Looking back on this semester in Sport Communication, I have seen how quickly things are changing within this field and how much of a role we are already playing in it. At the beginning of the class, I was mostly just a fan, who followed sports and scrolled through social media. Now I see that even small actions like liking, commenting, or posting make me part of the sport communication world.
One of the most important things I learned is how the media environment works today. Communication no longer comes only from teams or organizations. It comes from everywhere including fans, athletes, and media all interacting at once. That really stood out for me, especially working for the Sport Journal blog. We weren’t learning about communication, we were creating content. That made me more aware of what I post and how it can reflect on me professionally.
The Sport Professional Penpal assignment was also very influential to me. Being able to connect with someone in the sports field gave me a perspective that you cannot get from a textbook. It showed me how important communication and relationships are. It also opened my eyes to the many different career paths in sports, not just the ones most people think of.
We also had a lot of discussions about athlete activism and how social media has changed the way athletes communicate. Athletes can now speak directly to fans about important issues whenever they want. I think this will continue to shape the future of sports media. Athletes are no longer just players, they are voices, brands, and influencers.
Going forward in life, I know I will use what I learned in this class, especially when it comes to building a professional image and understanding how media works. No matter what career path I choose, being able to communicate clearly and adapt to new platforms will be important. Overall, this class helped me understand not just sport communication, but many different parts of the sport field.