On the Road to the World Cup
On the Road to the World Cup is an immersive Special Topics course that centers on experiential learning and global sports reporting in anticipation of the FIFA World Cup. Designed to prepare students to cover one of the most watched sporting events in the world, the course blends classroom instruction with real-world application, industry insight, and hands-on multimedia storytelling.
Led by Dr. Luis Gonzalez, Assistant Professor and experienced journalist and multimedia educator, this course integrates professional newsroom practices into the classroom. With expertise in the digital media environment, Dr. Gonzalez brings a high understanding of how global events are planned, reported, distributed, and consumed across platforms. Under his guidance, students move beyond theoretical discussion and into applied reporting strategy, building coverage plans, analyzing global sports narratives, and producing cross-platform content designed for international audiences.
Through simulated coverage planning, multimedia production, and collaboration with industry professionals, students engage in the kind of applied, experiential learning that defines the Caplin Way. The course emphasizes preparation, adaptability, and professional standards while connecting classroom instruction to the realities of covering high-profile global events. By the end of the semester, students leave not only with a deeper understanding of international sports journalism, but with practical experience that prepares them for careers in an increasingly interconnected media landscape.
Lesley Visser
Hall of Fame sportscaster Lesley Visser is one of the most accomplished and trailblazing figures in sports media history. Over the course of her career, she has worked on network broadcasts of the Super Bowl, the World Cup, the Olympic Games, the World Series, the NBA Finals, the Final Four, the Triple Crown, the U.S. Open, and the World Figure Skating Championships, a distinction unmatched in sports broadcasting.
Visser broke barriers throughout her career, becoming the first woman inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the first woman to receive the Lifetime Achievement Sports Emmy Award. Across five decades in the industry, she has reported from the sidelines of history-making moments and helped shape how global audiences experience sport.
Her work has spanned major networks including CBS, ABC, ESPN, and HBO, where she covered championship games, international tournaments, and defining cultural moments in athletics. Beyond her on-air accomplishments, she is widely respected for her resilience, credibility, and commitment to journalistic integrity in high-pressure environments.
At the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media, Visser brings that depth of experience directly into the classroom. Students gain rare access to the preparation, perspective, and storytelling discipline required to cover sport on a global stage, insight that can only come from someone who has lived it.