Sports are arguably the biggest form of entertainment that society has to offer. Many times, people don’t even think about how much planning and work truly goes into the behind-the-scenes of sports.
There are many avenues for those who work in sports, and the Sports Media Club at Iowa State offers the opportunity for students to be able to work in sports.
Students can dive into broadcasting, play-by-play announcing, production work, sideline reporting, social media management, and so much more.
While there are lots of people who desire to work in sports aside from coaching, getting a job in sports can be a difficult process because of the competition when applying to work at the professional and college level.
However, along with the connections that are made in the Iowa State Sports Media Club, the club has the mindset of getting its students ahead of the competition for jobs.
“The Sports Media Club is a great way for new Iowa State students to gain entry-level experience, allowing them to develop a résumé and portfolio,” club president Abby Altman said.
The hands-on experience allows members of the club to show that they can do the jobs that they are applying for before others have even gotten the experience of doing so.
The Sports Media Club has been involved in club sports at Iowa State along with being connected with Iowa State’s athletic department. The club has hosted photoshoots and media days for club baseball and softball at Iowa State.
The broadcasting crew of the club will help out with Iowa State Women’s club hockey for this year, and livestreamed men’s hockey club games at Iowa State this year.
“The broadcast side of the club is a way for freshmen or those who are looking to get experience or exposure for an opportunity to perform semi-professional broadcasts,” club director of broadcasting John Haralambopoulos said.
Gaining experience can be intimidating, especially for people who are afraid to make mistakes, but it is something all people must go through to be successful.
Broadcasting is certainly no exception because of the communication skills and speaking that are needed for that role.
“Just do it and never turn down an opportunity,” play-by-play commentator Noah Wolf said in an interview via Instagram with the Sports Media Club.
The hands-on experience of the club is a big advantage, but another benefit of the club is having professionals in the sports field come back or visit and connect with the students. The club features lots of alumni and sports media professionals, with some listed below.
Jake Brend – Chief Content Creator for Cyclone Fanatic
Ben Hutchens – Beat reporter for Quad City Times, Globe Gazette and WCF Courier
Noah Wolf – Play-by-play commentator for Iowa State Women’s Basketball
Cass Meadows – Director of Sports & Media Investment Banking
The club also does site visits, where they will travel to different sports venues and observe the operations on a gameday for different sports organizations. Site visits in the past have been to the Iowa Wild games, Iowa Cubs games, Iowa Buccaneers games, Arrowhead Stadium and more.
With any other club that exists, the connections that are made are great for industry purposes, but also to make great friends while in college.
“We play soccer together, host a trivia night and have had Super Bowl watch parties,” Altman said.
For anyone curious about the club can contact Altman at [email protected].
