Q&A With Soccernet's Jon Carter

by Debbie Ballard
November 5, 2009

Sports have always been a major part of Jon Carter's life. When he decided he did not want to pursue them professionally, he started writing as a sports journalist and has worked to develop his skills at several different sports media outlets. Now a major soccer correspondent at ESPN's Soccernet (www.soccernet.com), Carter says he is living his dream.

"I loved watching soccer as a kid and writing about it seemed the natural path for me."

What follows are some questions and answers Carter gave for an interview with Planet Blacksburg.

PB: When did you figure out you wanted to be a sportswriter?

CARTER: I always knew that I would want to do something involving sports, writing and a computer. I love watching soccer as a kid and writing about it seemed the natural path for me, so from the age of about 15 I did everything I could to try and make that happen.

PB: Did you play sports in high school/college?

CARTER: Growing up in the UK, I played rugby and cricket at school, but also enjoyed basketball and tennis too. I went to school that didn't play soccer, so cricket was my main sport. Like many journalists, I was never good enough at any sport to think about playing professionally but I enjoy it as a hobby and still like to play the odd game of 5-a-side.

PB: Where did you work before ESPN? How do you feel those jobs helped you develop as a writer?

CARTER: I came straight out of a Masters course in Journalism to work for the Extreme Sports Channel. Primarily doing stuff for their website, it gave me a good chance to see the inner workings of a TV channel and also enhanced my skills in writing and creating pictures and video for the web. I also did a brief stint for the sports section of a magazine called 'Soldier' which is the Armed Forces mag for the UK. There's nothing like learning on the job though, and I feel my writing skills really took off when I joined Soccernet.

PB: What has your experience been like working for ESPN?

CARTER: A dream come true. ESPN's passion for sports is something I could identify with and I feel very privileged to be doing something that I consider fun, while getting paid at the same time. I have learnt a lot from working with established soccer journalists such as Phil Ball and Richard Jolly; while the acquisition of cricinfo.com, racinglive.com and scrum.com has broadened my experience of other sports and the talented writers who work on their sites. 

PB: Did you always enjoy writing about soccer, or do you write about other sports as well?

CARTER: Soccer has always been my main passion, but throughout my school years and with work experience I have covered a vast array of sports from cricket to Taekwondo. The Extreme Sports Channel had me writing about skating, bmx and winter sports and I still keep an eye on the sports that interest me (which is pretty much everything).  

PB: Did you intern with any big media outlets during college?

CARTER: The sports journalism field is exceptionally hard to get into, so I was unable to do any internships. I knew people who had worked for free for a year just to get their foot in the door, and sometimes they would still not get the job. So instead I focused on writing as much as possible during university and took the decision to get a Masters degree to enhance my employment skills afterwards. Sky Sports were kind enough to give me a tour of their offices for a day or so, and I was hired by ESPN soon after.

PB: Do you have a particular team you follow or enjoy covering?

CARTER: Arsenal, although it's hard to say I 'enjoy' covering them sometimes. My first ever game was watching David Rocastle (sadly no longer with us) and Ian Wright play for the reserves in a match against Aldershot Town. David Seaman was my big hero as a kid, as I had wanted to be a goalkeeper.

PB: Have you ever had the opportunity to meet or interview any famous soccer players or managers?

CARTER: There's been a few over the past few years, but new Thailand manager and Manchester United legend Bryan Robson, Argentine hero Ossie Ardiles and Arsenal stalwart Ray Parlour are some personal favourites. Nothing will top the moment I met Dutch superstars Dennis Bergkamp and Johan Cruyff though.

PB: Is there anyone who you consider to be an influence on your career as a writer?

CARTER: Henry Winter, one of the most well-respected journalists in the UK. He writes for the Daily Telegraph mainly, but also has columns in magazines such as Four Four Two. I had the chance to meet him as we were both interviewing former referee Graham Poll a few years ago and he was able to offer me some age advice. I read his work almost every day.

PB: Any advice for aspiring sportswriters or journalists in general?

CARTER: Just write as much as you can. Newspapers, websites, blogs, magazines, anything. Seeing your name in print is the best thing you can do and it will give you a great feeling when it's there in black and white. Anything you can do to build up a portfolio of material to show off your skills is important and don't give up. It's a tough profession to get into, but everyone wants to see passion and if you show how much you care about the subject you write about then you'll go far.

PB: How do you feel about the English Premier League's new rule about keeping at least 8 "homegrown" players on a roster, and do you think other leagues should adopt the same policy?

CARTER: I'm not sure quite how much difference this will make in the long run. None of the current Premier League sides suffer, as they all have at least eight. Also, it's hard to call them 'homegrown' as you have someone like Spaniard Cesc Fabregas who qualifies because he signed for Arsenal at 16, and Owen Hargreaves (an England international) who doesn't because his footballing education was completed in Germany. We might see more young foreign players joining at 17, so they can count has having played for the club for three years before they are 21. It won't help English players come through.

PB: In the wake of the controversy surrounding Lionel Messi's performances for Argentina versus FC Barcelona, do you think the success or failure of a team rests with a team, the trainer, or a mixture of both? (and along the same lines, do you have a team to win the World Cup?) 

CARTER: It's certainly a mixture of both, although the manager is the man whose job is on the line. The players have to take responsibility, but at the end of the day it is the boss who is a key part in making them perform. Teamwork is key, as you can see with the way Barcelona play, and the impact of someone who doesn't know how to bring it in (like Diego Maradona) can upset that balance. You can have the most talented players in the world, but they still need guidance on the pitch. Spain look comfortable with each other on the pitch and they would be my tip for the World Cup, even if I'll only be covering them from my London base for Soccernet.