Generally speaking playing at a mid-major Division I school means not having to worry about seeing your plays on ESPN, which may disappointing to some. However, it also means you do not have to face the same critique and generally criticism about your personal life.
There is tradeoffs to playing on the national stage with the sheer amount of eyes on your every move. However, playing in a more localized market does not mean that there won’t be eyes on you and questions asked of you.
Whether playing for schools of the like of University of Portland to University of New Hampshire, there will be a school media that will be wanting interviews and writing stories about your games and more. Though this may not be CBS putting you in front of a TV camera, it still will be the first time many athletes deal with the media. Going into freshman year it is important for young athletes to keep a few things in mind.
The first thing to keep in mind is most likely your team will have a reporter assigned to following your team. Don’t worry about looking over your shoulder, because no, not literally following your team. This person is a student too, who also has a full course load and a social life, they will not have the time to know your every move, so relax. However, it is important to try and establish a relationship with this person as it allows for honest communication and opens the conversation for questions to go both ways.
Secondly, most interview requests, even following a game, will be set up by a person in the athletics office. It is important to feel comfortable expressing your feelings to this person as they are the barrier and bridge between you and the reporter. If you do not feel comfortable taking part in an interview, then voice that to them and they will barrier.
Lastly, it is important to relax and have fun with the experience. Student media is there for both athlete and reporter to gain experience. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them to the reporter. Enjoy the experience of being interviewed and allowing your words to go out to the public who are excited to hear them.
