(In a sleepy, unenergetic voice). “He’s at the 10, the 5, and scampers into the end zone for the touchdown.”
Oh my goodness! Who wants to listen to passionless play-by-play?
Passionless play-by-play is lifeless and boring – and a bored audience tunes out. Here are three tips if you’ve been told you need to increase your play-by-play energy:
1. Let your love shine
Let your enthusiasm for being at that game, and your love for play-by-play come through in your delivery and voice. Your audience will hear it and they will be excited too.
2. Energy through emphasis
Pound key words. For example, Cameron STRIKES Steffen in the face. Wallace is KNOCKED out-of-bounds. Smith POUNDS Jones to the turf.
3. Don’t stay in third gear
Think of your play-by-play delivery as an automobile transmission. Your baseline, the place where you spend most of your broadcast, is third gear. Bigger moments require that you shift into fourth gear. You might shift into fifth gear for a game-winning play or something you’ve never seen before.
A great exercise to find your gears is to recite the numbers one through five with increasing energy. One, two, three, four, FIVE.
Sharing your passion, energy through emphasis, and utilizing your play-by-play transmission will bring all the life to your broadcasts that you will ever need.