Advice from a BBC Kick Off Trainee Sports Reporter

The BBC Kick Off Trainee Sports Reporter was launched in 2011 and is aimed at giving people from a diverse range of backgrounds and varying knowledge an experience of the BBC and an opportunity to develop reporting-skills within the organisation. Funded by BBC English Regions and BBC Outreach it is managed and run by a dedicated team based in BBC Birmingham. Kick Off Reporters receive training, a mentor from the BBC and a two days a week minimum, eight week placement during the summer working alongside BBC radio and online sports teams. Here current member of the scheme Max Mclean talks about his experience so far.

My name is Max Mclean and I am, rather proudly, a member of the BBC Kick Off scheme for 2015 working for BBC Sport online in Cambridgeshire. 

A little under three years ago I realised almost every conversation I was having, every spare second of my time, was being devoted to sport. I remember the moment very clearly when I realised it would be foolish not to attempt my ‘dream job’ of becoming a sports journalist. 



Despite having accrued a good amount of sports journalism experience in the time that passed between that moment and March 2015, I found myself working in retail, and aside from contributions to various sports blogs, including my own, I was finding it hard to find opportunities to create sporting content. So when I saw the BBC Kick Off scheme was re-opening for 2015, it became my priority. With it being two days a week I could maintain my part-time job as well as pursue my career ambition. The main motivation however was to be able to create content and pursue ideas and, most importantly, invest my ambition in some tangible projects with the BBC. 



Since starting, the uniqueness of the scheme has become increasingly clear. This is not your average work placement: the Kick Off scheme is designed to get you trained and ready for the next step, whether that’s at the BBC or elsewhere. During the training days and at my own placement, there has been plenty of talk of freelance work after the scheme, which is hugely encouraging.



Meeting with my assigned mentor, we immediately got chatting about what I’d like to get out of the scheme and how he would do his best to help me achieve those goals - on my very first day I contributed a quotes piece to the BBC Sport website.



Since then I have contributed numerous other pieces; shadowed an interview with Paralympic gold medallist Jonnie Peacock; and made great strides in the art of story writing. I have also planned my original piece, a story of my choosing to pursue while on the scheme.



As highlights go, the training days in Bristol were amazing. To meet so many like-minded people and receive training from enthusiastic BBC journalists was incredibly inspiring.



My greatest challenge has been mastering the BBC's content management systems. I always try to make myself indispensable on work experience placements, so to make a handful of mistakes while getting to grips with the software has been frustrating. But my mentor has been more than patient, and I have made great strides in recent weeks thanks to him. I keep reminding myself that the scheme is here to give us professional training – we won’t know everything straightaway but the aim is to get us using the software just like any other BBC journalist. 



One job I’ve recently undertaken on my placement is to transcribe, write up, arrange and edit an interview with Mick McCarthy - which has, to date, received 1,600 shares on the BBC Sport website. An illustration of how hands-on and useful the scheme is. 



My first piece of advice to those thinking of applying would be to go for it. I can’t think of a better way to gain training and potential work than by starting out with the BBC. More specifically however, make sure you have an interest and knowledge of your local sport scene. Local sport is the focus of the scheme and is the foundation for global sport. Every sportsperson starts locally. What’s more, there are some great stories in local sport just waiting to be discovered, so doing your research can pay off and you never know – there might soon be a really eye-catching piece with your name next to it!



I have gained the most amazing training and experience. Hopefully you’ll see a few more pieces of mine on the BBC Sport website in the coming weeks…

Max Mclean is BBC Kick Off Trainee Sports Reporter 2015

• Find out more about the BBC Kick Off Trainee Reporter scheme
• Follow the scheme on Twitter using #BBCKickOff