Love the Olympics Coverage? SHU’s Master’s Degree in Sports Communication & Media Can Help You Secure a Job Working the Games

SHU graduates, Molly Jacob ’24 and Tommy Kourebanas ’21, MA ’22 share what it was like working for the Olympics

The Olympic games are thrilling. The world waits four years for two weeks during the summer and two weeks in the winter when athletes with extreme physical talent and prowess compete for records, titles and medals. It’s awe-inspiring and incredible to watch. If you not only enjoy watching the athletes, but also revel at how the event production is put together, then maybe a career in sports communication & media is right for you.

In SHU’s one-year sports communication & media (SCM) graduate program, coursework includes a combination of television studio production, live-event broadcasting, single-camera production, advanced editing, sports media history and theory and hands-on practice and internship experiences.

Through this education, program graduates become successful broadcast journalists, videographer/editors, sports writers, multimedia content producers and more.

SCM professor Brian Thorne, who worked on the Rio Olympics in 2016, said once students finish the SCM program, they are ready for a job in sports media. Getting chosen to work on the Olympics is just a little trickier. He said it’s a combination of timing, skill and attitude. Thorne said graduates need to have the right attitude and a proven record of being helpful when it comes to production. Plus, timing is key. Thorne said with a large production, like the Olympics, there are more opportunities to break into the industry.

This August, many SHU alumni worked at NBC Sports Headquarters in Stamford on Olympics coverage. One alum, Molly Jacob ’24, worked her way up the ladder. After two years of working for NBC Sports, she landed the position of production assistant for sponsored content for the Olympics. She assisted producers and editors in post-production to air sponsored and branded content. Before the Olympics, she was a runner for NBC Sports, distributing rundowns and assisting anchors and the production team.

“I got this assignment from networking within the NBC Sports community,” Jacob said. “As a runner during my undergrad studies, I consistently worked weekends and traveled all over the country for various shows. One of my producers, whom I worked with every week during the NFL season, offered me the opportunity to work with his team at the Olympics.”

Jacob worked more than 20 days straight with no days off. She primarily used editing software to pull footage from Olympic events and prepare it for enhancement projects. She said she was busy and had a great time. Her team made it such a “joyful” experience.

“I have learned so much about the television coverage that goes into the Olympics that will carry over throughout my career,” she said.

Jacob’s advice for students and graduates who want to work in media or the Olympics: network.

“I would not have gotten to where I am today if it wasn’t for my ability to create relationships and not be afraid to express my passions,” Jacob said. “If you are a good people person who consistently shows hard work and determination, you will get far. I am always positive at work and create a good environment around me, which has led people to want me on their team.”

Like Jacob, Tommy Kourebanas ’21, MA ’22 has been working for NBC Sports for two years as a content associate. He said his main responsibilities are collaborating on in-game packages for Sunday and Thursday Night Football.

“During games, I operate Piero, a 3D telestration software to help Cris Collinsworth and Kirk Herbstreit break down the action,” Kourebanas said.  
 
For the Olympic games, he operated the Piero for the track and field events. It was through his experience working on football games that he landed the Olympics gig.

“I enhanced our replay packages for the Primetime in Paris turnaround edits,” he said. “I collaborated with our tape producers and talent on how we can elaborate on what makes our star athletes stand out. I also prepared the graphics and trained the rest of the Piero operators for what the execution must be for telestrating the Olympics.”

Kourebanas said SHU’s SCMA program properly prepared him for such a position by working on various storytelling projects and working in a live event environment.

“Our professors taught us how to think creatively and work as a team,” he said.

His advice for students and alumni looking for a similar career path: “No matter how stressful a job may be, remember to always be kind to others. There’s a million moving parts to any production and you may not see the full context of a given situation. If you make a mistake, move on. Nobody is perfect, and people won’t remember that you made the mistake but how you responded.”

Think the Sports Communication & Media program at Sacred Heart University might be for you?

SHU offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sports communication & media. To learn more, contact Undergraduate Admissions at enroll@sacredheart.edu or attend an upcoming event.

At the master’s level, students can choose from two tracks:

The sports broadcasting track trains students through in-class exercises and outside field production work and internships with top companies, such as ESPN, NBC Sports and The Dan Patrick Show. Students produce content as both on-air talent and behind-the-scenes producers.

In the athletic communications & promotions track, students gain extensive multimedia training in graphics production, including event work on SHU’s annual events. Practice and internships help showcase production skills and critical thinking, as students produce a solid portfolio of written work and multimedia content.

To learn more, talk to Ed Nassr, associate director of graduate admissions & recruitment, at nassre@sacredheart.edu or schedule a virtual appointment today!