Media / Public Relations

This is an extremely vital area and a media relationship must be cultivated. Media can be used to promote the club, attract sponsors and promote the sport of volleyball. The popularity of this sport is increasing tremendously, which helps boost media coverage throughout the province.

Here are some ideas that can be followed in order to bring volleyball to media attention:

     Have a club letterhead for all correspondence (letters to parents, press releases etc.)

     The first formal contact with the media should be a typewritten press release on letterhead. It must be short (one page) and correct with no error at all. It should include all pertinent information, names, location, tournament date, contact name etc.

     Your best bet is to contact the amateur sports, college/university or high school sports writers. Find out the sports editor/director’s name. He/She should get a copy of your correspondence since they are the ones who assign reporters to cover stories.

     Know the newspaper deadlines.

     Know the radio and television deadlines.

     Send updated information two or three weeks before the event occurs and follow it up with a phone call. Inquire if the data was received and whether a reporter will be available to cover the event. If no one is attending the event, arrange to have someone call in the scores and award winners. Again, a few details should be known about the teams involved in the finals.

     IMPORTANT: Once you get into the swing of phoning in results, the desk will get to know you and it will become easier to have things printed. However, it’s essential that you phone in, whether you win or lose, to build consistency and respect.