That, That That Don't Kill Me, Can Only Make Me Stronger

Broadcasting is one of the hardest fields to break into. No, I didn't get that from a statistic or the New York Times, I gathered that from the numbers of people going to school to get on TV and the countless friends that have recently graduated and are still waiting for feedback on their reels from the low news markets they sent their tapes to. The next time your friend confides in you their fears of graduating with a business degree, or getting hired as a teacher, a veterinarian, a drive thru employee at Wendys, you laugh in their face and tell them you're trying to break into broadcasting, and not only that, you are trying to break into sportscasting where you will forever be judged on your appearance, your ability to insert witty comments into a highlight, and endlessly quizzed on how much you know about sports.

And let me tell you something, everyone is a critic and everyone thinks that they know what it takes to become a sportscaster.

But guess what, they don't, and I will give you an example of that right now.

A few days ago I was innocently pacing the pool coaching one of the many practices we have a day for swim team. One of the dads decided to strike up a conversation which predictably led to my chosen career path of sportscasting. When the father heard that I wanted to be a sportscaster, more specifically a sports reporter who does the player profile packages he informed me that those were only on tv to get women to watch sports and that no man cares about those, they just want to watch the game.

That should have been the first red flag.

But oh no, Mr. Know it All decided that in the middle of my swim team practice would be the ideal time to quiz me on my sports knowledge. So, he started off by asking me who won the Super Bowl. No brainer, the Giants. Then he asked me who caught the winning past. Hell if I know. I was too busy trying to write my sports blog when the final touchdown was scored and I can barely remember what I ate for breakfast yesterday let alone who caught the pass. So, with a smirk, he delivered the correct answer which of course he knew because he is from New Jersey and all North Jersey fans are huge Giant or Jets fans.

Onto question two: What was the lowest point in the Red Sox history? First of all, that is not a yes or no, true or false, that is an OPINION question so who is the idiot now? My first answer was when Babe was traded which, obviously I was wrong in his eyes. So then I answered correctly with the ball going through Bill Buckner's legs in games 6 of the World Series in 1986 vs. the Mets (I gave all that info just so he couldn't quiz me on anything else). But of course he found something, who hit the ball? Well considering I was barely a fetus in 1986 and am not a personal google where you can type in any sports question and get the answer, I had no clue.

So the conversation was wrapped up by Smarty Pants giving me the answer and telling me I was never going to make it as a sportscaster because I can't spit facts at the drop of a hat.

And let me tell you something, this will happen to each and every one of you at least once in your life. People will think that you don't have it for one reason or another whether it be your lack of knowledge, gender, personality, etc etc. But you know what? Forget them. I spend enough time worrying about my future, I don't need other people bringing me down. I am going to make it in this business if I want to make it, some Big Shot who thinks just because he checks ESPN.com every day he is an expert on the business is not going to be my make or break.

If I were to break down the recipe for success on breaking into the world of sportscasting, it would go like this:

1/2 Personality/Charisma
1/2 Sports Knowledge
A pinch of good looks (well a handful of pinches if you are a female)
A tab of who you know
A good internship

Does it help to know everything there is to know about sports? Yes. But let me tell you something, I will never know everything about sports. The thought of sitting down and trying to memorize every big moment in sports is too overwhelming for me to think about. Take it one step at a time and just keep a pulse on what is happening in sports now. If you ever need to write an article or shoot a package about a specific sport or a historic moment you don't have all the facts on, then do research. Use your other journalistic skills to get the answers you are looking for. You don't have to be a sports junkie to cover a good sports story. Use your other talents to get the job done. And let me tell you something, you can know all there is to know about sports but if you don't have a stitch of personality or a decent voice, you are toast.

There are always going to be haters and there are always going to be people trying to bring you down, telling you that you won't make it, and unfortunately, endlessly quizzing you, but you can't let that get to you. If you know you can make it, then that is enough. If you don't think you can make it, then maybe, it's time to be looking into another career choice.