My Experience On-and-Off the Court

Erica interviewing LeBron James at Wizards-Cavaliers shootaround at the Verizon Center.

By Dean’s Intern Erica Weinstein at NBC Washington

You’re probably thinking, “Why did she post a picture of the back of her head?” Well, when you have the chance to interview LeBron James, any photo evidence of it is post worthy. Whether it is walking into the Verizon Center or the NBC4 studios, everyday on the job is different. There is always something new and exciting happening in the world of sports, so having the opportunity to be at the forefront of it has provided me with knowledge, hands-on experience, and the chance to reach a large audience.

Every week the producer of the show sends out a schedule of the variety of sporting events that are on television for that week. Depending on my availability I select and signup for the games in which I can watch and edit. When editing a game, I search for certain moments from the game in which I find to be key moments and clip them to be used for on-air use. It is the most rewarding feeling seeing the hours of footage I’ve watched, clipped, and edited being broadcasted and discussed on television to the DC and Maryland area.

Another amazing perk to my job is being able to go on site to different sporting event locations to collect pre and post game interviews and footage to be shown on our station. Just last week I was able to get exclusive access into the Verizon Center and interview players from both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Washington Wizards. I was able to enter through the press entrance and received a behind the scenes look into the Wizards locker room, where Paul Pierce casually opened the door for me. Once getting situated on the court with both our camera and wireless microphone, it was time to interview the players. Asserting my position, I was able to get my microphone in front of players such as LeBron James, John Wall, and Marcin Gortat. It was so surreal being up close to some of the biggest names in the NBA. Seeing them on television is one thing, but actually being in their presence made me realized I am incredibly short.

After a long morning at the Verizon Center, I headed back to the studio to edit each player’s interview and enter it into our archives to be used later for the evening newscast. I cannot wait for more experiences like this to come. NBC4 has presented me with amazing opportunities and I cannot wait to see what else is in store for me this semester!