The University of Michigan senior hopes that come graduation she has a job lined up.
On Sunday December 17, Dannie Rogers will graduate from the University of Michigan with a Sport Management degree and a lot of confidence. Rogers has spent much of her undergraduate career traversing the country, interning and working for her school in athletics, with a unique journey, all culminating to one goal.
“I knew I wanted to pursue sports broadcasting, but never had any experience being on-air,” said Rogers, who tore her ACL in high school, leaving her out of action for nine months.
“After that, I realized that I was okay not being in on the action of actually playing, and that led me to broadcasting.”
In the second semester of her freshman year at Michigan, she dedicated her time and energy to surrounding herself around sports influences and coaches. Becoming the student manager for the men’s lacrosse team was the first step, and says she has come a long way since.
“Then, I really got involved with the TV side of things, joining two student-run productions, including WOLV TV and Big Ten Network Student U,” said Rogers.
Rogers knew she had made the right move when head football coach Jim Harbaugh’s assistant, Zach Eisendrath, asked if she would work for the football team. Ecstatic, Rogers agreed and has since encountered many valuable stops along the way.
“How I achieved all of this is 100 percent by building relationships with the coaches and those working in athletics here,” said Rogers. “ Whether I was spending 10 hours a day working Michigan Football camps, or chasing around coaches’ kids in Schembechler babysitting them on Sundays, or even picking up hundreds of balls at lacrosse practice, I put time into this thing.”
Trust and selflessness are also two important qualities Rogers stresses heavily in her journey that go a long way. Building trust in stable relationships is vital to their existence, especially in one’s profession. The attitude of not being above anyone or action, while cultivating trust is what has set her apart from so many others pursuing a sports media career.
But as a former Los Angeles Rams digital media intern, FOX Sports mentee, NFL sideline reporting shadower, and a current Big Ten Network and WOLV TV producer, she knew social media needed to be utilized.
Rogers decided to publish her ‘Highlight Reel’ to LinkedIn and Twitter — to boost the resume even more.
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6345083780625235968
Hundreds of LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube users have been able to watch, share and like her post, promoting her marketability even more.
With experience in digital media, she also knows the impact of social media use in promotion.
“It is a quick and easy way to get my work out there, and the reach is vast,” said Rogers, who has accumulated over 680 likes, over 50 comments and 56,000 total views since last Friday.
“The best thing is that is reaches a lot of different people — from producers, to other on-air talent, sports agents, and general people in the business, all of who can help in some way or another.”
In sports, social media has taken off like a wildfire, with many new job titles with teams, and firms alike across the country. In this newer era, adaptability is key.
“People have less time to sit down and consume an entire show, so the fact that social media can provide people with quick highlights and a lot of information in a short amount time is huge,” said Rogers. “That’s why if you know how social media works, you’re golden in today’s age.”
As all good professionals possess, Rogers also preaches versatility in your works. After completing correspondent works with Ann Arbor’s ESPN branch, the LA Rams in digital media, production work with the Big Ten Network and campus outlets, she presents a well versed collegiate experience.
Rogers is certain this will open more doors than specializing in one skill set.
“Show your future employer that [yeah] you can report on a college football or basketball game, but that you can also go cover the hockey or baseball games the next day. Once you show how much sports knowledge you have, you’re unstoppable.”
Although Rogers’ heart is in broadcasting, she knows the tide is turning towards the digitization of jobs, and knows more money will be poured into them.
Rogers’ advice to those seeking a similar path is simple yet powerful. She preaches trust building, versatility, working hard and investing in social media. LinkedIn must be used as a tool, and invested in.
“I did not expect that [reel success],” said Rogers. “I know there’s an algorithm for each social media platform, and if you hit it, your content will do very well.”
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