Registration opens for ASU sports broadcast summer camp for high school students

High school students interested in sports journalism can apply for a special two-week summer camp at Arizona State University, where they can report on professional sports teams such as the Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Mercury.

ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is hosting its annual Cronkite Sports Broadcast Boot Camp from July 16–30. The on-campus residential summer camp includes behind-the-scenes media visits to professional sports teams around the Valley and fun, interactive sessions on broadcast journalism.

Students participate in sessions on play-by-play and sideline reporting, hosting, studio production and more, under the leadership of veteran sports journalists such as Cronkite Professor of Practice Paola Boivin, the longtime award-winning sports columnist for The Arizona Republic.

“Broadcast Boot Camp gives students the opportunity to experience what it’s like to be a sports reporter on TV,” said Mark Lodato, dean of the Cronkite School, who leads the school’s sports journalism program. “During the two weeks, students are exposed to life on a college campus and the resources, faculty and partnerships that make our program one of the best in the country.”

At the camp, students learn how to produce segments and sports programs inside Cronkite’s state-of-the-art studios, and how to use digital field-reporting equipment and editing software. Last year’s group also visited Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Talking Stick Resort Arena, home to the Phoenix Mercury and Suns.

Thirty students from 16 states participated in the boot camp last year. Students stay at the Taylor Place residence hall on ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus. They also participate in evening activities at ASU’s Sun Devil Fitness Complex.

The camp is open to high school students from across the country. No prior journalism experience is required to attend. Tuition includes housing, meals and transportation during camp, as well as access to broadcast equipment, field trips and professional instruction.

The Cronkite School is home to major sports journalism degree programs that offer students unparalleled access to sports media classes and dozens of professional experiences. The program features full-immersion sports bureaus in Phoenix and Los Angeles where ASU students get real-world reporting experience.

Cronkite Sports Broadcast Boot Camp

Date: Sunday, July 16, through Sunday, July 30, 2017.

Cost: Early-bird application deadline: April 1, 2017; regular application deadline: May 1, 2017.

Registration: https://cronkite.asu.edu/sports-broadcast-boot-camp-application