Every January, I go to the Atlanta Braves fantasy baseball camp, living for a week like a major league player. Interacting with legendary players and getting to know these athletes is a dream come true. In nearly every camp, at least one or two former players are in various stages of a second career, working to advance on their Personality Success Path toward becoming broadcasters. They have opportunities, but their managers do not recognize the importance of coaching.
Almost universally, they struggle to understand the lack of coaching and instruction in their new craft. One even said,
“They put you behind a microphone and say, ‘You know the game. Just talk about it. Sure, I know the game, but I’ve never been taught to communicate it to an audience.”
Doesn’t that sound insane? Players reach the elite level in their profession by honing their God-given talent through a lifetime of coaching, training, and feedback. They not only accept feedback, but they also crave it. Yet they receive virtually no guidance on how to speak on the radio or television.
It’s like a professional team drafting a player, then saying, “You know how to play. Just go out and do it.”
