On one of last year’s basketball trips to another school, Parker Kirwan was impressed with the student-run sports broadcast. “It was really a well-prepared actual broadcast so I contacted the person who runs their program as an afternoon activity,” says Parker, who has an M.Ed. in Sport Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University.

He wanted to bring that quality of broadcasting to Blue Ridge so he proposed, developed and is now teaching an elective class on Sports Broadcasting.

“We already have the technical tools to run live-streams, and I thought this would be a unique opportunity to involve the students. At a boys’ school, where many of the kids love sports, it gives boys a chance to be involved with sports on a different level,” says Parker.

This year-long class teaches a variety of skills: communications, public speaking and research. The students also learn how much preparation goes into a sports cast.

Parker plans on introducing sports writing to the class, which may result in a newsletter and social media feeds. He aims to give each student the tools, skills and experience to possibly pursue sports journalism as a career.

BRS streams all home varsity football, varsity basketball and varsity lacrosse games.

For their first broadcast, click here.

Click here for the premiere broadcast.