Sports StorySports article, writing, reporting, journalism

• Observably all the elements found in news writing – timeliness or immediacy, prominence, proximity or nearness, oddity, conflict, consequence, human interest, drama, romance or sex, numbers and others – are also present in sports writing. All the rules present in news writing – especially those on accuracy, brevity and clarity -- virtually apply to sports writing, too.

• The latter, however, has a greater freedom of

STYLE.

What’s added in a Sports Story?

• CONFLICT as sports connotes competition, contest, dispute, struggle or battle for supremacy by individuals or groups of individuals. Definitely, conflict is present in sports competitions.

• ACTION is present in sports and it is the duty of the sports writer to bring or picture this action to the readers who were unable to directly watch the actual contest. The sports writer who can expertly describe the sports action through words, phrases or sentences is one successful writer, indeed!

Sports Story• a form of writing that reports on

sporting topics and games. • A form of journalism (or creative

nonfiction) in which a sporting event, individual athlete, or sports-related issue serves as the dominant subject.

• Considered as the most popular form of journalistic writing.

What kinds of sports?• tournaments and games such as

athletics, football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, handball, softball, tennis table tennis, boxing, swimming, gymnastics, archery, fencing, golf, squash, shooting, rowing, rugby football, American football, hockey, billiards and snooker, wrestling, bowling, canoeing, cycling, equestrian events, taekwando, judo, sepak takraw, weightlifting, yachting, and hluay Thai. … and a lot more.

Qualities of a good Sports Writer• Must know sports: rules, strategies, team, and

player’s record.• Must attend games or meets as a reporter, not

as a spectator or cheerer.• Must know coaches and players as intimately as

possible• Must observe accuracy.

•Must be able to take notes clearly without losing the sequence of the play.•Must be fair and unbiased in reporting.•Must not make comments without

supporting them with facts on which they are based. (although sports writer have more freedom than news writers)

• Must use specialized language of the particular sports that he is reporting.• Must avoid sports slang and trite

expressions which hack writers use today. He should tell the story in plane, factual terms that describe the action.• Must bear in mind that he writes for his

readers and not for himself.

Structures of a Sports Story• Advance Story- also called as Dope or

Prognostication. (Just to build-up enthusiasm for coming events.)

• Coverage Story- the on-the-spot coverage of an actual game or event.

• Advance-Coverage Story- includes the information of a coming event as the first part of the story and information of the previous event as last part of the story.

Writing a Sports Story(parts)

HeadlineLeadBodyThe Wrap Up

HEADLINEThe title or heading of an article.

ONE DECK

Pacquiao wins!

P’sinan is champ!

Espino is victor!

Patriots, Beermen clash tonite

TWO DECKS

Mindanao beach volley champs

GM Barbosa off to Vietnam

La Salle gals eye second

crown in UAAP volleyball

Donaire in 12th

Elorde awards

THREE DECKS

Broken nosesteals milestoneglory from Kobe

Powerade vows towin crown

UndermannedAzkals battleIcheon FC

FOUR DECKS

M’weather:Maganto,Pacquiao‘cheaters’

POC to raiseown fundsfor Olympicparticipation

Transforming the HEADLINE

Dagupan City hosts national seniors basketball tournament

Dagupan hosts nationalseniors basketball tourney

Dagupan hosts nat’lseniors cage tourney

Dagupan hosts

nat’l cagefest

The Lead

Who Won?against Whom?by What score?

Where?When?

5W’S

Who Won? against Whom? by What score? Where? When?

The EMS Quentet poured 10 baskets in the last three minutes to edge out the Osmenians 65-63 at the opponents’ homegrounds yesterday afternoon.

Second-string quarterback Jay Lindman threw the game-winning touchdown with just 12 seconds left to lead the Jefferson High School Gladiators to a 21-14 victory over the McKinley High School Centurions Friday night.

May also include:

• They key player• The outstanding player• Analytical Approach

The BodyThe body of your story should basically elaborate on the lead. If your lead was about the benchwarmer becoming the game’s star, then the body should go into more detail about that. Often a simple chronological account works best.

Torville’s ankle was sprained when he was sacked in the first quarter. Lindman came into the game with low expectations but threw his first touchdown pass in the second quarter with a high, floating ball that receiver Mike Ganson snagged in the end zone.

In the third quarter, Lindman was forced to scramble out of the pocket to avoid the rush but managed to fire a bullet to receiver Desean Washington, who made a diving catch at the goal line.

The USE of SLANG LANGUAGEDiscard … a severe blow administered to the face and another, with the left hand, to the region of the stomach.Preferred … a hard upper cut to the jaw and left jab to the belt.

Discard … The left-handed pitcher threw the ball so well that his opponents were unable to strike it.Preferred … The southpaw pitched airtight the ball.

The Wrap UpThe wrap up or ending of your story usually centers on quotes from the coach and players gleaned from post-game interviews or press conferences. Getting great quotes for sports stories can sometimes be tough – coaches and athletes often speak in clichés – but a snappy quote can really be the icing on the cake of your game story.

“I knew Lindman could play but I didn’t know he could play like that,” said Gladiators coach Jeff Michaelson. “That was one heck of a game by a young guy who showed a lot of heart.”

Washington said Lindman exuded confidence even in the huddle before his very first snap.

“He just said, ‘Let’s do this to win,’” Washington said. “And he went out there and did it. That boy can throw the ball.”

SPORTS VOCABULARY(Some frequently used terms

or sports lingo)

• BASKETBALL - quintet, zone defense, five, rebound, rally, man-to-man, keyhole area, 30-second clock, long tom, tip-in, press, steals, 15-foot line, twinner, follow-up, lemon time, playoff slot, haul rebounds, dish out assists, inside baskets, point guard, homecourt advantage, playmaker.

• BASEBALL/SOFTBALL - diamond, pitcher, short stop, southpaw, shut out, back stop, pegged at third, swatters, pitcher’s mound, hit a homerun, fails to make the catch, deep center, fielder, strike out, innings, a double steal of second and third bases, unearned runs, reaches first base safely.

–VOLLEYBALL - booming service, net ball, spikes, change court, wallop, best attacker/receiver/server/blocker/digger/setter, block, two out of three, blocked his kill, spiker, peppered with

12 hits. –SOCCER FOOTBALL - goalie, fullback, corner kick,

pigskin, penalty kick, centrada, corner kick

–SIPA - fancy kick, dead ball, single, ball on play, double.

• GOLF - hole-in-one, birdie, bogey, par, fired a 7-under-64, win by two strokes second putt, behind the green, one-shot lead, tee-off, four-stroke lead, sprint down the fairway, hit pivotal shots, hole clutch putts, carded a two-under par 70

• TENNIS - straight sets, singles, smash cut, doubles, half volleys, passing shots, good serving, grass court, backhand volley, double fault, lost serve

• TRACK EVENTS - breasted the tape, dashes, runs (200, 400 & 800), hurdles,burned the cinders, relay, clocked a new record, photo finish, middle distance runner, anchor man, pass the baton,bore down on him, break the record

–FIELD EVENTS - heaved the shotput, hurled the javelin, threw the discus, broad jump, pole vault, hop-

step-and-jump, Grecian disc, long jump.

–CYCLING - wheel by wheel, remate, multi-lap, yellow jersey, lead pack.

–BOXING - round by round, slugfest, flyweight, welterweight, jab, uppercut, heavyweight, uppercut, ring, knockout loss, landed a left body blow, lightweight, super-featherweight, split decision, boxing stable, flurry of punches.

–SWIMMING - aquabelle, freestyle, tanker, breaststroke, naiad, backstroke, diving board.

–TAEKWONDO - turning side kick, jins, heavyweight, finweight, flyweight.

–CHESS - grandmaster, chess board, zugzwang, plus 47 ELO rating,

nine-round tournament, blitzkrieg chess, king, queen, board one, bishop, knight, opening move, rook or tower, pawn.

–ARCHERY - bowman, drawing back

ReferencesAbejuela, M. (2010, September 3). Sports Writing. Retrieved from SlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/malyth/sports-writing

Bakisan, I. (2012, August 4). Journalism. Retrieved from irenebakisan: http://irenebakisan.weebly.com/sports-writing.html

• Descallar, K. (2012, March 7). Sports Writing. Retrieved from SlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/kimpotz/sports-writing-11905937?next_slideshow=1

THAT’S ALL,

FOLKS!