SPORTSWRITING

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SPORTSWRITING
Or

• How to write like Phil Musick
• Who?

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Qualities of sports writing. or How to break
most of the rules youve just learned.

• Be objective, but.root for the home team.
• Be descriptive. Use colorful language.
• Be very aware of everything. Or its really not
  important who wins the game.
• Be opinionated. They really want to know.

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Dos and Donts of Slanguage

• Do use original, colorful words and phrases.
• Do distinguish between legitimate slang and
  jargon (birdie, eagle, strike out) and sports
  clichés. (split the uprights, local gridiron)
• Do use the actual explanatory word or phrase as
  much as possible Homerun, not cleared the bases
  wrestlers, not grapplers.
• Dont use forty different verbs for lost or won.

4
Know your stuff!

• Immerse yourself in the sport
• Go to the games
• Watch TV coverage
• Listen to radio play by play
• Talk sports with friends

5
Sports coverage

• Cover every sport
• Girls sports as well as boys
• Lacrosse as well as football
• Losing teams as well as winning teams.
• In-house sports as well as WPIAL.
• Recreational sports as well as school sports

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So many sports so little space!OrHow to cover
it all.

• Sports shorts---brief articles that capture
  relevant information provide record of events.
• Boxes report scoring records (wins and losses)
• Highlights only

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Understanding Sports

• Learn the rules
• Learn the strategies
• Learn the reasons behind the rules and the
  strategies.
• Get to know coaches and players.
• inside information
• interviews

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Sports features

• Articles that highlight the personal side of
  sports (personality profiles, human interest,
• Examples Bowler who grew up in the allies
• Son of basketball coachpressures, perks
• Girl playing football
• Trainer-types of injuries, most serious etc.
• Oldest alumni football, baseball star
• Coach who played for the school
• What is lacrosse, rugby, ultimate frisbee?
• What

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Sportswriting The good

• Can be more partisan (for the hometeam)
• Can interpret more than news reporters
• Can explain the tension, color, excitement
• Can include writers perspective
• Can use more colorful language

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Sportswriting The Bad

• Must avoid slanguage (jargon, cliches specific to
  sports) P. 285
• Must know and understand the sport
• Must cover all teams
• Must cover all records

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Pregame Stories

• Gather information on opposing teams
• What was last years score?
• What is the condition of the athletes?
• Who are the key athletes/who is on starting
  lineup?
• Comments on style of play
• Importance of event to the school

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Game Story

• Take detailed, accurate notes
• Watch for turning points
• Develop easy to read note taking system
• Analyze the story
• May write in a partisan or biased fashion cannot
  be cheerleader.
• May be less more specific in details of game
  must include important details (score)

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Post Game stories

• Also called sideline story
• Offers chance to untangle confusing eventscall
  by ref what happened to a player any injuries
• Tone and leadmore feature, can start with a
  story or a quote
• Should be colorful and vivid like pre-game and
  game stories

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What about quotations?

• Should be pertinent to the game or contest
• Should not highlight only star players
• Must include quote from coaches

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How to gather information for sports articles

• Scores http//www.msasportsnetwork.com/
• Letters sent to coaches of opposing teams or
  editors of opposing schools newspapers
• Ask how many returning varsity players
• how many starters lost from team
• size, weight, position and year in
  school of players
• strengths and weaknesses

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Photos

• Action, action we want
• Action