Sports writing is an activity that trains aspiring sports enthusiast..

1. Writing Sports News, Sports Features and
Sports Editorial

2.  What is Sports Journalism?
 The world of Sportswriting
 Traits of a sportswriter must have
 Types of sports stories
 Sports News
 Sports Features - What makes it different;
Writing a Profile/Sports Feature
 Sports Editorial – Make it short and sweet
(and sour)
 Writing Exercises

3.  One of the fastest growing sectors in media
 The most entertaining form of journalism
 D.U.E.S.
 D – rama
 U – npredictability
 E – excitement
 S – ensation
 “Sports could have been invented for an
industry selling a dose of sensation.” – Phil
Andrews

4.  Considered as a specialized form of writing
 Sports + Writing
 A very demanding job
 Work on a tight deadline
 Spend lots of time in research and
preparation
 Must gain trust of readers
 Write accurately and entertainingly with great
speed and under difficult situation

5. I. COMPASSION – dealing with different
egos/personalities
II. BE FAIR – maintaining impartiality with what
you write; no place for emotions
III. CREATIVE – thinking out of the box;
avoiding information overload
IV. FLEXIBILITY – always on call/work on odd
hours/environment not ideal
V. ADAPTABILITY – open to changes; multi-
tasking

6.  *SPORTS NEWS
 GAME STORY
 *FEATURES/PROFILES
 *COLUMNS/EDITORIAL

7.  Follow the same formula as news - 5 Ws and
1 H
 The inverted pyramid
 Value of beat reporting
 Skills needed…
a. resourcefulness
b. establish network
c. nose for the news
d. build relationship
e. observe professionalism

8.  Dynamics are different
 Competitive level
 Scope and Limitations
 Expectations/Demands
 Audience
 Purpose

9.  “Take a scene, a game, an interview and make
them story sing and the words dance off the
page.”
 Use of five senses
 Importance of knowing the moment/highlight
of the game
 Job of the sportswriter is to DESCRIBE the
game with elegance, passion and wit.

10.  Watch the game in person
 Don’t rely on stats and play-by-play
 Listen to sounds/reaction of the crowd
 Smell the atmosphere
 Be unique – angle of the story

11.  Tells episodes or moments of an athlete or
sports personality
 Style is free flowing
 Wider time frame (research)
 In-depth approach (developing sources and
space)
 Sense of unity or theme
 People-oriented
 Third-person tone (vs. “I” approach)

12.  Rhetorical question –Who says that Kobe
Bryant is past of his prime?
 Powerful statement – Hindi pa laos si Manny
Pacquiao!
 Narrative statement – Michael Martinez hones
his skills at SM Southmall ice rink before he
became an Olympian.
 Quotes – “We will rise again.” – PacMan
 Old Maxim/Aphorism – All for one, one for all
Fall seven times, stand up eight.

13.  Summary of the story
 Emphasis of the main point
 Leave a question to the readers
 Forecast or prophecy
 Repeat the intro
 Make reference of the title
 An appropriate quotation

14.  Condensed version of the career of a sports
personality
 Highlight the experience/moments
 Purpose: convince the readers make them
interested them in your topic
 Most of the time, about famous people
 Research is a must
 For starter, write it in chronological order

15.  Select a person that has public interest
 Research the basic info
 Think of what else you want the readers know
about your subject
 Consider the following questions:
a. What makes him/her interesting
b. His/Her effect to the public
c. Know the qualities that would describe
your subject
d. Events that shaped his/her career and how
did he/she overcome them

16.  Do additional research
 Select an angle
 Make an outline
 Write your profile
WHAT IS AN ANGLE? – the operative guide of
the narrative of the sports feature

17.  The section’s stand on a particular issue
 Must have ‘voice’ or stand
 Motive/purpose must be clear
 Analytical, angry, comical, controversial,
descriptive, philosophical
 Will provoke readers
 Emotions must be shared
 Anti-thesis: BORING/NO STAND AT ALL

18.  Know the issue first
 Read as many sides as possible
 Know the pulse of the community
 Select a stand
 Back up your stand with credible facts
 Make it short and simple
 Choose words that will touch the emotions of
the readers

19. A. INTRO – Usually one paragraph discussing
about the main issue
B. BODY – 2-4 paragraphs that support or
justify your point. Cite reasons, statistics,
interviews, figures, etc
C. ENDING – clincher of the editorial. It
summarizes the piece and must leave a
mark to the readers