Aspen's Sideline Views

“Here we go Tennessee here we go!” The loud chants, electric vibes and the contagious big orange spirit is produced from the heart of the University of Tennessee Dance Team. Each member bleeds orange and white no matter the sporting event or appearance they attend. Not only does the team prepare for gamedays on Rocky Top (football, basketball, and volleyball), but their main focus is in preparation for the University Dance Association’s College National Championship. They are located in Orlando every January. 

Tennessee Dance holds five national championship titles, which were claimed in the years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2015 and 2016. They are known for being back to back champions and strive every year to fight for another ring. In 2019 they were named one of the 10 best college dance teams in the nation. 

When it comes to recruiting, they take a different route than most college sports. It all begins at the UDA Combine. High school students from all around the country gather in certain locations to show off their skills in front of the head coach of their dream school. 

Tennessee Head Coach Kelley Tafazzoli attends the Nashville location where she brings two other members to help scout and talk to future Vols. 

“My main goal is to not only search for talent, but to recruit girls who would be a good fit to the team as a whole. It is not just about their ability to dance, but how they would serve our university with their valuable personality and attitude,” said Kelley. 

In an interview with third year dance team member, Tracy Kammerer from Colorado, she explained how she gained her respect and interest for Tennessee. “I participated in two combines. Talking to coaches and building connections with girls on the team, just really helped me decide where I wanted to go. UT gave me such a positive vibe and a memorable experience.”  

As April rolls around not only do the incoming freshmen get ready for tryouts, but it is also a stressful time for the girls who have already served as members of the UTDT. 

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“Every year there is between 18-22 spots to fill on the team. Even if you are a past member it does not mean you are guaranteed a spot for the upcoming year,” said Kelley. “Depending on the dancers coming in, there have been unfortunate times where I had to cut returners.”  

After an intense three day tryout, the 2019 UTDT consists of 22 girls that represent nine different states. Stretching all the way from the east coast to the west coast, these girls are from New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee.  

In order to train for nationals the UTDT practices four to five times a week, along with 8 a.m. workouts every Tuesday and Thursday. Practices are taken very seriously and are to gain strength and improve skills. 

“Fall is a very exciting time for the girls but it can be hard to maintain good grades in school,” said Kelley. “In order to stay on track we require them to have study hours at the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center. The amount of hours are based off of their GPA, unless they are a freshmen then they have to complete six hours a week.” 

When the semester comes to an end, unlike other students, the dance team must stay over winter break. The day after finals, their season has only just begun. Practices are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on certain days they are extended due to Men’s and Lady Vol basketball games.  

Tennessee Dance will be competing in Division 1A Jazz, Division 1A Pom and the Gameday category. Their goal during practice is to clean and perfect three different routines to their best ability. With that comes the help of their coaches, alumni and other specialists from around the country. 

Tracy is excited to start working hard to accomplish personal and team goals as she takes a new perspective on this year’s season. Unfortunately, during the beginning of Tracy’s sophomore year she broke her foot which lead to a three month recovery. Sitting out all of football season was extremely hard on her physically and mentally and also pushed her back during practices for nationals. 

“I was an alternate because of my foot situation and that was very different for me because going back to freshmen year I was not one. Fighting for a spot is very hard when you’re alongside your teammate,” said Tracy. At this time she came to the realization that she should never take her spot on the UTDT for granted. 

Had an amazing time getting to know @KammererTracy and her life as a University of Tennessee Dance Team member. #UTJEM375 pic.twitter.com/O9A2qCCwcf

— AspenRitz3 (@AspenRitz3) December 10, 2019

Tennessee Dance will begin their practices on Dec. 13, 2019 in hopes to win the 2020 UDA College National Championship. For more updates about the UTDT during nationals, Jan. 17 to Jan. 19, follow along with Varsity to watch the live stream and receive rankings during the week. 

Sports Reporting 375 has taught me more than I could have ever imagined. From writing, to interviewing, to video production, I am grateful that these are skills that I will benefit from and use throughout my career.  

When it comes to interviewing there are so many different perspectives. It is extremely important to ask open ended questions in order to keep the conversation moving and interesting. I was taught that you have to be careful not to use close ended questions because it will limit the response to a yes or no answer. 

Taking this into consideration, the more I interviewed throughout the semester I found that my follow up questions flowed better and were easier to come up with on the spot. I have also learned how to form questions that aren’t so generic but rather informative that relate better to the angle of the story I am trying to illustrate. 

Being prepared for an interview can help you become very successful. Educate yourself on the person, the sport, or event beforehand. Coming up with questions prior has helped me have a better start and feel more comfortable in every which way. I have noticed that when interviewing someone I have never met before I can become intimidated by them and it can sometimes make me lose my train of thought. This can easily be avoided if you have prior knowledge to the situation. 

Interviews are so important because the quotes that you may choose to use in your story can help it become credible and understanding. When discussing feature stories in class I also learned to pay attention and observe. 

For example if you are interviewing a coach it would be important to look around their office. Noticing what is on their desk, their walls, and how they act can tell you a lot about who they are as a person or what that week may have looked like for them. 

I believe that interviewing is a very powerful and impactful skill in journalism due to the fact that it can shape your story, add feeling, and make it truthful.  

Eric LeGrand: An Inspiration to All

Eric LeGrand will forever be a memorable football player from Rutgers University and an inspiring figure to many people across the world. It was on October 16, during the Rutgers vs. Army game that LeGrand would later find out that his life would never be the same. Fans, families, players, and coaches were extremely excited as they filled the Meadowlands Stadium. It was within seconds of going in for a tackle, that LeGrand’s football career would come to a devastating end. He immediately went to the ground, stiff and motionless. 

As a fan myself on this day, it was a moment that is extremely hard to put into words. From rowdy fans, loud music, and chants to being able to hear a pin drop, people knew it was like no other injury. Paralyzed from the neck down, LeGrand stayed positive and made progress in rehab every day. 

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Author, Bill De Giulio, continues on in his article and explains how LeGrand had to adapt to chasing after new dreams and setting new goals. One being, figuring out how to reach opportunities that would lead him to become a sports broadcaster. 

The pictures in the piece make it very visually appealing. It helps the audience to have a better understanding of LeGrand’s story. They are all in sequential order and help bring the words to life. The author also provides an interview from Sports Illustrated that allows the audience get to know LeGrand better. When I watched it, I learned a lot about who he is as a person. 

I believe that Bill De Giulio could have interviewed a few people to make his story even more powerful than it already is. The story is very impactful because the author adds his own voice throughout. I really like how he took it one step further and discussed LeGrand’s life after the injury. It was very inspiring to read about all of his accomplishments despite his disability.  

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The Tennessee Volleyball team fights hard to win the victory during homecoming week against Ole Miss.  The Lady Vols record may not compare to last year’s season but it’s their determination and strength that sets them apart from past years. 

When it comes to being a successful journalists and/or sports reporter we must learn to feel comfortable and not shy away from the unknown. Understanding how to be fair starts with thinking outside of the box and focusing not only on one topic. Covering women’s sports may not be as “popular” as covering men’s but that is something that is in our hands to fix. 

People at times think that when we interview a female athlete the coverage techniques must be adjusted due to their appearance. This is simply not true. At the University of Tennessee, Sports Reporting 375 teaches students that when entering into a sports “event/game/interview” we must not be “ignorant to the rules or guidelines of that sport.” There has been incidents with reporters and female athletes where they feel the need to compare them to a male star or water down their abilities considering it is a women’s sport with different rules. 

In The Guardian article, How to talk about female Olympians without being a regressive creep- a handy guide written by Lindy West stated “People Magazine called Simone Biles ‘the Michael Jordan of gymnastics.’” The argument was that is comes across that female athletes must always be compared by a “male proxy.” 

It is also very important to cover women’s sports because as journalists we should be trying to change the gender inequality that exists. According to The Sport Journal, “less than 10% of sports media cover’s women’s sports.” Not being educated on this topic can lead to negative consequences for female athletes. The masculine comparisons, the inappropriate comminatory, and the lack of recognition can force women to become less confident, decrease their self-esteem also their motivation. 

The best advice from The Guardian article is to “write about female athletes the way you write about male athletes.” Something that I have personally learned in sports writing is the fact that you should not even mention their gender unless it is part of the title of the sport.

Reporters and journalists should be well-informed, objective and professional across the board. In order to do so when dealing with female athletes we must leave their appearance off to the side, detach any feelings towards them, and ignore the differences they have to male athletes. 

Sports Media is full of visuals that are used for various reasons such as entertainment, a stylistic standpoint, and a tool to help explain a story. When a photo is used in an article it can show a sense of credibility. Words are one thing but when a reader actually sees a moment in time, they will be more than likely to believe and feel for the story. It is simply proof that the event actually took place. Visuals can really help your audience to connect to your main focus and express the same emotions as your character. When a journalists chooses to use a visual it also illustrates a setting the audience can set themselves in. That reaction 

Like they always say a” picture is worth a thousand words,” meaning many stories can be created from one picture and each of those can take a different approach. When using a visual we have to be critical about how we will present it and how it will shape a story. It should flow into the story just like writing a new paragraph. They can also help the audience to become more interested in your story and to keep on reading. 

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I chose these photos because they all tell a powerful story. Tiger Woods has been through a lot in his career, but this picture represents who is and how he has made his comeback.

Grant Williams means a lot to Tennessee and he made the choice to leave. Many people were very happy for him but also upset. This picture shows what his decision means to him and his success through out the process.

Peyton Manning is also very meaningful to Tennessee and he is holding a well deserved trophy. In this picture he made history and his facial expression shows that he is thankful and proud to be where he is now.

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Sources

Derek Jeter

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Stephen Curry

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Jay Shoop had an interesting week to say the least as Tennessee football prepared for the game against Mississippi State. As a third year, defensive back, Shoop was asked to sit out of practices to avoid any uncomfortable confrontation between his father, Bob Shoop. Bob Shoop was a former defensive coordinator at Tennessee and now coaches for Mississippi State. Coach Pruitt thought his decision was best for not only Shoop but the team as a whole. With great respect for one another, Shoop completely agreed. Not speaking to his father for a while, the end of the game meant a lot to Shoop as he was able to hug his dad on the field. Even though the outcome was unfortunate for Mississippi State, Bob and Jay Shoop were very proud of each other and were happy they could share that moment. 

Tennessee just had a big SEC win against Mississippi State, what did that mean to you and your team? 

You’re exactly right it was huge win, the team was struggling a little bit up until this point. Always getting that first SEC win is huge. Mississippi State is a really good team and it affected me on a personal level, because my dad is the defensive coordinator. I am really proud of our team how we played and practiced all week. 

Can you expand on the week leading up to Saturday, and how you guys prepared for it? 

It was a unique week for me at least. Coach Pruitt and I met on Monday last week, and he told me that it was probably best for the team that I didn’t practice just because he didn’t want to put me in a weird situation playing my own father. I worked out all week, I stayed close to the team but didn’t attend any meetings, but from what I heard and what I saw, practice went well.

Just like you said your father, Bob Shoop was a former defensive coordinator for the University of Tennessee and in 2018 got the job at Mississippi State. Coming into college and it being your freshmen year, how did that affect your mind set?

Well he was here in 2017, my freshmen year, which is why I came here. Getting the opportunity to play for my dad was something that I never got as a kid. A lot of kids play for their dad in high school and middle school but I never really had that chance. He’s a pretty well respected coach in the country. He taught me a lot not only as a coach but as a father. That 2017 season didn’t go very well for us and he ended up leaving along with Coach Jones. 

Coach Pruitt came in and at first I didn’t really know what I was going to do. We found a mutual respect and I really enjoy where I am at now and I am really appreciative for all that Coach Pruitt has done for me and the staff. 

Going into a big game like this, especially against Mississippi State, how is your relationship with your father and is there ever any tension? 

There is no tension. He is my dad and I love him very much. I respect him as a coach and I respect him as my dad obviously. It was a little awkward this week, we didn’t talk as much as we usually do, we didn’t even talk at all. I got to see him after the game and in pregame and I am glad that he is doing all right and proud of him even though we got the win. 

Did your dad mention anything about the last touchdown that Tennessee made at the end of the game?  

Yea. We come out in that offensive formation and pretty much the whole drive down the field and we ran the ball about every play. We ran a run pass option on that last play. 

My dad was upset but he assumed we were running the ball late in the game. Coach Chaney had a great call and we threw the ball and made a touchdown. 

Now with Alabama being in just a few short days, just like your father, Coach Pruitt, like you said, was also a defensive coordinator at Alabama, do you think that puts Tennessee at an advantage in any way? 

Well yeah definitely, Coach Pruitt coached at Alabama for many years and he is from Alabama. He wants to beat these guys really bad, he went there. He knows what they do on offense he knows what they do on defense. He knows all their players, he recruited them and he knows about their scheme because we run the same exact thing on defense as Alabama. Coach Pruitt has a lot of respect for Coach Saban. We will go out there and do our best. 

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In every career and every opportunity we may get to experience, it is extremely important to build relationships with people. Although, as a journalists it is also very important that we are cautious when doing so. This process can be very crucial to our success. 

Why are there boundaries when it comes to maintaining relationships with our sources? Simply for reasons that it can lead people to persuade us to write a story a certain way. It certainly can be challenging to avoid close relationships. Beat reporters, for example work with a specific team, and constantly see the same players and coaches. They have no choice but to be surrounded by the same people, although they have the choice to stay professional. 

Brian Canever, instructor of Sports Reporting Across Media at the University of Tennessee, said “the ideal relationship is where you have as many on-the-record conversations as off-the-record conversations.” 

In order to be professional, we must gain trust with our sources. It is their job to provide us with information and ours to publish the best story possible. They want their side to be heard and we want valid facts. Trust is very valuable because sources will be a big part of our success if they know they we will not change what they say in any manner. 

Relationships with sources can also put our credentials at risk. According to Deadspin, “The Dallas Mavericks revoked the season credentials of ESPN reporters Stein and Tim MacMahon.”  It was later discovered that the reason was due to the fact the Tim switched from a Mavericks beat reporter to a national NBA reporter. 

Mark Cuban developed a relationship with MacMahon while he was a beat reporter. This made Cuban emotional and against the idea of him ever reporting at a Mavericks game again. This was unfair and because of his actions MacMahon decided to write a “negative story.” Both of their reputations were put at risk. 

In our world today, media has become very prominent to our daily lives and more specifically within the sports culture. When it comes to sports, a media relations specialist must be well educated. They must aim “to create and maintain positive relationships between the organization and media outlets, such as newspapers and broadcasters.” 

This job is very important because they are the bridge that connects a team to their reputation through media. Having a positive outlook on situations is essential to this job because they must represent the athletic organization in an optimistic manner. This can become challenging in ways such that a team suffers from a big upset, a player is suspended, or if a coach approaches a situation in the season. No matter what, a media relations specialist must stay truthful to their story but also be able to support their team. 

Shane Switzer, assistant media relations director at the University of Tennessee, explained his job to my class just a few weeks ago. What stood out to me the most was how prepared you must be before covering a sport event. Switzer discussed his greatest challenge was staying professional while trying to become an expert in unfamiliar scenarios.  With little time he had to learn the sport of swimming, updated stats, and what finishing times should look like. 

Learning a lot from Switzer, advice I would give to people is to not be scared to reach out and communicate with others. There were many times he had to clarify stats with the swimming coach. This here taught him a lot along the way. 

Focusing on a bigger picture, journalism and media relations can be found intersecting at times. They both will produce game previews, summaries and post-game analysis but It is within the writing style that they will differ. Like said before in media relations you must stay positive while journalists are allowed explore their “freedom of expression or creativity” a little more. Journalists can somethings branch off to find a story their audience will engage in and one that will entertain as well. A media relations specialists must stay true to their athletic organization. 

Establish who you are, be respectful towards the ground rules and stay professional!