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SPORTS
WRITING
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SPORTS
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 THE EIGHT
ESSENTIAL
PARTS OF A
GAME STORY
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8 ESSENTIAL PARTS OF THE GAME
STORY
1. The final score of the game.
2. Which teams participated
3. Where the game was played
4. What type of sport was played

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 8 ESSENTIAL PARTS OF THE GAME
STORY
5. Identify whether the game is between girls/women or
boys/men.
6. Identify what league or division the teams are from.
7.  A description of the winning ply or the main reason why
a team won.
8. Include both teams’ records and how the outcome
affected the league or division standings.
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1. THE FINAL SCORE OF THE
GAME.
•Should be at the top of the story
•Should be the first score that is given
•General rule: score should be in the first
three paragraphs of the story

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 2. WHICH TEAMS
PARTICIPATED.
•Identify the teams by their full name the first time you
mention them:
LA LAKERS
TEXAS RANGERS
Ramon Magsaysay Elementary School Basketball
Team
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 3. WHERE THE GAME WAS
PLAYED

•Name of the field or stadium

and the city played in.

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4. WHAT TYPE OF SPORT WAS
PLAYED
• Name the type of sports played
because universities and schools
complete in a variety of sports.

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 5. Identify whether the game is between
girls/women or boys/men

•You don’t need to say that professional baseball is played

by men but you do need to identify whether a high school
or college basketball game is a girls’/women’s basketball
game or a boys’/men’s basketball game.

•High school athletes are referred to as boys and girls.

They become men and women once in college.
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 6. Identify what league or division the
teams are from
•This is to determine the level of play.
•To just say that the game was a baseball game is
not enough. It could be a little league game, a
high school game, a minor league game or a
friendship game.
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 7. A description of the winning play or the
main reason why a team won
•Soccer, baseball (lower scoring games): describe the
winning goal or run and feature it prominently.
•If the game is won handily, then you need to describe
why one team was significantly superior.
•Football, basketball, sepak takraw: if the game is won in
the final moments of play by a particular score, then that
would be considered the winning points.
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 8. Include both teams’ records and
how the outcome affected the league
or division standings.

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LEAD OFF WITH A
STRONG LEAD

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LEAD OFF WITH A STRONG
LEAD
The lead – opening statement of the
story, usually consisting of between
one sentence and three paragraphs.

Its purpose is to establish quickly and

clearly what the story will be about.
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 THE BASICS
•What are the 5ws and 1H?
WHO
•In Sports Writing, you
WHAT
don’t have to put all the
WHEN
5ws and 1H in the lead
WHERE
WHY
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FIVE WS IN A SPORTS
LEAD:
The Integrated Laboratory School
(ILS) boys basketball team defeated
rival Iloilo National High School
(INHS), 77-68, Tuesday night at the
Iloilo sports complex behind 28
points from junior guard Boy Tanda.
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ALTERNATIVE TO FIVE WS IN A
SPORTS LEAD:
Integrated laboratory school (ILS) junior
guard boy tanda wrote a new chapter of excellence
to an old rivalry and brought some excitement to
the iloilo sports complex in the process.
Tanda scored 28 points on a variety of jump
shots and driving layups as ils beat neighbouring
iloilo national high school (inhs), 77-68 tuesday
night.

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KISS THEORY APPLIES FOR WRITING
THE SPORTS LEAD –

KEEP
IT
SHORT AND
SIMPLE 25
 WHAT DO YOU
INCLUDE IN THE
STORY AND IN WHAT
ORDER?

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USE THE INVERTED PYRAMID
METHOD

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 USE THE INVERTED PYRAMID
METHOD

•Decide the most important play in the game

and put it first. It may be so important that it
needs to be the lead of the story.
•Ex. A game-winning basketball shot from half
court as the buzzer sounds.

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 USE THE INVERTED PYRAMID
METHOD
 

Or the play (such as the game-winning

basketball shot) might be the best example of
your stated reason why a certain team won and
therefore would go shortly after the lead. From
this point, take the reader through the other
significant details of the game, moving from very
important to less important.
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 PARTS OF THE SPORTS
STORY
Any sports story can be described as
having three primary parts:
• THE LEAD,
• THE BODY,
• AND CONCLUSION

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 AFTER THE LEAD....

A STRONG BODY
OF
INFORMATION
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• BODY – Primary part of the story that will
house most of the information you gathered
through the reporting process.
• How big your body’s story will grow
depends primarily on the space and time
allowed for the story.
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AFTER THE STRONG BODY OF
INFO....

THE
CONCLUSION
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 THE CONCLUSION
•THE END OF THE STORY, USUALLY A
PARAGRAPH OR TWO, SOMETIMES AS
LITTLE AS A SINGLE SENTENCE.
•IN GAME STORIES, THE CONCLUSION IS
NOT AS VITAL BECAUSE OF THE
INVERTED PYRAMID STORY
CONSTRUCTION.
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 IT’S TIME TO
WRITE YOUR
SPORTS STORY
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 FACTS:
• Friendly Basketball Game, 63-59
• San Jose Elementary School (SJES)- WINNER
• San Karlos Elementary School (SKES)- LOSER
• Lemery Covered Gym, JULY 27, 2015
• Joshua Noble, POINT GUARD, SJES- 36
• Larry Alba, SJES- 15
• Alex Carlos, CENTER, SKES- 16
• “Teamwork is the answer to a good game. I’m so glad that my teammates are very
cooperative.” –JOSHUA NOBLE
• “They have been practicing every afternoon after their class. They also practice on
weekend just to win this game.” -MR. JUAN SEVERO, COACH SJES
• SJES players: EZEKIEL MAGANTE- 10, KARL FABRONERO- 12, JUDE
ZERRUDO- 9
• SKES PLAYERS: VINCE PARREÑO- 10, DEN TABORNO- 9, BUEN ORTEGUIA-
12, CHUCK TENEBRO- 8
• “They had a good defense. We should have taken the game more seriously. They36
really are good.” –ALEX CARLOS