JOB TITLE: TV PRESENTER CLARE BALDING - Npower

JOB TITLE: SPORTS COMMENTATORVenue: Wembley Stadium, npower ChampionshipPlay-Off FinalsBrief description:A sports commentator has a very important and challenging role. They have topassionately express the excitement of a sporting event to their viewers/listenersas it happens on the pitch. To do this, they need to be descriptive and provide aplay-by-play commentary on the action happening on the field.Key skills:Having your finger on the pulse of a fast moving gameBeing able to transport your audience as if they are at the heart of the actionKnowledge of football, love for the game and all things football relatedAttention to detail is vital, people will always pick up on any errorsMake sure you are thinking about what the listener wants to hearMain responsibilities:Giving listeners a descriptive and informative account of the actionInform the audience about the action without taking sidesConducting pre and post match interviewsGathering interesting insight about the matchWorking hours:Sports commentators work all hours. Most matches take place at weekends orweekday evenings and sports commentators usually arrive hours before kick-off.JACQUI OATLEYSPORTS COMMENTATORBiog:Lively, committed and widely respected, trailblazingsports journalist Jacqui Oatley made history in April 2007as the first female commentator on Match of the Day.Her knowledge, sense of fun and relaxed style has placed Jacqui at the forefrontof sports broadcasting since becoming the first female commentator on Britishnetwork radio in 2005.Jacqui has a BA (Hons) degree in German and a Postgraduate Diploma in BroadcastJournalism. She did evening courses in print journalism and radio production as wellas presented sports news on her local hospital radio. Jacqui also completed workexperience with various BBC radio stations and a sports news agency, which allproved to be valuable experience for her journalism course and more importantlywhen she started her first paid job at BBC Radio Leeds.TOP 5 TIPS FOR A WOULD BESPORTS COMMENTATOR1. Know your subject. Make sure you watch, listen and read about footballwhenever you can, every day.2. Get as much experience as you can. Whether this is at your school orvolunteering at a local hospital or radio station; you never know whereyou may be spotted!3. Practise, practise, practise. By practising you will develop your own styleand rhythm. You could start by commentating along with the TV andrecording it. Play it back and ask other people to listen to it too. Ask themto be honest about what they like or don’t like.4. Build up your contacts. You never know who you will meet or where theywill end up. It is always good to speak to people and build relationshipsas they could come in useful in your career.5. Always prepare. Whether you are commentating on a school game orfor a local team, you need to make sure you have all angles covered andhave a few unusual facts at the ready. This will set you apart from the rest.npm10536/RF12714/01.13