Introductory Speech

So, while it won't be as effective here, I told you guys that read the post about my personal story that I would post my speech as well, so I am. Here you go!

My name is Danielle Percival. I am a sophomore from Wetumpka, Alabama and I am a broadcast journalism major, with a contract or minor in Sports Information.

Speaking of sports, how many of you are interested in sports?

How many of you played sports?

Guys, how many of you played football? Any level. Pee wee, Junior high, High school, or even College ball.

And out of those who just answered on that last question, how many of you think it would’ve been a good idea for me to put on pads and a helmet and get out there and play with you?

Exactly.

It’s okay to laugh. My parents did too. 

But I was passionate about football, and sports altogether..so I wanted to be involved. 

What’s wrong with that? Besides the fact that I probably shouldn’t play football and likely wouldn’t be any good.

So it wasn’t very likely they’d let me out on the playing field in pads and a helmet. 

So the next best option? 

Having a camera and a mic in my hand. Being a reporter.

This past year I had the chance to cover the Trojan football team pretty much as a beat reporter, meaning strictly covering everything that had to do with the team, for the entire season. 

I attended Media Day and scrimmages, camera and mic in hand mind you, and got to be on the sidelines and film each home game and the weekly press conferences to cover the upcoming games.

You’re probably wondering why…or for what. 

Well I work with TrojanVision, the campus news station, and I am pretty much the sports department right now. 

I’m not saying that to impress you or sound like I run the place, but we’re short handed right now and you work with what you’ve got.

So, because of that, they gave a girl the chance to prove herself and show that she had what it took to cover the game.

But getting here was a long road. I didn’t just wake up one day and start going out and interviewing people and covering games.

When I was growing up, I was shy. I wouldn’t have talked to you, whether I knew you or not. But when I decided this was the field I wanted to go into, that had to change. 

My parents helped me secure a job working with Faulkner university in Montgomery, in their athletic department where I started to break out of my shell. It was a step in the right direction.

I began working with their radio broadcasts of the football and basketball games, but I didn't do play by play. Doug Amos did play by play, but he gave me the chance to be the halftime show host.

So, I recapped the game, interviewed a guest about an event occurring around campus, and went over the stats from the first half, then tossed it back to him and I was out of there.

But that was radio. No one had to see me. 

I wanted to be on tv though. That took another BIG step.

I got the opportunity to help out with their weekly television show and worked my way up to doing on camera interviews. 

But when I came down to troy, it was totally different. 

Here there was a news station. Cameras, lights, telepromter, studios, newsrooms, editing systems. 

Not just one camera, one tripod, and two collapsible directors chairs.

Little bit of an upgrade, also, a little bit intimidating. But, it was how I wanted to spend my life, around cameras and equipment and the craziness of deadlines. 

But it was all new to me. And took getting used to. 

Which meant practice. 

Sorta like football.

See I guess I’m kind of like that 6th grade kid that’s right on the cusp of being really good. 

Coaches see the potential. They just haven’t had the years of practice, hours in the weight room, training, and studying techniques. 

They’re going to be good, they just haven’t reached their full potential yet.

I’ve only been working with trojanvision for a year and a half, but it has been the most incredible year and half and I've had invaluable experience, and been able to do what I love day in and day out.

I may not be wearing the same equipment and gear as the players, and I think we extablished earlier that's not for me, but I do have my own equipment.

And I still get to be down on the field.