Spring Training #GrapefruitGators
Let me take you back to a week I won’t ever forget. Over spring break, I went to five different baseball games, and it put my skills to the test. I expanded my knowledge in live-tweeting, photography, videography, writing, content creation and interviewing.
One thing I learned is that life is what you make it. Before going into the experience, I had to pitch several ideas of how I was going to make exciting content. This was difficult because I did not know if I was going to get team accessibility, which challenged me to think of ways to still engage my audience. Although I ended up having limited access to players and coaches, it pushed me to use out of the ordinary tactics. I was able to do a man-on-the-street package and I even made a Yankees vs.Phillies vlog. This content was out of my comfort zone, but I met so many amazing people and really got to experience the atmosphere at the ballparks.
For the two games I got credentials for, I loved watching players be themselves and learning about different staff positions. I was able to have great conversations with the Tampa Bay Rays sideline reporter and a photographer for MLB sports cards. All the security guards and communications teams also had so many interesting stories and facts.
If I could redo this trip, I would focus more on teams that have less of a fan base. Covering popular teams like the Yankees and the Braves was hard to get access to, but it was still entertaining making content at those games. I learned that fans are your biggest helpers, and in order to get a good article, you need to be aggressive. Stories won’t just come to you, you have to find them. In the future, I hope the CJC grants camera access to students so they can not only work on their beat reporting, but their on-camera work too.
Overall, the MLB Grapefruit Spring Training was a blessing and I learned so much. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to broaden their experience in the sports world.
