SPORTSWRITING

Or

How to write like Phil Musick

Who?
 How to break most of the rules
you’ve just learned.

► Be objective, but….root for the home team.

► Be descriptive. Use colorful language.
► Be very aware of everything. Or it’s really
not important who wins the game.
► Be opinionated. They really want to know.
 Do’s and Don’ts 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.
► Don’t use forty different verbs for lost or won.
 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
 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
 So many sports; so little space!
Or
How 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
 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
 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 coach—pressures, 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
 Sportswriting: The good

 Can be more partisan (for the hometeam)

 Can interpret more than news reporters
 Can explain the tension, color, excitement
 Can include writer’s perspective
 Can use more colorful language
 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
 Pregame Stories

► Gather information on opposing teams

► What was last year’s 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
 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)
 Post Game stories
► Also called sideline story
► Offers chance to untangle confusing
events—call by ref; what happened to a
player; any injuries
► Tone and lead—more feature, can start with
a story or a quote
► Should be colorful and vivid like pre-game
and game stories
 What about quotations?
► Should be pertinent to the game or contest
► Should not highlight only star players

►Must include quote from coaches

 How to gather information for
sports articles
► Scores:
http://www.msasportsnetwork.com/
► Letters sent to coaches of opposing teams
or editors of opposing school’s 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
 Photos

►Action, action we want

Action