High School Students Experience Dean Through the Sports Broadcasting Pre-College Summer Program

For many high school students, summer break includes working part-times, going on vacation, hanging out with friends and more. But Dean offers another option: getting a taste of college life and earning college credit in the process by participating in summer programs like our Sports Broadcasting Pre-College Program.

In the Sports Broadcasting Pre-College Program, high school students earn college credit by attending hands-on and classroom instruction in areas like sports radio, television and play-by-play broadcast. They’ll get advice on the college admissions process and experience what it’s like to live on a college campus for a week. And they’ll have unique opportunities to go behind-the-scenes at venues like Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots training camp, attend baseball games for teams like the Worcester Red Sox (WooSox) and Hyannis Harbor Hawks, and practice what they’ve been learning by calling live play-by-play, hosting talk show programs, recording podcasts and more.

Both Gianna B. and Gretchen K., who attended the program in 2022, loved the opportunities it offered to put their skills into action in the real world.

“My favorite part was going to the WooSox game, where I did the play-by-play with a couple of other people that I’ve been working with,” Gianna said. “I’m from Worcester, and it was great to see the game from a different perspective, where you got to analyze every play.”

“I’d never done a program like this before, so by seeing everything behind the scenes I’ve grown a lot,” added Gretchen. “The coolest thing I did was learning the play-by-plays at baseball games, anchoring and giving all the sports updates.”

While the real-world opportunities they get are exciting, it also helps them grow and prepare for both college life and their careers. They hear from experts in the field, receive mentorship from professors, and get a taste of what it might be like to major – and start a career – in sports broadcasting one day.

Colton C. and Jackson R. also attended the program last summer, and shared how much they grew over the course of the week.

“I’ve learned how to gain confidence in my play-by-play speaking, and I’ve learned more terms when it comes to directing and producing,” explained Colton. He added that the teaching and guidance from John Rooke, the director of The Center for Business, Entertainment and Sport Management and the voice of the New England Patriots, New England Revolution and Providence College men's basketball, has played a major role in preparing him for the future. “I’ve just had a great time with John Rooke. He gave me a lot of advice going into the program, and I definitely feel a lot more prepared for college coming out of it.”

Jackson also has improved his skills and confidence as he prepares to study broadcasting in the future.

“I’ve learned how to be more confident and how to prep, write and get the best product out there for whatever you’re doing, whether that’s broadcasting, play-by-play or podcasting,” he said. “It’s grown my skills and my passion. Doing this program is a preview for what you do here at Dean or any other college doing broadcasting, so I’m definitely more prepared for college now.”

Many pre-college participants go on to enroll at Dean, and they often credit the pre-college program for helping them succeed. But once at Dean, the opportunities don’t stop there. Sports Broadcasting majors are on air within a few weeks of setting foot on campus, and go on to score exciting jobs and internships for teams like the Providence Bruins, Hyannis Harbor Hawks, Brockton Rox, Palm Springs Power, High Point Rockers and more.

This summer, Dean is offering two one-week sessions of the Sports Broadcasting Pre-College Program. The first session will run from July 23 – 28, while the second session will run from July 30 – August 4, 2023. Interested in participating this year? Learn more and register for the program, and watch the video below to get an inside look at what the week is like.