The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (December 2013) |
A sports analyst is a person looking through technical, tactical, physiological, and psychological performance metrics[1] working with the sports coach and sports science team to improve athlete performance. They will often use Video motion analysis to help with data collection. Sports commentators or journalists also analyze elements of sports performance, for media companies such as ESPN, NBC Sports, CBS Sports Network, Turner Sports, and ABC.
A sports analyst may perform different jobs within the field and may even hold more than one position at once. A sports journalist reports to the public in the form of writing and includes information about sporting topics, events, and competitions. A sports commentator and sportscaster give play-by-play details of a specific sporting event and game. They also relay information necessary to understand the context of that specific sport.[2] Notable sports commentators include Joe Buck, Brent Musburger, and Max Kellerman.
Sports analysts are typically former athletes and coaches from their respective sports. Sometimes, a sports analyst will cover a sport, even though they have not played that sport previously. An example is Brad Daugherty, who played professional basketball but covers NASCAR racing.