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SPORTS WRITING: TYPES, EXAMPLES, AND TIPS FOR BETTER REPORTING
by Yen Cabag | 32 comments
A sports enthusiast’s love for the game can include everything from the
preparation and anticipation, to watching the actual game, enjoying replays and
highlights, and discussing everything about the game afterward—including the
teams, the coaches, and their favorite (and not-so-favorite) players.
Sports writing plays a huge role in stirring up expectations and giving fans the
information they crave about the people behind their favorite sport.
WHAT IS SPORTS WRITING IN JOURNALISM?
Sports writing is a form of creative nonfiction or journalism that covers
sports, athletes, or other sports-related issues. A journalist who reports on
sports is called a sportswriter.
Glenn Stout, editor of The Best American Sports Writing 2015, describes a good
sports story as one that “provides an experience that… takes you from one place
you’ve never been before and by the end leaves you in another place, changed.”
In the introduction to the 2012 edition of The Best American Sports Writing,
Michael Wilbon says that the best sports stories are those that come from
conversations, and not from formal interviews. These people may be reluctant or
poor conversationalists, but they often turn out the best stories.
WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF SPORTS WRITING?
Sports writing typically covers basic information, such as:
* highlights of the game
* the names of the teams involved
* the type of sport
* score or final outcome
* when and where the game was played
But in order to write a good sports article, remember to focus on what an
athlete does. Because sports revolve around the drama of competition,
spotlighting a single person gives your story a human side that your readers can
relate to.
5 TYPES OF SPORTS STORIES
The following are the five most common types of sports stories:
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author.
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1. STRAIGHT-LEAD GAME STORY
The most basic form of all sportswriting, the straight-lead (also spelled
straight-lede) game story is an article using a straight-news format. The
article summarizes the main points of a game: which team won or lost, the final
score, and what a star player did.
A straight-lead might look something like this:
> Second-string quarterback Robert Jameson threw the game-winning touchdown with
> just 10 seconds left to lead the Mountain View High School Bears to a 21-14
> victory over the Canyon del Oro High School Captains Saturday night.
After that, the story follows by giving an account of big plays, players who
contributed tremendously to the final outcome, and after-game insights, quoting
both players and coaches.
Many high school and college sports use the straight-lead game story, but sports
writers for professional sports events have veered away from this format.
The reason is that TV already shows the entire game and fans usually know the
scores and highlights before the article makes it to publication.
2. FEATURE GAME STORY
The feature game story is a favorite tool for professional sports writers
because it gives fans and readers a different angle from the highlights they
have seen on TV.
Here’s an example of an actual sports feature lead involving the Queensland Reds
and their rugby coach, Tevita Koloi:
> It’s the start of yet another season. The quiet of the night contrasts with
> the vibrant group gathered in the upper room of their local church, fervently
> praying. As the clock ticks closer towards midnight, the spiritual coach of
> the state’s professional rugby team receives an impression from God – “the
> last placed team he is mentoring will win the entire league this very year.”
>
> It is a bold revelation, and he grapples with what to do with this.
After opening with this unique angle, the writer proceeds to describe the
prominent rugby coach’s background, as well as what was going on at the time he
had this unusual experience.
And, as is common trait of feature game stories, he only gets to the scores near
the end of the article—which is fine because readers are not looking to read
about the score, which they already know.
Instead, the story gives them a different perspective of the game and the people
involved.
3. PROFILES
Whereas a feature game story spotlights a game, a profile features an individual
character. This person might be a rookie athlete rising in the ranks, or perhaps
an influential coach.
To show you the difference between a feature game story and a profile, here is
an example of a real-life personality profile opening of the same rugby coach
Tevita Koloi:
> He stood on the bridge, pondering how everything in his life had gone wrong.
> After several years of depression, disappointment, abuse and separation, he
> had reached the end of his rope and was ready to end it all. He closed his
> eyes, readying himself to take this irreversible step. At that very moment, he
> heard a seemingly innocuous noise from below, “Beep-beep! Beep-beep!” He
> opened his eyes and reached into his pocket for his phone, intending to read
> this message before he went forward with his tragic plan. The words he read,
> sent from an acquaintance he was not even particularly close to, shocked him
> out of his stupor: “Jesus loves you. He will never leave you. Receive His
> love.”
The story then proceeds to describe his battle with depression and suicide, and
how he used the same thing that saved him, text messaging, to help others in the
sports world.
4. SEASON PREVIEW AND WRAP-UP STORIES
Every sportswriter needs season previews and wrap-up stories in their
collection. These stories are published while the coaches and their teams are
preparing for the upcoming season, or after the season has ended—whether in
victory or in defeat.
These stories take a bird’s eye view of the season: they normally share the
expectations that coaches and players have, or how they feel at the end of a
season.
A fictional example of a lead for this kind of story is:
> Coach Sandy Miller has high hopes for the Bannerview High School women’s
> volleyball team this year. With the Royals being the county champions last
> year, led by dynamic team captain Serena Delgado, who continues to lead the
> team this year as a senior. “We believe she’ll bring the team to greater
> heights this year,” Coach Miller says.
5. COLUMNS
A sportswriting column is the place where a sportswriter shares their opinion.
Sometimes these columns may include venting when a team, player, or coach
doesn’t meet expectations. Other times, they may write about what they admire in
a team, player or coach.
A favorite subject is a coach who is able to direct a weak team to an unexpected
championship, or perhaps an underdog player who demonstrates unusual
determination and teamwork.
Here is an excerpt of a column from The Sports Column:
> For me, head-to-head competition is the most significant indicator for
> seeding, but not to EIWA coaches.
>
> When coaches use rules/regulations to protect their interests, then athletes
> suffer. To make a three-time All-American–a proven wrestler–a 4-seed behind an
> opponent he has defeated…well…that’s bad for everybody. And to make things
> worse, the only other seeded wrestler who has qualified for the Nationals
> (Jared Prince of Navy), is seeded #5, opposite Kolodzik. None of the other six
> seeds have had such success this year.
SPORTS WRITING EXAMPLES
The best sports writers are able to convey the sense of awe readers feel when
watching a game.
However, sports writing is not limited to simply describing a game: it may also
profile an athlete or unveil important news surrounding a key character in a
sport, such as reports of abuse.
EXAMPLE #1. FROM “ROGER FEDERER AS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE” (2006) BY DAVID FOSTER
WALLACE:
> A top athlete’s beauty is next to impossible to describe directly. Or to
> evoke. Federer’s forehand is a great liquid whip, his backhand a one-hander
> that he can drive flat, load with topspin, or slice — the slice with such snap
> that the ball turns shapes in the air and skids on the grass to maybe ankle
> height. His serve has world-class pace and a degree of placement and variety
> no one else comes close to; the service motion is lithe and uneccentric,
> distinctive (on TV) only in a certain eel-like all-body snap at the moment of
> impact. His anticipation and court sense are otherworldly, and his footwork is
> the best in the game.
EXAMPLE #2. FROM “MOST DOMINANT ATHLETE OF 2018: SIMONE BILES” BY DANYEL SMITH:
The only thing greater than the legendary, genius, paradigm-shifting athletic
status of Simone Biles is the degree to which so many don’t know or can’t
understand what it is that she actually does. Even if you’ve seen Biles doing a
split leap on a box of Special K, you likely don’t know the depth of her
determination to dominate. Some of it is that Biles competes in an odd, ancient
Greek sport based in “disciplined exercise” that conquering Romans militarized
and people now barely pay attention to outside of Summer Olympic years. More of
it is that it’s the American female gymnasts who excel.
EXAMPLE #3. FROM “EVERYONE BELIEVED LARRY NASSAR” BY KERRY HOWLEY
It has by the fall of 2018 become commonplace to describe the 499 known victims
of Larry Nassar as “breaking their silence,” though in fact they were never, as
a group, particularly silent. Over the course of at least 20 years of consistent
abuse, women and girls reported to every proximate authority. They told their
parents. They told gymnastics coaches, running coaches, softball coaches. They
told Michigan State University police and Meridian Township police. They told
physicians and psychologists. They told university administrators. They told,
repeatedly, USA Gymnastics. They told one another. Athletes were interviewed,
reports were written up, charges recommended. The story of Larry Nassar is not a
story of silence. The story of Larry Nassar is that of an edifice of trust so
resilient, so impermeable to common sense, that it endured for decades against
the allegations of so many women.
HOW DO YOU WRITE A GOOD SPORTS LEAD?
A lead is the introductory section of a news story, intended to hook the reader
into reading the full story.
To write a good sports lead, first pick which of the 5 types of sports stories
you would like to write. The type of story you choose will determine the lead
you write.
If you opt for a straight-news story, pick a highlight from the game you are
writing about and focus on that in your first paragraph.
If you choose a feature or profile, pick something that stands out about the
team or person. Think of a scene that best describes the characteristic you want
to highlight. Do you describe a practice session? A game huddle? Or an
after-game interview?
For a season preview or wrap-up story, pick a sport you love and describe a
broad perspective of an upcoming season or the season that just wrapped up,
beginning with the best teams.
For or an opinion column, find one angle that you would like to express your
opinion on and that you feel passionate about.
WRITING ABOUT SPORTS
Writing about sports is not only exciting, but it also gives us a chance to get
to know the people in our favorite sport and share those findings with our
readers.
Excellently written sports stories make these characters come alive, letting
fans connect to their favorite teams in a more meaningful way.
Which sport would you like to write about? Share your thoughts in the comments
below!
IF YOU ENJOYED THIS POST, THEN YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
* What Is Creative Nonfiction? Definitions, Examples, and Guidelines
* 18 Nonfiction Writing Courses to Help You Plan and Write Your Next Book
* Find Your Hook: How to Engage Your Readers When Your Topic Is Boring
* How to Make Money Writing Nonfiction: 20 Job Opportunities for Freelance
Writers
Yen Cabag
Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom,
family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational
philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces
in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and
nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers
of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
32 COMMENTS
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6. Sanjana Yadav on June 10, 2022 at 12:55 pm
Thank you so much Kaelyn. It is really helpful and informative. I got a
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Reply
* Kaelyn Barron on June 12, 2022 at 7:13 pm
I’m so glad to hear that it was helpful for your presentation, Sanjana!
:)
Reply
7. crizelbajo on May 4, 2022 at 2:22 am
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Reply
* Kaelyn Barron on May 5, 2022 at 11:13 pm
walang anuman po :)
Reply
8. Nora R. Valencia on January 27, 2022 at 11:28 am
thank you so much! this is very helpful for us beginners.
Reply
* Kaelyn Barron on February 5, 2022 at 9:55 pm
You’re very welcome, Nora! Glad you found it helpful :)
Reply
* Madaki peter jeffrey on June 13, 2022 at 11:38 am
Thanks a million, I would love to write about soccer and its greatest
players
Reply
* Kaelyn Barron on June 22, 2022 at 10:51 pm
That’s a great subject, Madaki! I hope you find these tips helpful for
your sports writing :)
Reply
* Opas Opas on October 17, 2022 at 5:35 am
Please can you assist me on writing a sport article about volleyball
Reply
9. Antonia Monk Richburg on October 7, 2021 at 2:35 pm
This was really well -done. Are there similar offerings that are done in
journals? I am looking for sports writing informative articles for a paper
for school.
Reply
* Kaelyn Barron on October 9, 2021 at 6:43 pm
Hi Antonia, thanks for your comment! Not sure what you mean by offerings
done in journals?
Reply
* Malik Dixon on December 3, 2021 at 4:00 am
hii
Reply
* Kaelyn Barron on December 4, 2021 at 12:30 am
hi!
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* Kaelyn Barron on September 3, 2021 at 12:25 pm
Hi Aliraza, we’re not currently selling our site or posts
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11. Collins Ojiwa on August 18, 2021 at 2:10 pm
This is indeed a masterpiece. A must-read article for any sports
enthusiast.
Am grateful for this great job.
Reply
* Kaelyn Barron on August 18, 2021 at 8:15 pm
thank you, glad you enjoyed the article!
Reply
12. emie on August 15, 2021 at 8:56 pm
thank you
Reply
* Kaelyn Barron on August 18, 2021 at 8:15 pm
You’re welcome, hope you enjoyed the article!
Reply
* Kris on March 27, 2022 at 10:47 am
Nice post, I appreciate this but wish you could give more details about
Feature Game Story. I really want to learn more about it so i can apply
it in my website — Footballrover.com
My interest is on football only, so I want to learn how to write feature
story on football more often on my site. Could you kindly help pls?
Thanks a lot
Reply
13. Stacie on June 14, 2021 at 4:43 am
Very helpful article. I have a sports blog and look for tips on making it
successful.
Reply
* Kaelyn Barron on June 14, 2021 at 7:30 pm
I’m so glad you found the article helpful, Stacie! :)
Reply
* Rhodalyn Valerozo on June 27, 2021 at 12:08 am
Thjs article is helpful.. Can you give me a possible sports topic to
write on for school journalism? Appreciate it.
Reply
* Kaelyn Barron on July 2, 2021 at 4:56 pm
I’m so glad you found it helpful! :) It depends on what areas you
want to cover, but if you want to take an opinion/current events
article, there’s a lot going on as far as the rights of athletes to
protest, the first openly gay football player… also the tokyo
olympics are coming up.
Reply
* Danayson Cloete on August 22, 2021 at 1:35 pm
Perfect context!
I am definitely using this as inspiration and guide for my sports
article.
14. Franklin Romero on March 8, 2021 at 8:47 am
Great synopsis of sports writing!
I very much appreciated the break down
Reply
* Kaelyn Barron on March 10, 2021 at 10:42 pm
Thanks Franklin, we’re so glad you enjoyed the post! :)
Reply
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