I was one of around thirty to be selected for the BBC Kick Off Sports Reporter scheme, with my placement based in Essex.
Prior to the scheme taking place, the trainees all met in Bristol for a couple of days of training with BBC professionals. We were given training in various areas, such as the BBC’s values, how to conduct interviews and writing for radio and the BBC Sport website.
The training was vital as the selected reporters had varying levels of experience. This ranged from some having previously written articles for newspapers or worked on student radio to others with little to no experience of journalism. The training ensured that we were prepared to contribute to our station on arrival.
At the start of my placement I met with my mentor Ben and we decided that I could investigate the effect that the London 2012 Paralympics had at the grassroots level of disability sport. To achieve this we determined that it would be a good idea to carry out several interviews with Paralympic athletes from a variety of disciplines. Many of these athletes had previously competed at London 2012 but all of them were aiming for selection for the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
I able to use the contacts of my local radio station to set up interviews with athletes from the Essex area that we could cover. It was a real bonus of the scheme that although I had a mentor who was able to guide and help when needed, I was allowed the freedom and responsibility to arrange, conduct and edit a series of interviews. As the interviews were under my control from start to finish it was a proud moment to have them broadcast throughout the day on BBC Essex, with one on every daytime programme to mark the two years to go milestone until the Rio Paralympics.
In addition to the series of interviews I was given opportunities to attend press conferences at both Colchester United and Southend United football clubs, work on the BBC Essex Sport programme and write articles for the BBC Sport website. In an industry where work experience is vital, these opportunities were important as I had to show my adaptability to perform different tasks and it allowed me to develop skills in a variety of areas.
Michael with presenter and former Stoke City footballer, Danny Higginbotham
*The BBC Kick Off scheme runs throughout the summer, creating an opportunity for new sports reporters to gain experience working in our regional reporting teams and, in many cases, “kicking off” successful careers in the field. BBC Outreach & Corporate Responsibility provides funding for the scheme, along with English Regions, which brings us closer to those audiences often considered harder to reach.