Sports Writing

Sports Writing vs News Writing••Both use similar types Both use similar types of leads: feature angle of leads: feature angle or news pegor news peg••Both look for the most Both look for the most interestinterest--compelling compelling facts.facts.••Both writers write the Both writers write the body of the story, add body of the story, add an acceptable lead, and an acceptable lead, and then present the then present the predominant facts in predominant facts in order of their order of their importance.importance.

Sports Writing vs New Writing

•Writing about sports is more colorful, less formal than news writing•Sports writing is faster paced and more lively

Tips for doing it well

•Know the sport well–Rules–Strategy–Team Records–Player Records

•Spend time talking to coaches and players before game days

–What parts of the game is the team working on?

•Attend games:–It’s not enough to get info second hand from coaches, players, spectators

Tips for doing it well

•Sports stories are about people•The relationships off the field lead to results on the field•Work on detecting the strengths and weaknesses of the team or players

Tips for doing it well

•Understand that playing and winning are not the only stories: look for stories of perseverance

Tips for doing it well

•Sports stories should ask WHY •Read professional stories to get an idea of what works

Tips for doing it well•Accuracy is crucial•Observe the game and take notes•Be fair and unbiased even though you have a favorite team or player•Avoid the use of “WE”•Support all opinions with facts or with quotes from sources

Tips for doing it well••The writer has the The writer has the responsibility of responsibility of interpreting difficult interpreting difficult plays and decisions plays and decisions for fans who are too for fans who are too excited to notice excited to notice exactly what happens.exactly what happens.••It is not enough to It is not enough to report only the results report only the results of the game. The of the game. The game off the field, i.e. game off the field, i.e. the strategy and the strategy and atmosphere, is as atmosphere, is as important as the one important as the one on it.on it.

Writing Tips•Use the specialized language of the sport if the average reader would understand it•Don’t be too technical•Avoid clichés like the plague•Just because the coach says, “We have to play as a team,” or “We’re going all the way to states,” doesn’t mean you have to use it.•Tell the story in plain terms, with specific details, and let the facts tell the story•Avoid long lists of statistics or score: highlight the most important and put others in a sidebar•Double check accuracy

Types of Stories: Advance•Gives insight into the upcoming game, providing as many specifics as possible•May focus on a specific aspect of the upcoming game: how will the team replace an injured star?•Built on strong quotes, description and anecdotes•Requires coaches and reporter to think ahead

Types of Stories: Trend•Does not rehash plays from each game•Highlights trends in the course of a team’s play since the last issue•Answers the question: What’s gone on over the last month and WHY?•More analysis and focus on individual players

Types of Stories: Advance Trend

• Adds information on the upcoming game to the trend story, including how last month’s games influence it

Types of Stories: Advance Trend

•Include information on the upcoming event as the first part of the story•Devote more space to the upcoming event•Condense into the available space as many of the highlights of the past events as possible

Sports News Stories

•Sports have also become big business, especially at the college/professional level•Look for stories about college recruiting, sports funding, fan behavior, use of performance enhancing drugs

Game Stories

• Seldom used in monthly student newspapers unless a late deadline on a significant game

• Excellent option for posting on line• Not a rehash of play-by-play action• Focus on interesting and game-

changing moments first• Weave in postgame quotes from

players and coaches

Game Story Reporting

•Look for an angle or focus •How significant is the event? •What are the probable lineups?•What are the records of the teams or individual competitors?

Game Story Reporting•Analyze comparative scoring records•Tradition and rivalry: how do the teams stand in won/lost figures?•Weather conditions: did weather affect the outcome?•What systems of play or strategies are used by teams or individuals?

Game Story Reporting

•Condition of players, both physical and mental•Individual angles, such as star players•Other specifics, such as crowd antics (the Zoo) new uniforms, appearance or condition of the playing field

Sports Features•These are the stories behind or beyond the game•Based on human interest and/or oddity•The Post ran a lengthy feature on the fate of Barbero and how the efforts to save him advanced veterinary medicine

Sports Features•Athlete profiles•Seasonal activities •Girls playing on boys teams•Athletes paying for personal trainers•Students who coach teams with younger kids•Informative features on unusual sports and the students who play them

Things to avoid

•Quotes that sound like they could be about any sport •Quotes that allow coaches to belittle athletes in your paper•Boring leads. Which story would you rather read?•LEAD ONE:•There are high expectations for this year’s competition cheerleading squad after a great season last year, finishing second in districts.

Or LEAD TWO?• It’s a sea of school-spirited blue and white,

broken occasionally by pink: blue shorts, white shoes, blue mats and white-wrapped wrists. Vera Bradley purses lie scattered around the perimeter of the room, between sports bags and plastic bags of ice.

• It’s two weeks before the Valley District cheerleading competition and 26 girls are casually bending their bodies in half before yet another practice. They’ve been preparing since mid-August, working to get the stunts, and the timing, and the synchronization exactly right, and competition keeps creeping closer.