Sports Writing Musts
Name 3 things sports writers must know:
1. Rules & basics of playing & scoring
2. Who the key players are
3. How the team did last year
4. What stats are kept for this sport
5. The schedule of the team they cover
6. Good time to talk to players and coaches
7. The coaches of the team you cover
8. Other resources you can access (stats, videos, online info)
What should you do during the game?
- Watch carefully
- Tweet in real time
- Observe the opponent- Be a outside observer
What is worth writing about?
- An extraordinary event (injury, upset)
- Individual players or groups of players
What should you identify when you name a player?
Their position
Don't express your ______________ when covering a team.
Opinion
What isn't everything in school sports?
Winning
Why are game stories helpful?
- Strengthen the writing skills of journalists
- Beginners can learn and get great practice
- Game stories keep websites up to date
What should you look for across several games?
Trends
The player's jersey number
What should you not use numbers for?
Name 2 types of sports news stories:
1. Advance or preview
2. Game coverage
3. Briefs
4. News features
What are two things you can do to prepare for a game?
- Let the coach know that you're covering the game and ask what to look for
- Get the roster from the team you are covering and their opponent
- Know who the stat person is and set up a time to get stats after the gameThe statistician is what to you?
Your new best friend!
As a journalist you should always be what?
(Even if it's your favorite team!)
Objective
Game stories need to be published pretty quickly. What is your timeline to publish after a game?
12-48 hours
Are you a fan or an observer during the game?
An observer
You should always know where the team ranks in what areas?
District, region, and state
Scores and records
What things make a story commentary instead of news?
Your opinion on the team, players, sport, or game
Why can game stories be helpful?
- Strengthen the writing skills of journalists
- Beginners can learn and get great practice
- Game stories keep websites up to date
What should you get after the game?
Stats and quotes
Regional or state
Always put the __________ score first.
Winning
You ____________ write a good sports story from someone else's ____________.
Cannot, memory