Chris Brintle developed a 5-5 Plan in 2020 while sports director at Basin Radio Network in Gillette, WY. He wanted to be calling Division I games within the first five years of the plan and TV play-by-play within the second five. In his new job, Brintle will be doing both. He’s joining BEK Sports Network in Bismarck, ND as a TV play-by-play broadcaster.
Brintle will broadcast college and high school sports, including football, basketball, baseball, softball, and volleyball. It includes Division I college sports.
“BEK fits into the [5-5] plan perfectly,” Brintle grins.
Seeds of a passion
Brintle fell in love with play-by-play without knowing it. “When I played outside I would pretend I was a player and I would call the action. And when I would play sports video games I would pretend I was the broadcaster,” he recalls. “As I got older and became more passionate about it, I would turn the volume down on the TV during K-State football and basketball games and call the action.”
Still, Brintle didn’t realize that calling games had developed into his passion. “Fast forward to my first year of collage at Oklahoma State. I joined the sports media club because I thought it would be fun. My very first game was RG3 and Baylor at undefeated Oklahoma State. I stayed up all night preparing for that game and after the first kickoff I knew what I was going to do with the rest of my life.”
Finding his voice
The path to a full-time TV play-by-play job hasn’t been easy. Brintle joined STAA after graduating from Oklahoma State in 2014. His experience riding bulls, of all things, helped him land with Basin Radio Network almost immediately. He struggled, though, to find his play-by-play voice. Brintle regularly sends samples of his work for inclusion in the monthly Group Critiques for STAA member. Every time he addressed one suggestion for improving his work, another area of need would pop up. Still, his motivated never wavered.
“All I ever wanted was to have the perfect broadcast. I’m a perfectionist — as an entertainer I’m trying to create a masterpiece. [The critiques] never discouraged me because I want to be the best in the business. It’s not about the money it’s about being the best. [STAA’s] critiques were critical to me improving my craft.”
Brintle also benefitted from hearing critiques of the play-by-play of other STAA members. “The Group Critiques are extremely helpful. Getting to hear and learn from everyone’s critiques has made me better.
“There are about ten thousand ways STAA has helped me,” he smiles.
The 5-5 Plan
Brintle eventually realized he needed a map to get from where he was to where he wanted to go. “Two years ago I started thinking about my future and that I would need to implement goals for success. I started looking at what the necessary steps were to reach different levels of broadcasting. I realized that I needed to be realistic with my timeline because these goals that I had don’t happen overnight. That’s when I came up with 5-5.
“The plan was important because it made me work harder knowing that I HAD to achieve the next level in five years. I had no reason to slack off.”