How to Interview for Sports Reporting

Sportscasters interview athletes just about as frequently as they shoot highlights. Sound from the players adds to the story. Instead of merely seeing them play, viewers can hear what they were thinking and how they're feeling. Interviews offer an inside look at what's happening behind the scenes.

Instructions

1. Find out before the game when you can interview athletes or coaches. Usually a select few are available following a game. Other coaches allow you to pull athletes aside during practice or even grab one quickly before the start of a game.

2. Plan out the basic questions you want to ask before getting to the interview. You'll very likely have only a couple of minutes to set up the camera and grab the interview. You can't waste time thinking of what to ask.

3. Shoulder the camera if you're steady. In sports, you shoot off the shoulder much more often than you use the tripod.

4. Tell the athlete to look at you, not straight into the camera lens. Even though you'll likely be one-man-banding (acting as reporter and photographer), it's disconcerting when people stare into the camera.

5. Ask the athlete about how the team is doing, what challenges they face heading into the next game, how they think they're performing, and any other questions you prepared.

6. Remember to ask a wide range of questions. TV sports reporters very often use the same interview with athletes in several sportscasts. You can spread it out if you get enough sound with different angles.

7. Pay attention to which players give you the best sound, for future reference. There may be someone who really doesn't come across well on camera, while another player is eloquent and really does a good job as a team spokesman. Next time, you know who to focus your energy on.