I’m writing this on New Year’s Day 2018, a day that marks the two-year anniversary of when I began following the Blueprint to Broadcasting Success. I came up with this program with the idea that it would be an effective way to improve my sound on the air, as well as a way to help build and strengthen relationships in the industry. In order to accomplish my career goals, I needed dramatic improvement in both areas if I hoped to climb the proverbial ladder.
After two years, the program has worked well. I can tell I’m getting better through my own self critiques, but it’s the confirmation from people I trust that has me sure that I’m on the right track. Here are a few excerpts from people who knew my work before I started the Blueprint and how it compares to where I’m at now:
Example 1) Your progress since I first heard your work years ago is night and day. This is the best I’ve heard from you. Wow! Your voice sounds better than ever. Used to sound nasally. No more! So much better, keep up the great work.
Example 2) I listened to it in the car first, my initial impressions:
-This is the best thing you’ve sent me
-I love how “in control” you sound. Not rushed, not labored. It’s so smooth.
-I just really enjoyed it.
I don’t share these to boast, but instead to show that with consistent work, anyone can get better. I continue to believe that sportscasting is similar to sports in one very specific way. You don’t become a great athlete by only showing up to games and team practices. Athletes become great by getting extra shots in an empty gym or driveway when everyone else is at home. They improve by building their bodies and getting in extra reps in the weight room. It’s what people do when they aren’t required to do anything that separates good from great.
Who knows what the new year will bring. Maybe it will be the year I get the opportunity to move up in the industry. It’s more likely that it won’t be. We all know this business is fickle and involves a great amount of luck and good timing. But it’s funny, the people who seem to get the most breaks are the people who prepare themselves to be ready to seize the moment when an opportunity presents itself.
My goal is, and will continue to be, to become as strong of a broadcaster as I possibly can so when/if an opportunity or lucky break presents itself, I will be ready to seize the moment. Below are the final totals following the Blueprint over the last three months and totals over two years:
Totals For October-December
147 min basketball
133 min football
280 total
5 vocab sessions
24 listening sessions.
6 self critiques
49 contacts made
Totals Overall Through 2 Years
4,604 minutes of practice play by play.(76.7 hours)
106 sessions of coming up with a minimum of five new vocab words.
52 self critiques.
141 listening sessions of other announcers’ pbp.
364 relationship-building contacts
I’ve shared these updates every so often in order to keep myself accountable for continuing to progress. I also share them so they can be a resource for other broadcasters. I encourage anyone who wants to give the Blueprint to Broadcasting Success a try to feel free. Let me know what type of results you get or if you have suggestions to make it even better!
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