In the journalism field, what’s the best thing you can do to prepare to be a sports broadcaster?

In order to be a successful sports broadcaster you need excellent communications skills.  You can learn many of these skills through your studies.  Writing is key.  You need to be clear,concise and articulate in your writing.  Public speaking classes can help you develop the skills you need to be confident on camera.  Practice, practice, practice will make you better both on camera and for play by play.  You also need to be sports intelligent.  That means knowing past events, stats, and trivia.  You can never be knowledgeable enough. Read everything you can to boost your knowledge.  If you get an opportunity to work at a school station that will give you valuable experience.  Then you will need to start in a local market to get more knowledge and experience.  Make sure you build a resume reel of your best work.  As you increase your skill sets, you should develop relationships with others in your field.  These contacts will be key as you look for future opportunities.  You have to be able to sell yourself with confidence.   Good luck!

1. Step 1: Earn Your Bachelor's Degree. Many sports broadcasters earn a bachelor's degree in broadcasting, communications, or a closely-related field. ... 
2. Step 2: Complete an Internship. Extensive on-the-job training is required for a career in sports broadcasting. ... 
3. Step 3: Advance with Experience.

Sports broadcasting what I originally went to school for and has always been a passion of mine. One thing I did in highschool to prepare myself was I got involved with my local cable company and the local access community channel. We did a highschool sports show higlighting local sports teams. During football season we would film games, create highlight packages, do interviews, and then filmed a 30 minute highlight show. It was the best experience I could get, it allowed me to get involved and get experience. Experience is the best growing tool you can have. The more you practice the more you perfect your craft.

Remember Umatter, hope to see you on ESPN one day.

Public speaking. Practice speaking in front of multiple people. This will help you speak at nice speed, fluently and build confidence. It's gets easier the more you do it. This is the number 1 fear for people. Practice and overcome.

The best way to perfect any craft is to become knowledgeable about what exactly the job entails and learn from those who have once stood where you hope to be.

Find someone who possesses the qualities and resides in the field you hope to obtain. Learn from their craft and see what works for you, but create your own spin on it. If the opportunity presents itself, reach out to a known sports broadcaster to shadow or learn some helpful tips.

Most people who fail believe that the only field they have an interest in, is the only one they should focus on- NOT TRUE! Become familiar with a variety of sports because each sport has similarities in performance, agility and teamwork-- just to name a few!

Also, its helpful to download and stay in tuned with current sports with various apps such as ESPN, The Bleacher Report, CBS Sports and so on. Even just general apps like CNN or TMZ, will highlight on athletes or teams that have been mentioned in the news that can keep you informed.

Hope this helps!