Guest Speakers Bring Unique Instruction to Sports Communication Students

This is the first year Bluefield College has offered the study of sports communication as part of it communications major, and teaching the class is longtime sports communicator Tom Bone, who is offering a unique approach for instruction.

Bone, well-known in the area and professionally qualified with significant experience in the field, spent 19 years as a sportswriter and cartoonist for the Bluefield Daily Telegraph and weekly newspaper The Princeton Times. He also has been a football announcer since 1999 and a basketball announcer since 1978.

Now in the classroom teaching the trade, Bone has a creative style and technique to his teaching, including bringing in guest speakers who work in sports communication. Scheduled every Monday in his Introduction to Sports Communication class are guest speakers who share their experiences in the field, answer lingering questions students may have, and address concerns that might hinder the students from going into this line of work. According to Bone, the guest lectures have been beneficial as they have had some great speakers give the students a closer look into the everyday life and tasks of sports communicators.  

“It’s always beneficial if students can have more than one voice during the semester,” Bone said. “I chose these specific speakers because of their experience and knowledge in their selected field.”  

Students say the knowledge and experience of the radio and TV broadcasters, as well as the opportunity to interview the speakers, has helped give them a more in-depth look into the profession. The speakers have shared advice on interviewing a person for a broadcast, developing questions on the spot that interviewees cannot answer with a “yes” or “no,” and creating “nifty” terms to use when announcing a game.  

Jim Nelson, one of the guest speakers who has a broadcast announcing career that spans more than 50 years, demonstrated his experience and knowledge with stories and examples. He left the students with many tips that could help them succeed and excel in sports communication.  

“You have to be able to paint a picture in the mind of the listeners with your words,” Nelson told the students, “and you have to learn crisis management. You can’t put your own predictions in your broadcast, and you have to get over yourself and understand that you are not the focus, but only relaying the message.”  

Bob Spencer, managing partner of First Media Services, was another guest speaker. He shared more than just professional advice.

“You may endure a lot of adversity in this lifetime, but keeping God first in any line of work or career path is always the best choice in helping you along the way,” said Spencer. Sports communication student Jaxon Bast said he enjoyed Spencer’s presentation.

“I personally enjoyed his perspective and his tips from the lesson because I plan on entering his line of work,” Bast said. “He emphasized doing your homework on the players and keeping God first in every step of your way.”

Logan Ross, a female sports director with WVNS-TV, spoke about the challenges women face in the field. She also spoke about the importance of meeting deadlines in the sports communication world. In addition, she brought along a member of her camera crew to give students an idea of how the interview process works and what all goes into it.

“You must ask the tough questions,” Ross told the students. “Value the emotional stories, but contain your emotions and be strong for the interviewee. Learn to use your active voice when on the air, but also your passive voice for AP style presenting.”

As part of the guest lecture sessions, Bone has the students complete an assignment – sometimes written, other times verbal – to test what they have learned from the speakers and to see how effective each speaker was. Even some students outside of the sports communication class have been attending the guest lectures, as well as other professors in the communication department.  

Other guest speakers this semester have included Bluefield College sports information director Bob Redd, WVVA-TV sports director Nick Dugan, and Bluefield Daily Telegraph sports editor George Thwaits.

For more information about the sports communication concentration in the communications major, visit the BC website or contact Bone at tbone@bluefield.edu.