What...an RBI?

The past few weeks I've been talking a lot about doing hands on things at the station, like doing my own packages and stand ups, but this week I gained sports knowledge. Sports have been a big part of my life since I was 5 years old. Since I was a girl, I couldn't play sports like football, baseball, wrestling, etc. So most of the sports knowledge I have is from the sports I have played, and I know them in and out. Sports like tennis, soccer, volleyball, and track & field. I grew up watching football with my Dad and Uncles, so I'm pretty knowledgeable when it comes to that, but softball and baseball that was a different story.

It is spring sports season and that does mean baseball and softball coverage. I guess this week was as good of a time as any to learn. I mean I do want to be a sportscaster, and baseball is America's favorite past time. Joe was the lucky guy to teach me the in and out's of baseball this week. I already knew the basics like how many innings in major league, how many strikes and balls the batter get's before they are out. Joe told me what an RBI was, there are only 7 innings in high school ball, and that a K means strike out. These are very important things to know if you want to be a sportscaster. When I would keep stats before I would just write what he told me to write. This week I was actually catching on and writing down what happened before he even told me.

When going in to this internship I thought that most of what I would learn would be technical things. Things like editing, or learning tricks of the trade. It's been more than that. I've been learning new things each and every week and this week was no different. Most of a sportscasters knowledge comes from experience of playing or watching a certain sport. I could sit down and read books on rules of sports or articles in magazines, but that just not how I learn. Joe would explain what was happening as it was taking place and I caught on right away. Baseball just wasn't something I was ever interested in, but I'm sure glad I've become more knowledgeable about it and now know what's going on a little more. This is something that can only help!

Welcome to the World of Arena Football!

I know the past few weeks have been me talking about the excitement of doing packages. This week I got to do something a little more different. This week I not only went out with a different sportscaster, but I was introduced to the world of arena football. There is an arena football team in Youngstown Ohio, which I didn't know. Where I live this isn't something that is offered, so it was new to me. I'm a big football enthusiast, but I didn't know how the two would compare. Not only was I excited to go see what arena football was all about, but I would be going out will Joe. Joe anchors sports at 10, and although I've met him before, I've never got to go out and see how he does everything.

I usually go out with the same person when I film, and I've picked up a lot of good pointers from him. This was my opportunity to go out and pick up a few more from someone else's point of view. When we arrived there I was so overwhelmed, yet excited! The first thing I noticed was that the field is a lot shorter than a normal football field. Joe explained to me that the reason the space is smaller is because it's played an arena and the space is limited. The field is the normal length of a standard NHL hockey rink. I also found out that scoring is the same as in the NFL with the addition of a drop kick field goal worth four points during normal play or two points as a post-touchdown conversion.

Like Bill, Joe is also a video-journalist. He interviewed a player for the Mahoning Valley Thunder, shot a stand up, and then shot some b-roll. I found all of this to be so fascinating because I've never been introduced to the world of arena football before, and I learned some new pointers, such as you don't always get to find out background information on the people you are interviewing or story you are going to do, so when you do a stand up you just need to be simple and to the point, and feed off of what the interviewee says. I was so fascinated by all of this that I'm going to go and watch the Thunder play tonight!

On My Own!

My internship was amazing this week! I was finally on my own editing. I still had a few finishing touches to add to my student athlete package that I told you about last week. So I figured now was as good a time as ever to put my finishing touches on that package, and do it on my own. I was amazed how fast I learned my way around everything. I'm a very hands on kind of learner. If I just watch what is going on, but never try it myself I won't learn a thing. If I just explore everything, and learn what everything is chances are I will be able to remember what I did and even pick up a few tricks along the way. The only thing I wanted to make sure was that I couldn't mess anything up that would cause the news to not run or change the order or anything, I mean anything is possible when I'm around!

It all worked out wonderful, I mean one day when they were showing me the editing system I was just thinking to myself, "There is no way I'm ever going to remember that." A week later I was finishing up my own package with very little help. I mean I'm not a professional or anything at this system, but I was proud that I was learning something and had showed progression. I felt so confident that I even asked Bob if I could do another package on this week's athlete because I had shot my own stand up when we were at the tennis club, plus it dealt with one of my loves....tennis! He agreed, and was excited, I think mainly because I was excited and so enthusiastic to do something else on my own.

It took me a little longer than the average package I would do here because I was still learning where everything was and what it all does. I put my sound-bites in, wrote my script and voiced it, and last but not least was the editing of the video and putting it all together. I really liked how it turned out and so did Bob. He told me that I wrote into the bites really well and that my stand up looked good. I know he was probably thinking that I was talking too fast or that I was too stiff, but he never said anything like that, maybe I was just thinking that and was being too hard on myself. I'm just one of those people who like to learn and practice, yet be critical of myself because there's always room for improvement.

Overall, it was a great learning experience and I'm pleased with how they both turned out. Although, my favorite was the tennis package because I did it all by myself! Now I have two more things I can take with me when I leave my internship!

Stand up!

So I know I have been writing a lot in the past few weeks about my creation of student athlete. Well I have some new updates on that project, as well as some new ones. This week when I went in for my internship I had Bill read over what I had wrote to go along with my student athlete story. He was impressed, but gave me a few suggestions on how to make it sound more conversational. I re-vised it, and then I began starting the editing process. Bill had to fill in for Bob during the 6 PM News so I asked him if he would mind if I messed around with the editing system so I could find out where everything is and how it all works. That is just how I learn, I am a very hands on type of person. He told me that it was okay, and I went on my way. It's very similar to the system I use here at school so it wasn't too hard at all. So not only did I finally finish my athlete story....but I did it all by myself by exploring the program!

Bill had a suprise for me up his sleeve. He asked me if I would want to go out with him to do another student athlete with him who is a tennis player. In case you didn't know, tennis is my life. I have played for almost eight years, and even taught lessons at our Country Club last summer, so I was very excited! There was a twist to this though, not only would I be going out to hear this student's story about tennis, but I would be shooting my first stand up. I can't even describe how I felt at that moment. I was so excited to shoot my first stand up and since I know so much about tennis I knew it would just flow right out of me because I know so much about the sport and what's going on.

We did the interview, got some shots of the athlete playing, and then it was that time....stand up time! I'm so used to reading from scripts and with stand ups, well atleast this one, there would be no script included. I knew what I wanted to say, but with Bill being there it made me a little nervous. This is a guy who's been doing sports and stand up's for awhile...what if I fell on my face! I didn't! I kept stumbling when saying it out loud to Bill, and he suggested that we turn on the camera and begin recording it. My first take came our perfect, it was like since the camera was on the mood just changed. I was no longer nervous but excited. I felt like such a professional. We did a few takes and Bill told me I was a natral. When we got back to the studio we watched it, and I was so proud of myself! I just need to learn to use my hands more or create movement when describing what I'm talking about!

I actually think I'm going to put together another package on this athlete so I can include my stand up! It helped me to feel more confident in myself! If I didn't know before, I sure do now, that this is exactly what I want to do with my life!