In my first radio job in McPherson, Kansas, I hosted Bulldog Sports Weekly, a weekly coaches show featuring the head football coach of McPherson College. We did it from Wendy’s on North Main Street in McPherson. The highlight, besides the fact that I loved the coach Dan Thiessen, was free hamburgers, fries and Frosties.
The challenge was having enough content to last for the hour.
These six tips will help you prepare better coaches shows.
1. Have a bulleted list of questions or topics
Self-explanatory.
2. Review and preview
Review the previous game and preview the next.
3. Humanize your guest
I enjoyed asking coach Thiessen about his earlier career when he was coaching at Bakersfield (CA) High School. I also liked asking him about the support he got at home from his wife and two young kids.
Think about things that make your guest more relatable, likable and interesting.
4. Preview your questions
Build trust by telling the coach in advance the questions you’re going to ask. I don’t always advocate this, but you’re not trying to break news in a coaches show. You’re not trying to achieve a “gotcha” moment, which I never recommend anyways. Put the coach at ease by letting him know the questions and topics you’ll be addressing.
5. Be a great listener
Pay attention to what your guest is saying. Your best questions are going to be follow-ups based on the answers you’re hearing.
6. Over-prepare
Prep more topics than you think you’ll need. Your degree of comfort is in direct proportion to the amount of your preparation. You will be nervous throughout the show if you fear running out of topics. That’s not good, so prep more than you think you’ll need.
