Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM will launch its new student-led sideline football reporting program this fall. 

Founded and led by sophomore Hana Connelly, who is also the sports director of the radio station, the program aims to provide students and athletes with live sideline reporting for football, basketball, and baseball games for the first time in Hillsdale College’s history.

Sophomore football player Evan Mick is working with Connelly to assist with the new program. 

“We don’t know exactly how everything is going to look piece by piece, but during the game with Findlay we will have sideline reporting,” Mick said. “Maybe it’s during halftime, you go down to the field to ask the coaches a couple of questions or a player, just to get a live take of what is going down on the field because it is a very different view.”

Being on the sideline while on air is what reporters do during professional games like the NFL, Mick said.  

“That kind of thing is what we are trying to go for,” Mick said. “It will be more professional and something that we are implementing into our live radio broadcast to kind of upgrade them in a way.”

Connelly said the new broadcasting program will give the athletic department more media presence and make it more sophisticated.  

“Hillsdale has never had sideline reporting before,” Connelly said. “I think this school is really great for a lot of things but not so much in that aspect. I wanted to be able to give students an availability to do that.”

Connelly aspires to be a sideline reporter in the future, and she founded the program to help herself and fellow students achieve this goal. 

 

Connelly also said Radio Free Hillsdale will continue to broadcast the “Charger Rundown” show which will work in tandem with the sideline reporters in order to recap games and broadcast athlete interviews.

“I love fun interviews,” Mick said. “Like really short two minute interviews, getting athletes involved and talking about more fun stuff instead of the specific game. That’s my favorite part.”

Mick said he hopes to be able to conduct live interviews weekly. 

“We just want to get more athletes involved in general,” Mick said. “We had a lot of broadcasting success last year with the basketball games and with the football games, getting them all done, but this year we want more people involved in it, we want more interviews and we want more of that kind of stuff. That’s my goal.”

Connelly said the Hillsdale radio station has worked closely with her and Mick to make the new sideline reporting program possible, providing the students with the equipment, contacts and resources they need.

Scot Bertram, general manager of Radio Free Hillsdale, has been an invaluable asset to the new program, Connelly said. 

“It’s an addition to our broadcast that hopefully will bring listeners and additional perspectives and new perspectives to what’s going on,” Bertram said. “I think it’s helpful for the students in that they are getting a lesson in interviewing, talking to people who are involved in the game, and asking questions about what they’ve just seen. Those are good things to learn, and I think it hopefully also helps coaches and players to be able to talk to a member of our radio team and get the experience of talking about the games, their experiences, and what they’ve just been through.”

Bertram said the new program aims not only to provide sideline reporting of sports events but to simultaneously provide students with a unique opportunity that will prepare them for their life and careers after college. 

“Giving students the opportunity to have this experience is good for them,” Bertram said. “Especially if they are interested in moving on and doing something like this in the future.”

Bertram said the intricate nature of reporting from the sidelines teaches students many skills. 

Bertram said that they are working closely with the athletic department to ensure that the new sideline reporting program will be beneficial not only for broadcasting students, but also for student athletes. 

“People need to know when to expect when someone will be asking for an interview down to where you can stand on the sidelines, where you can walk, where you can be throughout the game,” Bertram said. “So there’s some coordination that goes on here, and having that experience and working with the athletic department like that is also a good experience and good practice for students.”

Bertram said the radio station is always looking for new students, especially students interested in sports broadcasting, commentary and sideline reporting.

“The radio is an amazing outlet,” Connelly said. “Even if you’re not interested in sports, to get your voice out on the air and start a podcast or do a segment, and so the big thing is being able to create that outlet.”

Bertram said if there are students who are interested in just working in the sports side of things they are welcome too. 

“Anyone who wants to expand availability in sports is welcome and needed,” Bertram said.