Meeting players, seeing who is injured, memorizing statistics and getting coaches thoughts on the match up is all part of the preparation Jenner does on NLL gamedays. It’s usually a six-hour process to prepare for the broadcast, and that is just on the game days.
Ever since Jenner was young, he knew he wanted to go into the broadcasting industry. He grew up watching and playing sports, including playing in the NLL. To him, it just felt natural for him to try and turn that into a career.
“When I played in the NLL I didn’t do too much in the media field, but I was always looking to build in-game videos and hopping on the broadcast when I was scratched from the lineup,” Jenner said.
After graduating from Mercyhurst University, Jenner attended Columbia Arts College to receive a degree in broadcasting. Ever since, Jenner has hosted podcasts and been an NLL play-by-play commentator.
Sports broadcasting has been around since 1911and has grown immensely since. Networks like ESPN, TSN and SportsNet have taken over the broadcasting world in North America and heightened the competition for broadcasters.
According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, a total of 800 broadcasters will be hired around the country before 2022, making it difficult to break into the career. Jenner knows that the interest in young people to become broadcasters has become popular. Yet he still thinks there are ways to stand out.
“Versatility is the most important factor of being a good broadcaster, but being yourself and not letting people tell you that you can’t do it will help prospects really stand out,” Jenner said.
Once entering the field, the opportunities are almost endless. Starting out, a salary can be $41,800per year, which doesn’t seem like much. Working through the ranks and getting to the top, people can gain a six figure income and earn up to $104,670.
Despite the large gap between pay range, sports broadcasting means so much more to people like Jenner. Dreaming of covering the sport he once reached the professional level was a way for him to keep lacrosse in his life.
“Covering the game that I love is so surreal. Sitting at the top of the Pepsi Center with 15,000 fans below me, and all of us are watching the incredible athletes on the turf. I have the best seat in the house and as a fan, it’s still a thrill to see what these guys can do,” said Jenner.
There is often a discussion about doing a job for money versus for happiness. Many sports reporters were professional or semi-pro athletes before turning their passions into a career.
There is something to be said about pursuing passions and broadcasting tends to be fulfilling for a lot of people. According to Forbes, there are so many positives to sports broadcasting.
Broadcasters have the opportunities to cover famous athletes, travel, and constantly learning about whatever sports they are covering. Along with those perks, they are allowed to be themselves. Self-expression tends to be limited in careers, but not broadcasting.
“As a broadcaster you never forget the championship games and those final seconds before a team realized their goal. It’s an incredible environment to be a part of there. The 2019 NLL Cup final game in Calgary sticks out the most because of the dramatic fashion the game finished. As a player, winning the cup is the dream but as a broadcaster, you want the chance to be able to tell the story of their dreams coming true,” Jenner said.
Sure all careers have ups and downs, but broadcasting is a world full of opportunities. Jenner mentioned how flexible his hours while home are because he flies out for all of the NLL games.
Sports broadcasting comes with a lot of statistics, trades, injuries and the stories that develop from specific athletes. Yet Jenner loves the actual work he does behind the scenes.
“When I’m home, I’m constantly sifting through NLL stat pages, team transactions and talking with various sources throughout the league. Add in the time it takes to edit and record my podcast, I tend to work 40-50 hours,” said Jenner.
Although those numbers seem like the regular nine to five job, researching something that intrigues broadcasters often leads to the best content.
The people and network that brings together a broadcast is truly what makes the job enjoyable, and Jenner has been able to transform his successful lacrosse career into a successful broadcasting career.
The younger generation of journalists can take many notes from Jenner and one day make their dreams their reality.
“One of my biggest suggestions would be to keep yourself open to calling all sorts of sports don’t just pick one, if you can call many different styles of games you become more relatable and more useful in the future enDeavors. Also have your own style, have some flair and most importantly, have fun,” Jenner said.
The MFJS Reporter -- Winter 2020 T-R 