How to Prepare for a Basketball Broadcast as a Sportscaster
The knowledge base it takes to speak intelligently - and think quickly - during a live broadcast is staggering. Gaining that knowledge takes persistence.
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Instructions
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Receive media guides on the teams in autumn.
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Check your broadcast schedule, then set up files for each team you work with.
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Pore over the information about players and coaches. Become familiar with names and statistics.
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Watch early season games of teams you'll cover later.
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Pay attention, on a daily basis, to what's happening in basketball. Read the sports section of your newspaper, and publications like "Sports Illustrated" and "ESPN: The Magazine." "Read these constantly during the season," says Larry Conley, veteran color analyst for ESPN. "It's relevant and immediate, and you need that info for your audience."
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Be familiar with teams outside your normal coverage area. "I have a pretty good working relationship with the top 50 teams," Conley says.
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Update yourself just prior to the broadcast. "I'll spend 6 hours reading and learning about Georgetown for a 2-hour telecast where I might speak 20 minutes."
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Tips & Warnings
"All this preparation is aimed at having the ability to answer as many questions, or to explain what's happening on the screen."
Study basketball every day during the season. "You develop a reputation for this," Conley says. "There are people out there dependent on you."
If you cannot answer a question or something occurs that you don't understand, say so. "I don't mind saying, 'I don't know,'" Conley says.
Be prepared for chaos. "I have my own theory," Conley says. "No matter how much you prepare, something always creates chaos." Prepare for the fact that a game will not run as expected. "That way, I also have a theory on why it didn't go the way I thought."
