Summer Programs

Sponsored by:

The Verne Lundquist Sports Media Institute of the Headliners Foundation of Texas

Presented by:

School of Journalism and Media

The Center for Sports Communication & Media

Aspiring high-school sports journalists — in words, images, sound or video — spend an intensive, hands-on long weekend at the University of Texas at Austin in the company of decorated professionals from print, television and online platforms. Campers can anticipate a tour of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and other athletic facilities, a mock press conference with UT student-athletes, a full Saturday of engaging presentations from established sports journalists and, on the final day of camp, one-on-one coaching from faculty at the School of Journalism and Media on original, independent projects (assigned at orientation). Ready to see how the pros cover everything from junior soccer to the World Cup? Game on.

Check-in: July 12, 2024

Check-out: July 14, 2024

Ages: 16-18

Cost: $500

*Price includes all meals and overnight stay in a double-occupancy dormitory room.

Early bird registration until April 15, 2024 ($100 discount)

Registration deadline: June 28, 2024

Questions? Email us at journalism@austin.utexas.edu

Hello, sports fans!

I’m Kevin Robbins, the director of the Verne Lundquist Sports Journalism Camp at the University of Texas at Austin. We’re very excited about our third annual camp, scheduled in 2024 for July 12-14. We’re eager to welcome 40 students from high schools in Texas — and even beyond.

About our camp: Participants spend nearly three days on campus with me and our counselors, who are students of our School of Journalism and Media. We participate in a mock press conference with Longhorn coaches and athletes in Belmont Hall. We take aguided, all-access tour of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (including some time on the football field and press box). We introduce campers to experienced sports-media veterans, who conduct intensive and practical sessions with them about their professional work.

With noted Michigan State University artist-in-residence Mike Castellucci, campers learn to build high-quality iPhone stories — something they can take home with them; share with their family, teachers and friends; and include in their portfolios. We essentially spend our entire time learning and doing real-world sports journalism (well, when we’re not playing sports trivia, eating cookies from Insomnia or ice cream from Amy’s, taking a supervised night-time tour of campus or having a pizza party with a publish sports-book author, that is).

We say about the University of Texas that what starts here changes the world. We build our sports camp to change a life.

About me: I’m a professor of practice since 2012 who teaches our upper-division skills courses in sports journalism. I was a reporter myself for 22 years, and I’ve written five non-fiction sports books. I still do freelance journalism about professional golf when I’m not playing amateur golf. I also serve as the associate director of the Moody College of Communication’s Center for Sports Communication and Media, which is a sponsor of our camp. I live in nearby Dripping Springs with my wife of 32 years and our son, a senior in high school. Our daughter is a junior in the fiction-writing program at the University of Iowa. I enjoy watching, reading about and learning about sports of all kinds — from fencing to fishing to football.

We hope to see you this summer on our beautiful campus in Austin. Can I tell you more? You can always find me at kevin.robbins@austin.utexas.edu.

Hook ‘em!

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