By: Carla Lide | Player Engagement
The 9th annual Broadcasting Boot Camp kicked off on Monday June 1st at NFL Films in Mt. Laurel NJ. Twenty three current & former players participated in the 4 day intensive workshop to learn the ins & outs of the broadcasting world. Representatives from ESPN, CBS, Westwood One, SiriusXM, FOX, NFL Network, Big 10 Network, & Sportscast Stars Training, guided the players through panel discussions & instructional technique trainings. James Brown, lead sportscaster of CBS & NFL Today, mentored players throughout the 4 day experience, sharing his best practices & helpful tips for success. Five players returned for their 2nd year of Broadcasting and were placed into an advanced group to further enhance the skills developed from their previous experience.
On the first day, players took to the filming studio as they rotated through a series of interactive sessions ranging from Sports Talk Radio lead by Steve Cohen, Bruce Murray, Eddie Borsilli, & Erik Fenton of SiriusXM to strengthening their studio voice with Arthur Joseph. During the set taping process players recorded with Curt Menefee of FOX, James Brown of CBS, & Marc Watts of NFL Network and were coached by Jacob Ullman & Roy Hamilton of FOX, Ross Maloy of CBS, Gerry Matalon of ESPN, and Quentin Carter of Big 10 Network. A few key takeaways from the mentors included: building awareness of their speaking voice & body posture. Towards the end of the day, players, mentors, & moderators analyzed the players’ recordings in an effort to improve their on –air performance.
The next day focused on teleprompter writing, game production meetings, & field reporting. Bob Goodrich & Annie Hoffman Goodrich of Sportscast Stars Training provided players with necessary reporting techniques. Players spent time crafting their teleprompter scripts under the direction of Jacob Ullman, Roy Hamilton, Gerry Matalon, Quentin Carter, Marc Watts & Jason Romano. Following prep-time, players got back to work & recorded their field reporting segment by interviewing one another at Sports Authority Mt. Laurel. A few players mentioned that interviewing was outside their comfort zone, but realized the value in branching out & becoming well rounded.
On the final day, James Brown, Ron Jaworski of ESPN, & Solomon Wilcots of CBS, NFLN, & SIRIUSXM lead a discussion on Game Analyst Prep. Players learned that preparation is key in all fields of boradcasting. They learned that tape study, proper terminology usage, and research with coaches & players are all critical in preparation for the on camera experience. Prior to the Call-A-Game segment, Fred Gaudelli of NBC & Kenny Albert of FOX led a mock pregame on-camera exercise while Greg Cosell of NFL Films & Ron Jaworski instructed players on proper tape study. Annie Hoffman Goodrich & Solomon Wilcots discussed what comes next for the players & how to make of the networks created. The final task of the day was the Call-a-Game segment which featured Fred Gaudelli (NBC) Kenny Albert (FOX), Ray Smaltz, Mark Champion, Rich Russo (FOX) & Merrill Reese (WIP). Players & producers broadcasted clips from the 2014 Dallas at Giants game. Following the Call-A-Game segment, Dick Maxwell (NFL), was proud to announce that two current broadcasting attendees, Jibari Greer & Ben Hartsock, were awarded the opportunity to participate in the upcoming season’s studio show at NFL London.
It was evident that this year’s participants were eager to learn & make an impression with the faculty. All the players at this year’s Broadcasting Boot Camp appeared to have a natural confidence in front of the camera which peeked the faculty’s interest & set the tone for a successful boot camp.