Training for Olympic Athletes
Behind the Scenes — University of Alabama Professors Andrew Billings, Kim Bissell, and Kenon Brown teach online courses for Olympic athletes on how to work with media as Preston Sullivan records in the studios of WVUA 23 TV. The courses were produced and directed by Max Shores with executive producers Amy Martin for the University of Alabama Center for Public Television and James Finn for the International Olympic Committee.
From WBRC.com:
By Neal Posey, Reporter
Olympic stars can now learn how to promote their brand with a free online class offered by the University of Alabama.
With the click of the mouse, thousands of Olympians headed to Rio now have free access to learn how to promote and protect their brand.
The online course, which can be completed in as little as 45 minutes, covers different topics and types of media.
The class even rewards these athletes with gold, silver and bronze awards for completing different levels of the branding education.
A particular challenge Olympic athletes have in maintaining a healthy image compared to traditional sport athletes is summed up by UA professor Andrew Billings, Director of Sport Communication.
“The big difference with managing your online brand if you’re an Olympian is many people haven’t heard of you now, but you will be a household word or household name by the end of the night,” said Billings.
And though targeted to Olympic athletes, anyone can sign up for the free online branding course offered by the Capstone.
More about this project is available at:
www.ua.edu/news/2016/11/overnight-sensations
