Do you dream of working for the New England Patriots, but you aren’t a great football player? A person who enjoys the sports industry and is interested in media or journalism may want to learn more about pro sports communication. What is sports communication? A sports communication degree opens a wide range of job options within the sports communication industry including:
- sports writing
- sports broadcasting
- sports production
Students learn about various aspects of interpersonal communication during undergraduate programs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) considers sports communication to be a sub-type of media and communications work. It takes place in a sports setting or involves a sports topic. What is sports communication major? Understanding what this type of communication in sport, its techniques and its effects on sports professionals, a sports team, and the public could help a person with their choice of a degree program for a college sports communication major.
Interpersonal Communications Between Players and Coaches of a Sport
One of the job duties in sports communication careers is the interpersonal messages sent between athletes and coaches. This also covers the messages between players or coaches and:
- referees
- governing bodies
- trainers
- team physicians
- team managers
The messages might consist of questions, such as whether or not a player will be eligible after an injury. The messages could also include opinions about a questionable call from a referee.
Communications Between Athletes or Teams and Fans
Communication in sports also encompass the communications sent between athletes or teams and their fans. Some of the communications professionals might handle the social media channels and social media campaigns for a team. Others might work in public relations on behalf of a team. Public relations specialists are other majors that help distribute sports information to curious fans through broadcast journalism. Some sports journalists may conduct interviews of teams or athletes and publish them on:
- news websites
- sports blogs
- team websites
- YouTube
- social media platforms
- newscasts
- printed materials (such as sports magazines and local or national newspapers)
Communications Between Teams or Athletes and the Media
Another aspect of sports communications is the sports information messages sent from teams or athletes to the media. That includes the questions from the media, such as television announcers, to:
- athletes
- coaches
- teams
For example, after a college football game, a local news station sports journalist may be in the press room to ask the coach about particular play or their thoughts on the players’ performance. Teams or individual athletes may announce their availability for an interview to communicate information, such as on the day when college athletes sign contracts to play with professional sports teams. This allows communications and media specialists the chance to get first-hand information and answers to their questions so that they can write opinion pieces or report facts.
Announcements of News or Live Coverage of Events to the Public
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, another part of sports communication is announcing sports news. This might involve a sports segment on morning or evening newscasts. This type of communication may also include the live coverage of sports organizations. The sports announcers at the game as well as those on the radio or network or cable television news report the plays as they happen. The announcements could also include coordination of parties, parades and championship celebrations for sports teams or athletes.
Conclusion
Hopefully now you understand the sports communication definition. Working in sports communication allows a person to be on live or recorded television, at a wide range of sports events and near some of the nation’s or world’s best athletes. This profession also gives a person multiple opportunities to make a name for themselves by authoring books, interviewing athletes or coaches or delivering hopeful and inspirational messages to the public. These communications take place at all levels of sports, from toddler or preschool to professional sports leagues. Understanding the sport communication definition could facilitate a person’s choice of a career path within the media and communications industry.
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