Although players are often put in the spotlight within the sports realm, they are just a fraction of the staff that make events happen. A closer look at a sports game reveals those who are not on the field – sports commentators, journalists and coaches are just as vital to a team as the players.
Journalism’s world of sports broadcasting presents many paths individuals can pursue, one being sports media. Senior Jaret Gutierrez was inspired to pursue a sports journalism path due to the position being underappreciated and an important aspect of sports’ communities.
“Sports journalism allows the fans and the teams to have a relationship between each other, keeps fans in the know of the teams ups and downs, emphasizes both individual players and the teams overall success, and keeps the team involved with other demographics and affiliations,” Gutierrez said.
Sports games are widely broadcasted and can be accessed by individuals interested in keeping up with the event. Gutierrez explained that sports broadcasting and journalists help connect the audience to the game, supporting the fanbase overall.
“When it comes to the event itself, other than the standing audience, the event is going to be displayed live on television,” Gutierrez said. “In terms of the hierarchy, we’re who you hear and see in between moments each game.”
Gutierrez also shared that journalists and commentators help connect sports fans to the game through sharing key plays, building their own following, using their unique voices to represent the team or creating a separate community that deepens connections between franchises and supporters.
“Commentators have an unofficial responsibility to represent the team. For example, many Sharks fans are quick to recognize broadcasting legend Randy Hahn,” Gutierrez said. “So while not as pivotal as players, coaches or camera crew, we’re among the first faces you see when the game is live.”
In a game, players and coaches can work together to make a team and push them to some of their best abilities. Wrestling team captain junior Natalie Nguyen believes that a coaching position consists of being a role model for players and supporting a team through motivation.
“I believe leading by example is the best way you can lead someone or a group of people,” Nguyen said. “During the two-hour practices, I do try my best to lead by pushing hard, doing my best and showing everyone that that is how you are supposed to behave and perform.”
Coaches come in all shapes and sizes, and their diversity can bring unique perspectives to teams. Special education teacher Travis Sunseri had opportunities during college to experience coaching for the first time, coaching basketball to elementary school students, which sparked his passion for an involvement in youth sports.
“My volunteer hours (for an internship) had to be coaching, so I got hands-on experience while getting college credits,” Sunseri said. “It was fun to interact with those fifth graders and see the impact on them. It kinda was that experience that made me know this is something I want to do.”
A change that soccer player senior Lilyanna Chavarria would like to see in the sports journalism world is a more positive outlook on women’s opinions in broadcasting. She noticed that commentating and voicing sports opinions is a male-dominated career, and women’s perspectives oftentimes are often treated as less significant and uneducated.
Chavarria hopes to play a part in changing the public’s prejudice toward women commentating.
“Everyone has a different sports opinion, but also whenever I see girls voicing their opinions, everyone hates on them and says they don’t know what they’re talking about,” Chavarria said. “That’s something I want to change.”