Everyone is looking for “get rich quick” types of advice, where you can get incredible results without having to lift a finger. If that’s what you are expecting here, sorry…our tips and advice take some hard work on your part because there is no easy path to a successful sports career.
WorkInSports.com Director of Content Brian Clapp has a great idea to help you refine a skill that is incredibly valuable for all sports careers. If you have any questions after watching, please add them in the comments and we will respond, and if you think your network could benefit from the knowledge in this video please share it on social media!
On with the show….
Video Transcript for “Sports Careers Require Mastery of This Skill”
WorkInSports.com Director of Content, Brian Clapp: I’ve got a tip today that can really help you in your sports career, but it isn’t one of those just add water, lose 20 lbs in 20 minutes type deals – this will actually require some hard work on your part and it may not seem like you are making much progress at the start, but trust me you will be.
The best part is you are actually required to watch sports as part of this tip – so it’s not all bad.
When it comes to writing, practice makes perfect.
Writing is a skill that needs to be mastered no matter what sports career you pursue, you will always be communicating via written word. You’ll be sending out emails that need to have a clear and concise message, you’ll be writing presentations, sales pitches, if you are a reporter you’ll write articles, if you are in the athletic department you’ll write budget requirements and all kinds of documentation.
For all sports careers you need to be able to communicate in a clear and concise manner.
So this tip is all about improving your writing skills…. Here goes:
I want you to watch a sporting event, take notes as you watch and think of it like you are the reporter. After the game is finished go find the game recap online after the post-game quotes have been included. Now, take the game recap and strip out the reporter words so you are left with just the quotes gathered from the athletes. You should have player and coach reactions and that’s it, that is your framework.
Now I want you to write a game recap story using those quotes. You watched the game, you took notes, you have quotes…now put it all together.
You may be thinking – I don’t want to be a reporter, so why would I do this?
Well I have a few thoughts on that: learning how to quickly and cleanly communicate and bridge between thoughts is a skill that needs to be mastered by more than just reporters. No matter what sports career you are seeking being able to communicate clearly and connect thoughts will serve you well. And while you may not want to be a reporter this is a great way to practice your writing skills for all kinds of content creation roles, marketing roles, promotions, sales and more.
Plus, rather than showing your work to your mom afterwards and having her say “wow you are so wonderful” you can actually compare what you have done with that of the professional that actually published a finished version and see how your ideas stack up.
Like I said, this is not the type of tip that is going to make your rich overnight, but as you practice your writing and get more confidence and become more concise you’ll find all of your communication becomes stronger and writing will become easier and easier.
About Brian Clapp
[…] an advocate of obtaining specific skills necessary to accomplish jobs or tasks when you are trying to break into the sports world. For […]