Sports writing

SPORTS WRITING FOR THE CAMPUS JOURNALIST

What is Sports Writing?

• Telling a sports story through the use of a journalistic writing method

• One of the most popular forms of modern journalistic writing

• While many can talk about sports, there are only few who can write a sports story

• It takes more than just answering the 5 W’s and 1 H to be able to come up with a comprehensive sports news story

Tarlac City— Tarlac National High School, behind the remarkable performances of Frank Bonus and Empoy Emperador, engaged in a shoot-out of sorts with Mindoro National High School before squeaking out with a close 60-58 win in the National Highschools Basketball Cup Finals at the Tarlac State University gym here, Tuesday.

Bonus scored 21 points to lead TNHS and Emperador 13 points – including the decisive baskets in the closing seconds of the 4th quarter.

The game started in a roller-coaster encounter that saw the first half end 28-27 with Tarlac hanging on a slim lead.

The 2nd half was still close as Mindoro HS took the lead with two minutes to go, but Bonus displayed composure as he connected with a three-pointer as time expired to give TNHS the lead, 54-53.

The big plays seemed to come in the last quarter of action as Mindoro shooting guard Paul Corpuz ties the game at 58-all with 15 seconds to go. TNHS coach Michael Harrow then calls for a time-out to draw out the probable game-winner.

In the ensuing inbound, Emperador fished-out a foul with 10 seconds left and split his charities for the lead, 100-98.

Mindoro’s top scorer Cesar Diaz refused to give up on the final possession but his desperation jump-shot clanked out helplessly away from the rim. He finished with 22 points on top of 6 assists.

“Faith carried us through this game, our players all showed heart and they never gave up,” said coach Harrow after the game.

Box scores:TNHS (60)—Bonus 21, Emperador, 13, Magusib, 12, Mercado 6, Aguinaldo 4, Martinez 2, Cabanlong 2, Ong 0, Lim 0,

Gumaru 0.

Mindoro (58)— Diaz 22, Corpuz 18, Malaca 12, Soriano 7, Allavigan 0, Gonzaga 0, Advincula 0, Limbauan 0

Sports Writing Structure

A sports story has a lead and a body.

LEAD - the attention-getter BODY - the news in a nut-shell.

Lead Components in Sports Writing1. Who won? 2. How did they win? 3. Against whom? 4. By what score? 5. Where? 6. When?

e.g.The Torres High School Quintet (1) poured 10 baskets in the last three minutes (2) to edge out the Osmenians (3) 65-63 (4) at the opponents’ homeground (5) on Wednesday (6).

Other Elements for the Sports Lead

1. THE KEY PLAYe.g.

San Manuel, Tarlac—The defending champion PWU sluggers bombed the USST batters with six runs in the third inning to subdue a nerve-racking USST rally, 14-12, as they clinched the invitational game here, in connection with the celebration of the school’s 14th Foundation Day.


2. THE OUTSTANDING PLAYERe.g.

Marietta Ancheta of Ateneo de Maliwalo, after almost four hours of battle over the chessboard, copped the most coveted YMCA trophy after outwitting Philippine Science High School chesser William Santos in 27 moves of a Sicilian defense.


3. ANALYTICAL APPROACHe.g.

Riding high on sizzling spikes and tricky placing, the spitfire Ednor Colleges blasted the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the crucial third set to win 15-10, 11-15, 15-7 in the All-Prestigious Athletics Meet (APAM) at the Sacred Heart School in Cebu, Monday evening.

The Body

After the lead, the other elements follow in descending order:

1. Team and/or individual standing2. Decisive plays3. Best scores for the day4. Play-by-play5. Quotations

Elements that make up a good Sports Article:

1. Personalities2. Play-by-play description3. Statistics and comparisons4. Quotes by players5. Quotes by trainers and coaches6. Background stuff on players7. The importance or significance of the event8. Background of the game9. Weather conditions10. Crowd and celebration

Tips in Writing Sports

Have a good working knowledge of the sports you want to write about. Know the rules of the game and be able to follow the action. Read, read, read.


Attend a live sporting event and experience the excitement of the game. It can be so much easier to write an article about a player or a game that you witness firsthand.


Make notes of the points you want to cover in your article before you begin to write. Creating an outline can help organize your thoughts and provide a structure for your writing.


Check your facts on the players and teams that you profile in your articles.

Double check the spelling of any unusual or difficult last names. Be sure that the statistics about the teams' playing records are accurate.


Remain courteous and unbiased when writing about sports. It is acceptable to say that a particular athlete did not have a good game because of errors she made. Saying that she is a terrible player and the other team or opponent is the best is poor sportsmanship.


Proofread your sports article when you are finished writing.

Rework any awkward passages and make corrections to typing errors.

Effective Sports Writing

• Have a strong lead.


• Have a strong lead. • Write clearly and concisely.


• Have a strong lead. • Write clearly and concisely. • Know the context.


• Have a strong lead. • Write clearly and concisely. • Know the context. • Give the major play-by-play.


• Have a strong lead. • Write clearly and concisely. • Know the context. • Give the major play-by-play. • Use quotes as often as possible.


• Have a strong lead. • Write clearly and concisely. • Know the context. • Give the major play-by-play. • Use quotes as often as possible. • Check your facts.

END

Education

Sports writing