Mic'd Up with James Roberts

James Roberts is a sports broadcaster and presenter who got into the field through his love for sports and performing arts. He pursued a master's degree in sports broadcasting and now enjoys his career, combining his passion for sports with his skills in broadcasting. James believes that standing up and speaking in front of others is just like having a conversation and that the key to overcoming nerves is to focus on the enjoyment of the process. His biggest challenge has been overcoming self-doubt and the voice in his head that tells him he's not good enough. However, he has learned to ignore those thoughts and focus on enjoying himself and providing value to his audience. He believes that the only critic he needs to please is himself and that as long as he is satisfied with his performance, that's all that matters. James, thank you very much for being part of my mini-series. Before we get into our questions, can you tell us just a little bit about yourself? Yeah, absolutely. So my name is James Roberts. I'm a sports broadcaster, presenter, commentator, videographer, jack of all trades, really. I've got a sports toolbox thanks to an amazing master's course that I recently finished and completed. So I now have a master's in sports broadcasting. Kessie is part of Metropolitan University, and that is exactly how I got into doing what I'm doing right now. And what got you started out on your journey? I mean, that was a lot of things that you do, but we're going to focus in on the commentary, the hosting. So thinking about actually how people gain confidence to be able to stand up and speak, whatever that may be, physical stage or metaphorical stage. But how did you actually get into doing all of those various things that you do? Yeah, sure. So essentially, I started out very young, always having an interest in sport, but also always having quite an interest in the performing arts. So I did a lot of Andram growing up, took drama all the way through to an undergraduate course. And then I turned into a career, really, where I was part of production teams in film and television. And then from there, I went forward into thinking more about how do I want to progress my career? Because I could go down the route of continuing to stay in production, or I could start thinking about honing in on specific areas within the actual production of film and TV. And I just thought to myself, what am I actually missing? What do I love about this? And I missed sport, actually, because it meant the more serious I got with my job, the less I could actually engage with sports as a fan, as a player. And then I was like, I need to find a way that I can combine both of these. And that's when I started looking for routes into sports television, more specifically. And then I came across this course by luck of chance, really, because my university did that thing where they always like to catch up and see what everyone's doing a few years down the line, as they can put it on all of their university propaganda, in a way. And so I said to them about what I was trying to do. And they said, well, why don't you come back and do the Masters we offer in sports broadcasting? And it's the best decision I've ever made in myself, because that personal investment alone has led me into a career where I just have fun all the time. And I really, really enjoy what I do. And I enjoy the people I work with. I get to travel to some amazing places and stadiums. And yeah, I couldn't ask for anything better in life, really, because I get to just sit and watch sport for free and then talk to people about it. And somehow, someone thinks they should pay for that as well. So I'm living a literal dream. I love that. I'm going to sit and watch some sport and I'm going to chat to some people and somebody's going to pay me. It's great. Yeah, well, that's the main thing. I think if you if you overthink it a bit too much and you start thinking about the scale of things, that's when, you know, people might start that fight or flight sort of panic system in their bodies. And then that's when the panic sets in. You're like, oh, my goodness, the pressure's really on. And actually, if you just think about it literally right down to the bare bones of what it is, I am just watching a bit of sport, which I absolutely adore. I'm then going to talk to some people about it, which other people are going to tune in and watch. And at the end of the day, it creates a really interesting product for everyone to listen to. And I've always thought that I've met a lot of people who are concerned about imposter syndrome, that why me? Why? I'm not the person that somebody should be listening to. Why would anybody want to listen to me? And I've always kind of landed on the point that if you are asked to stand up and speak about something, it's because you have more knowledge than the people that you are talking to or somebody's heard something that you've previously said that they want to talk about. Or in your case, it's that aspect of it's a conversation. And I think thinking about challenges and we'll come on to that in a second. But the challenge is how do you reframe the nerves around standing up in front of somebody? And I love the fact that you say that actually, if you bring it back to its basics, it's having a conversation. Yeah, that's all anything is really at the end of the day. I did a little bit of time in the corporate world. I did a little bit of time thinking that maybe my life is going to take me to be a teacher as well. That was a challenging moment. I had a midlife crisis very early, Rachel. A midlife crisis at 12? Essentially. And, you know, it really is just having conversations with people, but just in different settings and different environments. And so if you can learn how to create a good conversation and convey a good story through the means of the conversation, then you can take your speaking anywhere. And what was your biggest challenge? You mentioned about the fact that actually you used to enjoy performing arts. So you are somebody who actually does enjoy getting on the stage. But one of the things that I personally have found is I could never get on a stage and act, but I'm very happy to get on the stage and be myself and talk about the things that I know and myself at the end of the day, in terms of telling that story. What was your biggest challenge through, first of all, I guess, first getting on stage when you might have been younger, but then making that transition to actually being yourself in front of a camera or in front of an audience? Wow, that's a big question to unpack. I think for me initially, the enjoyment of the initial going on stage to perform is really what fueled me. I just I loved having so much fun with all these characters and all these songs and getting to do some of the most ridiculous things with friends, you know, like I've done performances where I've run across the stage and I've dressed and I've been reciting Shakespeare, taking the mic out of myself and out of friends. And it just goes back to that whole thing. At the time when I started to do it, I was just having fun. I was having so much fun. I enjoyed it so much more than than other stuff where, you know, you would sit in a classroom and maybe, you know, discuss science or solve equations and maths. And actually, I didn't really enjoy any of that. I never really engaged in any of that. But as soon as the teacher was like, OK, here's a script and here's some props, put something together and we'll have a look at it. I got to stand there and I got to do something that was really fun and really engaging with my friends. And that's when someone was like, oh, you should maybe you should do this, perform, perform in this audition for that. Have a go at this. And you know what? The whole time I just enjoyed it. And that's what, you know, fueled me to keep going with it. And so taking that and transferring that into what I do now is actually just thinking about what made it a good performance, what made it engaging back when I was a kid and sort of keeping that alive now. And actually it's the passion and enthusiasm that I got, the fact that I loved it and enjoyed it so much. Do you have a biggest challenge of standing up in front of, I guess it's different standing in front of a camera as if it is standing in front of a live audience? Yeah, yeah. Or at a sports event. But what do you find your biggest challenge in those different environments? So for me, my biggest personal challenge is actually overcoming the little voice inside your head which tells you you're not good enough and tells you that you actually don't deserve to be there. And it does take you a while to overcome that voice. And actually for me as a kid, because I was quite badly bullied at the start of secondary school, it always stayed on my mind even when all that sort of thing starts to die down as people grow up and get more mature. You know, the thing that helps you get over that is actually thinking that who really cares? You know, there's a lot of people that say that when people are thinking about starting their own YouTube or social medias and posting content and everyone's first concern is, oh, but what if this person thinks that? Or what if one person comments that? Or what if one person thinks that? Or one person doesn't take this the right way? And it's like, well, actually, who cares? Will you ever see that person in the flesh? No, probably not. You know, I've been on stages and I've spoken into the cameras with people the other side who I will probably never sit down and have a conversation with in my life. And I think that's probably a big part of it as well in terms of helping overcome that moment of self-doubt is that it doesn't need to be that you face every critic. The only critic that you need to please is yourself. So if you can go on there and you can enjoy yourself, you can come off smiling and that you can come off having said, you know, I really gave that my all and I enjoyed what I did. And, you know, my close friend said, yeah, I enjoyed what you did there as well. And that's enough, you know, justification, verification, gratification for me as an individual. So, yeah, I'd have to say that's the biggest challenge. That was the biggest challenge and that's how I overcame it really. And I was speaking to another colleague about this question and the interesting thing that they said is when you get to the point as well where you realise your role is being of service, so whether that's giving information to an audience, whether that is interviewing a player that they want to hear from, you're there to support and enable that. So in one sense, it's not actually about you. So there is something about people aren't there to see you. They are there to see and enjoy and experience what you're presenting to them versus, as you say, kind of almost that aspect of going, it's not really about you as a person, it's about creating an atmosphere, it's about creating an environment, it's about creating an experience for that spectator or that audience member, whatever it may be. How do you tend to prepare for your different types of gigs that you do? So for me, the biggest thing in the role that I'm now currently working is that preparation for me is everything. Having a good understanding of your audience, but also those who are taking part is massive, especially when you're doing things like commentary, for example, just because I spend a lot of my time preparing or researching, collating these notes. And actually, it's very different from championships, championship and sports to sport, because what might work for university rugby doesn't exactly work for non-league, low-league football because in university rugby, people are like, I wonder what they study or I wonder what year they're in or I wonder what other clubs they play for. And in non-league football, no one actually cares what GCSEs they've got. No one really cares what other football clubs that they play for in lower leagues. They care about the stats, they care about how many goals they scored, how many passes have they made, what's their possession stats like, how many times they get tackled, all of those in depth analysis in a way. And so I think it's being able to actually research that you've got the understanding to know what is it your audience are looking for? You know, I am the first voice that people might hear when they watch a certain player for the first time and I'm going to be able to think, right, okay, an agent could be watching this for the first time for this player. I need to be able to make sure that I get this right when they get the ball. I make sure I sing their praises in a way on commentary when they fly down the wing for an amazing score and I really drive home the point that what they've done is fantastic and that's important to them. And so knowing that you can execute that again is another big thing. So it's all about preparation, all about research. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. And it's the biggest, biggest cliche in the world because every dad up and down the country says it, we've all failed. But it's true. There's never a truer word spoken than that. So, yeah. I think that content is one of the things that I shared around the four key areas. One is around content doesn't just happen. Second one is around knowing your audience. Third one is around practicing. And then the fourth one is very much a case of understanding the context that you're in because you've got to understand what you've got access to. Rocking off thinking that you're getting, in my world, having worked as a show caller in corporate events, is thinking you're getting an autocue versus getting a comfort monitor and what's the difference between them because a comfort monitor doesn't scroll your script in front of you. So anybody who doesn't know that now hopefully will. I'm in controversial opinion here then right now. My hot take on it all. I actually don't like an autocue. I don't know what it is. I just, I feel like you end up concentrating too much on what you've already scripted and therefore sometimes you're less reactive to what's going on in front of you, which is another thing that's really important. Yeah, and I think it's, again, context. So I've used an autocue in a green studio, so a studio with a green backdrop, which actually therefore there's nothing else to react or respond to because that literally is in front of me. But then I've interviewed people where or asked questions where there's an autocue there with the questions coming through. But as you say, I've then had to kind of do the ad lib of playing off what somebody says, asking another question based upon what they say, because that's where it becomes more natural versus trying to remember exactly what it is that you wrote on a piece of paper or following it so concentratedly. That isn't even a word, but we'll go there. And in terms of what you focus on. But yeah, I think it's knowing what you've got and having a choice is quite key. Yes. Yeah. So to finish up, I'm going to ask what three things you would share with others that are looking to develop their confidence in being able to stand up and speak, as I said, whether that is a physical stage, a metaphorical stage, in terms of just being able to stand up and be heard in their different context. OK, so for me, there are three things that you should always try and do, especially when you're trying to build up your confidence the first time. Number one is prepare for every scenario in your head, as many as humanly possible, because if the worst does happen, if, for example, your autocue does go down, if an audience member heckles you, if the lights suddenly disappear, you know how to react to it because you've gone through it already in advance. I think it's one of the best things that I ever got told by someone was actually, if you run through that scenario in your head beforehand, that's not an awful thing because you can fix it as long as you don't panic about it. So if the lights did go down, you just go, oh, that's probably better for everyone because you can't see me now. And you suddenly have a joke with it. You have a jit with everyone. I mean, that was an awful bad joke, but then that settles the nerves of everyone. It calms them. It shows that you are still in control as an individual, and that's really important. So preparing for every scenario and preparing for the fact that an autocue might work, so you might need a copy in front of you. If that copy is on a digital iPad, a paper copy is definitely important to have in advance as well. I forget what they're called now. Index cards, they call them in all these American high school movies, don't they? You've got the index cards for this exam. Having those physically in front of you there, that's your insurance policy. And no matter what fails in front of you, you've always got another thing to fall back on. So I think that's really important. And then the other thing in step two is with that preparation, you should really, really know who your audience is and also why they need to hear that content. So if you are running through what you're scripting and all of a sudden you think, wait, why do they need to know that? Or if you're reading it out loud just to read it through to make sure it makes sense, and you think, hang on, I'm waffling a little bit here. I'm going off a bit. You need to make sure you're justifying all that. Why do they need to know this? Why do they need to hear that? Because it shows and demonstrates that you have actually got that knowledge of your audience that you need. And that's another really, really important thing that you should carry forwards going into speaking for the first time or indeed just trying to develop your speaking a little bit further. I know that's a big thing for me, especially when I did the Invictus Games this year, which was my first big international event. I'd never done anything on that scale before. So making sure I understood who exactly was going to be in the arena, who was out there on these different event floors actually competing and just enjoying each other's company, because that's what they were doing at the end of the day. It meant that I could actually bring forth a performance, if you will, in a way that met everyone's expectations and actually satisfied the criteria really, really well. And then the third or final thing, I love a physical stage, a physical stage for you to practice on. I remember times where I would literally line up toys and teddy bears, and I would practice presentations, speeches, monologues, duologues in front of them. You can't always rely on mum and dad being there, because unfortunately, at some point, you have to grow up and move out. I know, believe it or not, I've reached an age where I'm old enough that I have to move out. So even if you're lining up the spice cupboard in front of you on your kitchen side, and you're making eye contact with them, and you're talking to them, and you're trying to engage the cinnamon, but not leaving the time out as well, and you're addressing them directly by name, really. It's always like garlic granules. You understand where I'm coming from with this. And then when it actually comes to the real thing, you'll sit out there, and it's almost like that spice cupboard's already out there in front of you. They're just sat in plusher seats, rather than the kitchen countertop. So I think doing that is another really, really important part of the three-step process, then achieving a really successful speaking display. I think I need to go and restock my spice cupboards now, because I generally don't. I don't think there are any of those ones that you've just talked about. Garam masala or cumin, honestly. Can't believe that. Yeah, my friends, if any of them are listening to this, know that I always say that I don't cook, and a friend of mine always buys me cookbooks. And I've said to her, she says, you mistake the choice here. It's not that I can't. I choose not to eat. So my spice cupboard is limited. But the whole point of that is having that ability to be able to talk through the amount of people that I know that have written scripts. And I used to work in the learning and development field, and I only realised this as a cast back, because we used to write scripts for our hosts, and we used to write them in the team. But the people presenting them wouldn't necessarily get hold of it and stand up and present it or practice it until we got to the event. So part of that preparation is actually written word is different to spoken word. So you can write an amazing script and know exactly what you want to say. But as you say, when you stand up, you realise it doesn't flow, you trip over certain words. So that ability to practice, that ability to record yourself and watch yourself, which people find very uncomfortable, but it's very useful. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I was only going to say just very quickly, just to finish it off with like a slightly bonus tip in a way, just be really careful about having a fully scripted piece of work in front of you as well, because the amount of times where actually I gave a much better presentation just by having key bullet points in front of me rather than a full transcribable script in a way, just by having those bullet points and being able not to ad-lib, but know what I need to hit in between each one of them, that creates a much more natural piece of presentation. But I wouldn't say go for that straight away. Just think about easing into that as your confidence builds and as more time passes and you get more experience, you'll then find what your presentation style is and your way of speaking as well. Well, thankfully for me, you've literally just reiterated most of the content of my free download, which is available. So it means that I'm not completely off the mark and I'm hearing it from somebody who does it as a day job. But James, thank you very much for your time. Much appreciated. And hopefully people have got some things to take away from today. Rachel, no problem at all. Thank you so much.