Each year, the nation’s most outstanding collegiate sports broadcaster is honored by STAA with the Jim Nantz Award.
The application period for the 2018 award opens March 30th (click here for full details).
Make your application stand out by following these six suggestions:
1. Don’t do radio play-by-play on TV
On radio, your job is describing the pictures. On TV, your audience can already see the pictures. All you need to do is provide captions.
2. Smile on camera
If you are a TV sports anchor, reporter or play-by-play broadcaster, you have a fun job. Smile! It goes a long way towards connecting with your audience. Plus, you can hear a smile. Doing it will benefit your delivery and appearance.
3. Be a good writer
Whether you are writing a TV package, the open for a play-by-play broadcast, a sports talk monologue or a sports update, the easiest way for a young sportscaster to make themselves competitive with veterans is to be a great writer.
Write lean. Write attention-grabbing leads. Write for the spoken word rather than the written word. Avoid clichés. Those are all traits of great writers.
4. Don’t say “no good”
When doing basketball play-by-play, describe made and missed shots. Too hard. Short. Off the back iron. Swishes through. Banks it in.
Don’t settle for simply saying good or no good.
5. Omit opinion segments
Don’t send Pardon the Interruption style video clips of you on a sports debate show. It requires minimal unique ability. Plus, nobody is going to hire a recent college grad to host a TV debate show. Those jobs go to established journalists and broadcasters.
6. Be energetic
It’s sports! It’s fun! Don’t mumble that nearly one million people crowded local streets to celebrate the home team’s championship victory. Smile! Be energetic! Deliver the story as though you just won the lottery.
We look forward to receiving your Jim Nantz Award application. Good luck!
