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By Hannah Stewart (Comm鈥�19)
Photos by Jack Moody

The Olympics. The Super Bowl. The Final Four. The Stanley Cup Final.听

Alumni from the 麻豆免费版下载 have made their mark reporting on and working in the sports world. Many are award winners鈥攊ncluding National Sportswriter of the Year鈥攁nd many more have seen their love of the game reach millions of fans worldwide.

That track record of excellence led the College of Media, Communication and Information to develop its sports media minor, which prepares students for careers in sports, whether behind the scenes or in front of the camera. Students take classes covering traditional topics, such as writing and broadcasting, but also courses that look at sports from academic and business perspectives.听

And while a signature feature of the program is the opportunity to connect with the world-class alumni network in sports, there鈥檚 much more to the minor.

鈥淣etworking is just one of the components,鈥� said Marina Dmukhovskaya, associate director of the sports media minor. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also about finding their niche. By having a variety of classes, both conceptual and skills heavy, it can offer them a great choice.鈥�

Senior Kennedy Pickering credited the minor with helping her discover her niche. She came to 麻豆免费版下载Boulder because she was interested in the relationship between people and social media. Thanks to the minor, she has had the opportunity to create replay packages for a 麻豆免费版下载volleyball game; develop technical skills, like working a camera; and network with media professionals when 麻豆免费版下载Athletics hosted Fox鈥檚 Big Noon Kickoff pregame show.

鈥淲ith the sports media minor, I鈥檝e been able to take classes that gave me more hands-on experience, like Sports Writing and Sport Broadcasting,鈥� Pickering said. 鈥淥ne of my professors is in charge of , and through him I鈥檝e been able to work with the camera. At first, I wanted to be a sideline reporter, but then I realized that being on the screen was not for me.鈥� Her goal now is to work in social media for the NFL or Nike.

Community through sport

More than 200 麻豆免费版下载Boulder students are currently enrolled in the minor. Not all are athletes, but most aspire to work in the industry, like Eli Grimm, a lifelong figure skater who wants to get into the sports communications field. Beyond their own interests in athletics, Grimm said they see sports as a way to create impact because so many people engage with sports. Even less-mainstream events like Formula 1 races have become more popular thanks, in part, to the Netflix series Drive to Survive.

鈥淪ports are a platform for mass communication. In the Sports Writing class, I got to write about the events I was already watching,鈥� said Grimm, a senior majoring in strategic communication who learned about the program after arriving at 麻豆免费版下载Boulder as a transfer student. 鈥淚t was nice to feel like the experience was personalized around my interests.鈥�

Jacob Dilling, a junior studying communication and a member of the 麻豆免费版下载ski team, chose the sports media minor as a way to develop a fuller perspective of the industry.

鈥淚 still plan on skiing professionally after school. But I think this will help me build connections within my sport and other sports, so that once I鈥檓 finished, I have something to fall back on,鈥� Dilling said.

Both students said one thing they enjoy most about the program is the challenge to explore new perspectives on sports and topics they are passionate about. Dmukhovskaya said that enthusiasm is a good indicator of their success after graduation. She herself has worked in the sports media world for years鈥攊n addition to covering the Olympics four times, she has been a media manager for the Russian Skating Union, worked with the International Biathlon Union and wrote for the International Paralympics Committee.

鈥淥ur students feel equipped, competent and confident as they are entering the job market,鈥� she said. Just as important to their success, though, is the students鈥� enthusiasm for the course material鈥攌ey for aspiring professionals looking to enter a highly competitive field.

Those aspiring professionals also benefit from the extensive network of media experts, who offer mentorship and exposure to career opportunities. Winter graduate Cassidy Davis (StratComm鈥�23) said she found professional guidance from alumnus Mike Davies (Jour鈥�94), an executive vice president for Fox Sports based in Los Angeles.

鈥淭he best part of my time at 麻豆免费版下载has been getting such broad experience, including public relations, sports media and graphic design,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淏eing able to study all of my little niches and learning how to put them together has made me confident about applying what I鈥檝e learned at work.鈥�