For students in Florida International University’s Sports Media Practicum, the classroom extends well beyond campus. Newly developed within the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media, this practicum encompasses experiential learning for students pursuing an interest in sports journalism. The hands-on opportunities are giving students a chance to build their portfolios while covering some of the region’s biggest sports teams and athletes
In just one week since the program’s inceptiob, students reported from Major League Baseball dugouts, FIU’s football practice facility and the Miami Dolphins’ preseason, producing stories and interviews for professional and student news organizations across South Florida.
Valentina Ricci had a particularly busy week at LoanDepot Park, where the Marlins hosted the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox.
Ricci, a Sports Media Practicum student and South Florida correspondent covering MLB, NBA and MLS for the Hispanic Sports Media Network, had dugout access throughout the week. The opportunity put her in position to interview Boston Red Sox All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras.
The interview carried a personal connection for Ricci: Contreras is from her native Venezuela and was part of the team that won the World Baseball Classic in Miami earlier this year.
Ricci also covered the Marlins’ sweep of the Nationals, producing a September preview that appeared in Caplin News.
Her week at the ballpark illustrates the kind of access and reporting experience the Sports Media Practicum is designed to provide — placing students in professional environments where they can develop their skills while building relationships and a body of work.
At the FIU Football practice facility, Alejandro Hernandez continued his work as the Miami Herald’s FIU Football correspondent.
Hernandez contributed two additional stories from the Panthers’ practice facility as FIU prepared for the start of its season.
His work gives him the opportunity to cover the Panthers on a regular basis while developing the reporting, interviewing and deadline skills expected of professional sports journalists.
Kevin Barral is also spending the fall immersed in FIU Football coverage. He is covering the Panthers for Caplin News while also working with FIU Athletics, a role that will allow him to travel with the team for away games.
“Working with FIU Athletics as a Communications Assistant has also allowed me to see the media world with a different angle,” says Barral. “I thank Darin Yriogyen and Jonathan Mayer for allowing me to work with them and learn a lot of the work that goes into being a Sports Information Director. Doing stats, working on record books and helping run the social media channels has truly made me love this side of the media landscape.”
Barral produced three stories covering the Panthers’ preparations for the season opener, including freshman Barrett Schulz’s development, FIU Athletics’ partnership with the Miccosukee Tribe and the team’s preparations under head coach Willie Simmons.
He also secured one-on-one interview time with FIU defensive coordinator Jovan Dewitt to discuss the state of the Panthers’ defense heading into the opener.
For Maria Jose Martinez, the week marked another important milestone: her print debut in Caplin News, whom previewed the Miami Dolphins’ preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons, including coverage of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Taking sports coverage to the screen
The students are also expanding their experience beyond written reporting.
Newsbreak has an exciting addition: the Sideline Sports segment has officially been launched. Co-anchored by Alejandro Hernandez and Sabrina Lozano, the pair will bring their perspective and energy every week to FIU’s sports coverage.
“One of my favorite parts has been being able to take what I’m learning in the Sports Media Program and apply it in a real newsroom environment.” Says Lozano “It has helped me become more confident as a sports journalist and has made me even more excited to continue working in sports media after graduation,” she continues.
The opportunity was made possible through the support of Professor Stephen Kairalla, who is helping students gain experience across multiple forms of sports media.
“Sabrina and Alejandro are great. The addition of live sports to Caplin’s student-produced news broadcast makes the production better. The best part, though, is that it opens them up a wider way array of job possibilities. At its best, that’s what the college experience is supposed to do,” says Professor Kairalla.
For aspiring sports journalists, that range matters. Modern sports media increasingly demands reporters who can move seamlessly between writing, video, social media, live reporting and on-camera storytelling.
Learning by doing
Behind the students’ work is a curriculum built around that reality.
Together, the coursework and field experience create a learning environment in which students are not simply studying sports journalism — they are practicing it.
Whether standing in a Major League Baseball dugout, reporting from a college football practice, traveling with a team or anchoring a sports segment, FIU students are gaining the experience, confidence and professional clips that can help prepare them for careers in one of the most competitive areas of journalism.
Together, the students’ work demonstrates the range of opportunities available through FIU’s Sports Media Practicum — from professional newsrooms and major-league venues to college athletics and live television.
For the Sports Media Practicum, the goal is simple: put students where the action is and let them learn by doing.
