Tuesday, July 29, 2008

CSM Students Eager to Get Feet Wet

David Lanys, President of the College of Sports Media promised more real world experience for his students. After attending the recent Ontario University Athletic Association(OUAA) conference, Lanys delivered. CSM students will be doing volleyball and basketball broadcasts for the University of Toronto and York University. Queen’s University wants CSM to cover their rowing events, but at the moment the logistics pose an obstacle. The universities have also expressed interest in having CSM provide coverage for other sporting events.

CSM student Ryan Bolta is no stranger to media studies, having graduated from Seneca’s Broadcast Journalism program in 2007. He stated, "It's a great opportunity for us to get some hands on experience on a smaller scale, with athletes that will be more receptive to our coverage”

A mere five months into their studies, students from the College of Sports Media have already had some intern positions others dream of. The entire faculty was responsible for putting together www.topspinradio.com, Tennis Canada’s daily online broadcast during the Rogers Cup. A core of five students does the regular weekly show the rest of the year. Other students are gaining experience at rotoworld.com, Rogers Cable, Angus Glen Golf Club, and Fan590.

Matt McCloskey attends CSM and sums it up nicely, “It's where we can get our feet wet and learn in an environment where we can be more relaxed and have less pressure on us. That way, if we make mistakes we're not going to have thousands of viewers bashing us. We can learn from out mistakes and improve as broadcasters”