Writing Great Sports Stories By Bill Tobler

Four types of sports stories Season Preview Mid-season update Season wrap-up Sports Feature story

Season Preview Season hasn’t started or has just started Find out what and who is new | who is gone Strategies for this year vs. last year Which players will be in key positions/starters Don’t focus on : team goals, team unity, practicing hard/long hours, stepping up, anything that is standard year to year

Mid-Season Update Season score so far in first graph 4-5. What’s worked, what needs more work Significant injuries/setbacks/forfeits/quitters Playoff outlook Why and how did they get to this point Avoid overdoing STATS Use details and examples, nothing generic

Season wrap-up Season and league scores in first graph Lead with what caused the team to be where they are at season’s end Losing season? Focus on next season by interviewing younger starters Keep the story positive but honest Focus on the why not the what

Tips for getting the right story Get to know the team very well by going to several practices and games and by talking to the athletes after practice/games. BEING THERE is the key to all reporting. Earn their trust by appearing often w/out notebook. You’ll find the real story this way. Stay objective. You’re reporting the facts. Let the athletes tell the story.

Sports Features Don’t limit sports features to just star players Find someone on the team who may be going through some problems or someone who has an interesting story Round out your story by interviewing outside your subject’s circle of friends. Get as many different perspectives as possible, including adults.

Interview tips Ask soft (easy), non offensive questions first. Let your subject warm up to you. Compliment some area of the team or the player’s performance first and then work around to those areas that need improvement. Know before you Go! Know the teams’ stats, who’s hot, who’s not, how the scoring works, what the local papers have already said

Writing Tips READ other sports stories, both in ESPN and local newspapers or other mags Evaluate how the writer presents their information | in what order, how is it phrased? Look at their literary style! Imitate them! Make your syntax snappy, punchy, interesting. Save all notes/interviews in a marked folder