PARKERSBURG — An American sportscaster and sports talk show host spoke to students Wednesday in a Sports in American Culture class at Parkersburg High School.
“I’ll answer any questions in class about specific things, the sports I cover, the people I cover. Anything that interests you.” Scott Van Pelt told Sports in American Culture teacher Sam Vincent. “I’m here for you all.”
Van Pelt asked questions such as who do you think is the greatest basketball player of all time? – Michael Jordan – What is the No. 1 team in American college football? – Georgia. I am a student aiming to become a sports broadcaster.
“Please be you.” Van Pelt told student David Parsons. “Don’t change yourself for anyone. The things that make you great and interesting are the things that make you great and interesting. What you have that other people don’t do.”
He said not to change who you are or allow yourself to change just because people want you to be. He said the most important thing for anyone interested in sports broadcasting is to learn to write.
“And learn to write in your own voice and say what you feel.” Van Pelt said. “Be yourself, be yourself, and work hard on your writing. That’s the technical part of this work.”
Van Pelt was asked who he thought was the most influential person in sports history.
“Muhammad Ali,” Van Pelt said. “The man went to prison for his beliefs. He was a black man at a time when the world was very different, but he was a man who spoke his truth. He said it out loud. He was cocky, and he stood for it, dude. Considering what he was like back then, I think he epitomized the confidence in himself that you can see in today’s athletes.”
He said Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier. “Look people in the eyes who don’t want him to do that.” But get over it.
“I think when you talk about the most influential people, you’re talking about people who championed something and changed something forever.” Van Pelt said. “Robinson did it. Ali did it. You asked me to pick just one, but that’s difficult. … If you ask 10 people, you’ll probably get 10 different answers.”
When asked what advice he would give to high school students, Van Pelt said, “There’s no need to rush.” He told his students to live in the moment. He told them to be open to new experiences and that they might meet people different from themselves.
“The world is a beautiful tapestry of people.” Van Pelt said. “The world is a big place. If you can accept it, those people can become an important part of your life. Be interested in people who are not from the group of people you interacted with. And it’s very important to realize that. Be decent human beings to each other, dude. It’s not complicated. …Be optimistic and travel Be present wherever you go, be grateful for what you have, and work hard to get what you want.”