IT'S TIME TO GET YOUR BROADCAST ON!!!
RUSTON – Two of north Louisiana’s award winning radio broadcasters will hold a
pair of camps designed for area youth who are interested in sports radio
broadcasting.
Louisiana Tech’s Malcolm Butler and ESPN 97.7/ULM’s Nick White will team up for
the second annual Live Mic Sports Broadcasting Camp presented by Barry
Ricks M.D. Pediatric Associates.
The Ruston camp will be held at the Thomas Assembly Center on the Louisiana
Tech Campus July 9-11 while the Monroe camp will be held at Ouachita Christian
High School July 30 through August 1.
The camp is for boys and girls entering grades 7 through 12 this fall who are
interested in gaining real-life knowledge and first-hand experience of the
sports broadcasting business. It is for beginners; campers aren’t expected to
have any type of broadcasting experience.
Individuals can get more information on the camps official website at LiveMicSports.com.
Last year’s inaugural camp drew positive reviews from campers.
“It
was such a blessing to be able to attend this camp,” said Cedar Creek senior
Tyler Mann. “It was an opportunity to get some experience in a field that I was
already interested in by some of the best. Being thrown straight into the life
of a play by play and color analyst painted a vivid picture of exactly what
comes with the job and career. It was a great experience.
“I
recommend this camp to anyone who enjoys the everyday life of a sports fan. If
you have a passion for sports and don't mind public speaking this is a great
opportunity to get a head start in a very rewarding career. If you have trouble
speaking in front of others, this is a great way to confront the issue and
improve your social skills.”
In
addition to Barry Ricks M.D. Pediatric Associates presenter sponsorship,
additional camp partners include Ruston Daily Leader, BBQ West in West Monroe,
Community Trust Bank, Gregg Phillips State Farm Insurance, Circus Tees, ESPN
97.7 and Donnie Bell Design.
“Nick
and I are excited about the second year of the camp,” Butler said. “All of the
feedback we received from last year’s campers and their parents was nothing but
positive. We are really expecting our numbers to grow this year. We have had a
lot of interest from some folks in the Monroe/West Monroe area so we are going
to hold two camps this year.
“When
we came up with the idea last summer, we thought this would be a different type
of camp. You see summer camps for boys and girls interested in playing sports.
Why not a camp for those interested in broadcasting or talking about sports? We
are going to make it as interactive, entertaining and educational as we can.
That is our goal.”
Cost of the camp is $175 and includes refreshments and a camp T-shirt. Each
camp will be limited to the first 16 individuals who sign up.
The Ruston camp will run from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on both Thursday (July 9) and
Friday (July 10) as participants will get training and mock experience in
play-by-play broadcasting as well as sports talk radio.
The
Ruston camp will conclude on Saturday (July 11) when participants meet at The
Depot in Ruston at 8:30 a.m. The campers will be divided into small groups and
each group will participate in a live segment on the Nick Brown Show on ESPN
97.7 FM.
The
Monroe camp will run from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. On both Thursday (July 30)
and Friday (July 31) participants will get training and mock experience in
play-by-play broadcasting as well as sports talk radio. The Monroe camp will
conclude on Saturday (August 1) when participants meet at a location to be
determined in Monroe at 8:30 a.m. The campers will be divided into small groups
and each group will participate in a live segment on the Nick Brown Show on
ESPN 97.7 FM.
“With
so many college and high school athletic programs in our area and with a 24-7
sports talk FM station, Gary McKinney at Red Peach Media is always looking for
young radio talent,” White said. “There are a lot of radio stations throughout
the area that are. This is a great chance to gain broadcasting experience from
the ground up.”
Butler,
the associate AD for Communications at Louisiana Tech, has called almost 500
collegiate basketball games and more than 800 total sporting events during his
16 years behind the mic at his alma mater.
Serving as the radio play-by-play voice of the Lady Techster basketball and
softball programs and the sideline reporter for Bulldog football, Butler has
received numerous accolades, including placing second behind LA Tech Hall of
Famer Dave Nitz in the 2013 Louisiana Sports Writers Association statewide
play-by-play contest.
White boasts over 12 years of broadcast and sports talk radio show experience
on ESPN 97.7 FM with more than 600 game broadcasts and 2000 talk shows.
He currently serves as the voice of ULM men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball
and has served as the play-by-play voice for numerous high schools throughout
northeast Louisiana, including calling 27 high school state championship games
in four different sports (football, basketball, softball and baseball).
He
has garnered several awards including Best of the Delta for talk radio as
awarded by Delta Style Magazine (2010-2012) and Best High School
Football Play-by-play Broadcaster for Northeast Louisiana, presented by The
Ruston Daily Leader. He was a finalist for Sun Belt Conference broadcaster
of the year in 2013.
