We’ve all done it.
We were all kids once upon a time, sat in our bedrooms with the tape recorder, making our own commentaries to fictional football matches, fancying ourselves as the next John Motson or Jonathan Pearce.
The same thing is no doubt happening in kids’ bedrooms around the country today, except they’ve probably moved on from tape recorders. It’s all iPhones and computers these days, isn’t it? Technology, eh? What’s that all about? Back in my day…
Enough about your day, grandad. We’re talking about the here and now; we’re talking about the future, and if you know a young person with the gift of the gab and a passion for sport, the future’s looking very exciting.
⭐️Love talking sport? Aged 11-15? Could YOU be the next @bbc5live #youngcommentator? 🎙️⭐️
This video explains how to apply, step-by-step! 👇 pic.twitter.com/RrDw7EKXUZ
— BBC Radio 5 Live (@bbc5live) October 4, 2017
BBC Radio 5 live has launched Young Commentator of the Year, a nationwide search to find the budding commentators of the future. The competition is open to 11-15 year olds, and the winner will be invited to join the 5 live team at a major sporting event of their choice, as well as spending the day with BBC Radio 5 live in Salford.
Entry is dead easy: log on to the Young Commentator of the Year site and select one of five clips of recent sports triumphs to commentate on, including Marcus Rashford’s goal for Manchester United against Chelsea last season and the 100m men’s sprint relay in the World Athletics Championships.
Then all the youngsters need to do is record themselves commentating on the clip (it’s radio, so no need to worry about visuals), then submit the recording. Entries will be judged by a top panel of 5 live commentators and personalities from all corners of the sporting world.
Alistair McGowan’s had a go, but sadly he’s not eligible to enter, so he’ll just have to settle for impersonating Brendan Foster and Colin Jackson instead.
Alistair McGowan steps into our #youngcommentator booth…
as Brendan Foster and Colin Jackson! 🎙️😂
Watch more: 👉: https://t.co/FzE3gzeu3y pic.twitter.com/5rt0RmLX1E
— BBC Radio 5 Live (@bbc5live) October 5, 2017
Competition judge Mike Costello said of the competition: “Across 90 years, BBC Radio has been present at so many great sporting moments at home and abroad and this competition is a platform for unearthing and developing the commentators whose voices could provide the soundtrack to the landmark events of the future.
“I’m sure I speak for many commentators when I say I would have relished such an opportunity when starting out.”
The competition closes on Friday 27 October, and the winner will be announced live on air on Thursday 16 November, so get cracking!
