BATON ROUGE — Members of the LSU soccer team gathered together in the press conference room on the fifth floor of the LSU Athletic Administration Building on Tuesday afternoon to participate in a media training session with Dr. Tommy Karam of the communications lab on campus.
Dr. Karam led the Tigers through an hour-long session in which he discussed ideas and techniques for the team to follow when conducting interviews with members of the media.
Members of the team were also led through mock interviews with Dr. Karam while answering questions they are likely to face during the 2009 season. He stressed the proper techniques to use in all settings that include interviews with both print media and visual media.
The Tigers were not only taught media training techniques, but they were also instructed in subjects such as media awareness and team branding as a way to cultivate a positive image of the LSU soccer program both on and off the field. LSU soccer is already well-known as being the most involved athletic team with community service projects while receiving this year’s Tiger Cup from the Tiger Athletic Foundation.
In closing, Dr. Karam also discussed the effect of social networking through the Internet as it relates to an image of the program and the importance of each student-athlete to be aware of their surroundings.
The Tigers will kick off the 2009 regular season on Friday night as they welcome the two-time defending Conference USA champion Memphis Tigers to the LSU Soccer Complex. The match is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff as LSU begins its run for a third-straight NCAA Tournament berth.