1. Sports Writing Journalism I Mr. Bruno

2. Does the media give too much attention to sports coverage? How should a school paper allot sports?

3. Backgrounding Backgrounding: Finding out information about the sport, team, coaches, events, and issues that will be covered in your writing – Read articles – Stay current – Know rules

4. Interviewing Players and Coaches Prepare Ask intelligent questions Follow up on pat answers Get a story

5. You’re assigned to interview the quarterback of the football team. You have to write a story on his background as well as his contribution to the team’s success. Give two questions that might produce meaningful answers

6. Advance Advance: a preview of an upcoming game that compares teams and players, discusses team records, and gives lineups

7. Advance Give more than basic info Capture anticipation Find angle – Key players – significance

8. You’ve been assigned to write an advance about the State championship game for the Varsity Girls’ Field Hockey team. Come up with at least two different angles you can take.

9. At the Game Press Row: a row of seats at an athletic event reserved for the press, usually at courtside. Press Box: a group of seats at an athletic event that usually provide a good view of the field.

10. Writing Your Story Take notes Find important plays Capture emotion Be descriptive Big moment = lede

11. Avoid Clichés Like the Plague Cliché: a trite, overused word or expression

12. Homer Homer: a sportswriter who favors the home team in his or her writing.

13. Dilemmas Sports Writers and Editors Face

14. Dilemma #1 You are the sports editor of the newspaper. After your recent issue, players on the school’s soccer team complain that they do not get too much coverage. You plan on giving them more coverage next issue, but then the baseball team goes on to win a regional championship. There will be room for some coverage of the soccer team, but not much. Which story gets more space?

15. Dilemma #2 While doing a “behind the scenes” report on the school’s football team, you discover that some of the players are taking performance-enhancing drugs. The coach, it seems, is completely unaware of this situation. What would you do?

16. Dilemma #3 You have recently run a story about the best player on the school’s track team. In that story, he is quoted as saying that the team “would be nothing without him.” Obviously, the other members of the team are upset at his arrogant comments. He decides to attack you, saying the quote was taken out of context or was off the record. What is your response as an editor or writer?

17. Dilemma #4 You’re assigned to follow a wrestler around for a couple of weeks at the height of the season. Most of the stuff you cover is standard— practices, matches, weight training. However, you do notice one thing—this wrestler shows signs of an eating disorder. It is a great angle for the story, but risky to run considering it would possibly damage the reputation of the wrestler (though it might not get him thrown off the team). What would you do?

18. Dilemma #5 After a recent issue spotlighting the field hockey team’s state championship, other people in the school have accused you of playing favorites in the sports section. What is your response?

19. Sports Broadcasting How: – Radio – TV Where: – Local – National (network)

20. Sports Broadcasting Who: – Play-by-play announcer – Color commentator