Since being at university I’ve been so lucky to engage with my passion. Working in the media, whether that be presenting my own radio show or writing articles about my interests, university has opened so many amazing doors. But never in a million years did I think I’d get the opportunity to commentate on my beloved sport. The chance to do live commentary of a football game on the radio felt like a dream come true. I was so grateful that being involved with both BUCS and my university radio station had given me this experience.
Of course, when I first went down to the university sports pitches on a cold Wednesday afternoon I was a bag of nerves. I’ve never been one to lack confidence. I just didn’t know what to expect. It had been one of my dreams for so many years to be able to commentate on football live. And there were so many thoughts going through my mind.
“What if I’m not good enough?” “What happens if I make a mistake?” “Is this only meant to be a dream?” It was so hard to face the prospect that maybe this wouldn’t be the right thing for me. I’m not sure if I would have been able to cope. Nonetheless, the time rolled around quickly and there I was, microphone in hand, ready for the off.
A great game
What was so brilliant about this experience was that the match in question was both entertaining and important. There were plenty of opportunities to get excited about what was occurring on the pitch and so much to analyse as the game went on. I was also so lucky to have a superb co-commentator alongside me. That not only settled my nerves, it also made the commentary so much better. The half went on and, with every passing minute, I could feel myself growing increasingly confident. I really was enjoying it.
Before we knew it, the match was over. A brilliant afternoon’s football had concluded and I’m not ashamed to say that I was buzzing. All the negative thoughts I’d had at the start of the game seemed completely ridiculous. There were no major disasters or technical issues and I felt it had gone better than I could ever have imagined. The pride continued into the next day, when I was given the opportunity to listen back to my own commentary. It was certainly a surreal experience. But it was also incredibly rewarding.
Valuable experience
There were a couple of really important things I was able to take from the whole experience. The fears I had before stepping up to the plate were all irrational. I had no reason to be as worried as I was and I felt a great sense of pride in being able to overcome those fears. Also, I realised that you have dreams for a reason. You’re meant to experience the emotions as you lied awake at night and it is something you should never be fearful of. I’m proud to say that on my big bucket list there is a new tick, and it’s something I won’t forget for a long time.