Wells Re-defines Role of Sports Information Director

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Author: Jeremy Shapiro

 

Michael Wells, the Sports Information Director of Occidental, has made it his objective to infuse a new passion and energy into the athletic department. Wells has turned to students for assistance with a multitude of new internship-type opportunities, including those who are interested in photography, sports journalism and multimedia. His job is to provide statistics, team and player notes about Occidental athletics available to the news media and general public by posting up to date results on the athletics webpage.

As part of Wells’ inclusion of students, several aspiring sports journalists are working as broadcasters for Occidental athletic events. It is possible for anyone to go to Occidental’s athletic website and watch live streams of games commentated by students. This experience is beneficial for students looking to get involved in the sports industry.

Josh Throckmorton (junior), one of the students involved, works on a blog and weekly podcast with Jake Blodgett (junior) called Tiger Talk. “It’s been beneficial in helping to keep people informed about what’s going on with our school’s athletics, and in giving us a platform for getting the word out there about Oxy sports and athletes,” said Throckmorton.

Jordan Helle (senior) works on the broadcast portion of the program. He provides commentary on the video webstreams for many sports, and he’s been doing play-by-play as well as color commentary.

Personally it has been a blast doing the games, and it provides great experience if opportunities in the media or broadcast field are available in the future,” said Helle.

Wells’ ability to find a core group of students interested in sports media and broadcasting is paying dividends for Occidental athletics. “I want to produce quality information quickly, so I decided to reach out to the best and the brightest here at Oxy,” Wells said.

Wells also believes that this experience is significant for those who are looking to make a career out of sports journalism and broadcasting.

Giving students the opportunity to cover games gives them a good platform to practice. The real life experience that they gain is important for anyone who wants to pursue sports,” said Wells.

Despite only being a member of Occidental athletics for three months, Wells is already making his mark and improving the department by including students and making Occidental sports readily available for students or parents who are not able to attend games. His passion for athletics and hands-on approach with students is mutually beneficial for Wells and those interested in gaining experience in the sports industry because students are able to assist Wells when he is not available to attend athletic events.

I am happy to create opportunities for students here at Occidental. During days where my schedule is packed, I am glad that students are able to help out,” said Wells.

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