute. Maybe a lot different then. The caricature that is portrayed as him being a wild man, a racist Ah, nut, just a psychopath. Ah, lot of those things are just flat out false with Ty Cobb. And so I'm about one chapter into the book right now, but fantastic book. But my whole point in bringing that up was, now is the time to read and learn Maurin, those areas that's gonna make you better. And so take advantage, take advantage because this is unlike anything we've ever had before. People are taking advantage of doing projects around the house, home improvements, time with their family, And for me, it's time to read time to learn a lot more about things you've always wanted to know more about. So that's one way you can improve the second way. You can improve right now during this period and improve as a sports broadcaster is by doing play by play, and it's a little counterintuitive, but I'm gonna explain what I mean by that. And instead of me talking about it, I'm going to play a five minute Facebook live video that I did for a free online Facebook group are free group the Sportscasters Club community, which if you're not a member, you certainly should be. It's a free group on Facebook. Simply search sportscasters club community, and we will match up with you there. You can join our group, but this is something that I posted for our many group members this past week,

spk_3:   11:34
and we're gonna listen to that Facebook live video in just

spk_2:   11:36
a minute. Are you enduring the Sportscasters Club online radio show? If so, please hit the subscribe button so you'll never miss an episode. When we release each new show, you'll be the first to know. So hit the subscribe button in your podcast up today, and we'll keep the awesome, cool, entertaining and informative material coming. All right, so we're talking today about

spk_3:   12:01
ways you can

spk_0:   12:02
improve right now as a sportscaster when you're stuck in your home. Number one, as you heard a few minutes ago, was to read everything you can learn everything you can about whatever you're going to be covering, because now's a great time to be able to read, watch, listen and learn whether it be books, podcasts, YouTube videos. Now's a great time toe. Learn more and increase your knowledge. And

spk_3:   12:26
the second way is something

spk_0:   12:27
that I detailed on a Facebook live video this past week on our Facebook group, the Sportscasters Club Community, the free group that you're certainly invited to join. And here is that video on how I explain what you could do with play by play to improve right now when you're stuck in your home.

spk_1:   12:49
How's it going? How's it going out there to our Sportscasters club group? I just want to give a little message, because I've been thinking a lot over the past few weeks when I see broadcasters and play by play broadcasters specifically those that are aspiring and up and coming. One of the questions that I've seen is you know, my life is shut down. I'm kind of in a state of holding. I'm in a holding pattern right now. What can I do to improve? And this certainly is not unique to sportscasters. It's obviously society wide and for a lot of good reasons were We're in our home some people say stuck in their home. But I like to turn it around and say I'm able to be in the home now and get things done that maybe I didn't before. And as a play by play broadcaster I've seen a lot of people out there asking, How can I improve? How can I get better? And it reminds me of the sessions that we had at Fordham University way back with Marty Glickman 25 years ago, where we would meet with him every week and he was a broadcasting legend. If you don't know who Marty Waas Google him look about, I could send you some great resource is toe Learn about Marty Glickman Waas. But he was the pioneer of sportscasting play by play, specifically basketball on the radio. He invented a lot of the terminology and he was a legend. And then he transitioned into being a broadcast coach, a play by play coach, and so he would meet with us every week at Fordham University. That's the reason I went to Fordham and hey would critique our tapes and listen to him until you tell us what was great and what we need to improve on. And one of his great suggestions for improving on play by play is very applicable right now, when we're all in our homes and when we're not covering sporting events and we're not out there doing it, By the way, if you have questions, feel free to ask me any other question right now as well as I just do this short Facebook live video for our our special Facebook group. But what Marty used to say, What you can do right now to improve is to do play by play wherever you are. What do I mean by that? It's not a game. It's not a contest that you're gonna be doing play by play of it. You're not gonna be at the arena broadcasting a basketball game or a baseball game. But what you can do is you can do play by play of your room. You can describe a light tan wall to my right side, a brown dresser with a a lamp about three feet tall, with a white top off to the right side of the dresser in the middle of the stereo, which has the numbers 12 32. Reading off to the left is a green tree, and you could just describe what you see whether you're in at the time already used to say in your dorm room. But obviously there's nobody in dorm rooms right now, but you can describe your home, describe what you're seeing. If you want to take it up another level, there's something else you can do, which is really a great way to get your mind in your mouth. Working at these play by play skills Working for you is to take a drive, and as you drive, do play by play of what you see. A red car on the right side, followed by a white pickup truck off to the right. Three homes, one pink, one blue, one yellow, a gray roof on the yellow home. But as you're driving to play by, play carefully. You want to drive carefully, but just as with a basketball game or a baseball game of football contest, the action is moving in. You're describing and you're painting that word picture on radio and these air skills you could practice thes of things you can work on. You can work on painting that word picture by driving, describing what you're seeing and think about it. When Marty was suggesting this to us 25 years ago at Fordham, this was before blue tooths and cell phones and all of those things. So Marty would tell us to do play by play while we're driving. And possibly we felt silly. We would do it because it was a great tool. But you come to a stop light and the person next to you would look and say, Who is this guy talking to himself? Because that was before cellphones and any of the communication. Now you see people talking to themselves and it's routine. It's no big deal. And in fact, you see Larry David as a great Curb Your Enthusiasm episode, where he's sitting in the restaurant and this person next to them is him is being very obnoxious and and talking on a Bluetooth. And so Larry starts to talk like that, even though he doesn't have a Bluetooth and he's not on the phone just to be as obnoxious. So keep that in mind If you're thinking about how can I improve my play by play? How can I become a better sportscaster? That is one way you could do it and listen. We're all in the same situation right now, but we've got to find ways to improve and get better and take our skills to another level, even in this pandemic situation and even when there are a lot of inconveniences. But I consider the fact that I'm with my family. I'm I'm at home. We have a home, We have food. We're very fortunate and very lucky. And so it's also great to do what you can for those who are not as fortunate right now, whether it's being they're sick, healthcare workers, they're essential workers that are out there in danger zones. And maybe they're not. Maybe they don't have food. Maybe they don't have shelter thes air, the kind of people that really need a lot of help. So whatever we can do is great. So, comment on this video let me know what you think. That's a great way that you can help improve. Thanks for being on our group. You can find a lot more certainly at sportscasters club dot com. Thanks for being a part of our group and joining us on this quick little video to help you improve.

spk_3:   19:12
Is this the year you want to learn all you can about a sports broadcasting courier? Visit our website sportscasters club dot com for articles, tips, advice and a ton of free resource is.

spk_2:   19:28
Hopefully you enjoyed that video that was from our Facebook live group this past week. Please come join us there at the free

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Facebook Live group, the Sportscasters

spk_0:   19:38
Club community. And so the two ways that we talked about today to improve right now, when you're stuck in your home number one, read everything that you can get your hands on. Learn more about the specific areas that you want to be involved with and take this opportunity to increase your knowledge level and number two. As you just heard practice play by play. Do play by play of your home. Take a little ride in the card to play by play of that, take a ride on a bike or a walk and do play by. Play out loud to practice those skills of getting the thoughts from your eyes to your mind and to your mouth to paint that word picture for the listener.

spk_3:   20:20
Hopefully, those two things will help you shoot us an email. Let me know what you think. Question that sportscasters club dot com as we usually tackle your questions during these episodes as well. We've got a lot of great material coming up for you this year here on the Sportscasters Club online radio show. If you could do me a favor and share this with just one person, one sports fan that you think would enjoy

spk_2:   20:41
this podcast and certainly go ahead and subscribe right there in your podcast listening app as well. I'm Rick Schultz. I hope you've enjoyed our program today, and we'll catch up with you next time. Thanks for listening to The Sportscasters Club radio show at sportscasters club dot com. Don't forget to subscribe, so you will never miss an episode. And thanks for liking sharing, posting reviews and spreading the word