In Campus Journalism: Sports News Writing

Trying to chase the ball!

Sports Writing is also news writing. It carries the structure of a combined straight news and an action story. A sports writer must tell his intended readers on what really had happened in a particular game thereby describing the actions, particularly, spectacular actions done by the players/athletes in a particular game or event. However, a straight news differs from that of a sports news in the sense that in a sports news, the writer uses special vocabulary words-- the sports lingo. Creativity and imagination and imagination are employed in describing action, thus, sometimes sport stories have the flavour of features.

To be able to become a good sports writer, he/she must possess certain qualities, to wit:

1. He must have a nose for news
2. He must be familiar of all sports/events
3. He must have a working knowledge on the jargon of sports writing, usually referred to as sports lingo.

Qualities of a Good Sports Writer

1. Must know team/individual standing
2. Must be familiar with the rules and regulations, strategies and tactics of the game or event he is writing about
3. Must know coaches and players as intimately as possible
4. Must observe accuracy
5. Must be able to take notes quickly without losing the sequence of the play
6. Must be fair and unbiased, even if you have personal favourites.
7. Must use the specialized language of the game being reported.
8. Must be at the sports venue not as a cheerer or spectator but as reporter.

Writing the Sports Lead

1. The traditional sports lead consists of 5 W’s, and H, if possible.

a. Who won?

b. Against whom?

c. By what score?

d. Where?

e. When?

The Alaska Aces (who won) lambasted the San Miguel Beermen (against whom) in their Semi-Final Quest, 93-65 (by what score), during the unprecedented President’s Cup held at the Cuneta Astrodome (where), July 20, 2006 (when).

Writing the Body

In writing the body of the sports news, the writer must conform with the following pointers.

• Team or individual standing (if it were a series of games) - 1 Paragraph
• Crucial moment - 1 Paragraph
• Top scorer of the game - 1 Paragraph
• Play - by - play account - 3 Paragraphs
• Quotations - 1 Paragraph

Note: Phrases and statements embedded with ideas connected to the weather, crowd and celebration based on the writer’s analysis can be inserted in any of the paragraphs, if necessary. There must be 8 paragraphs in a sports news story.

Sports Lingo for Basketball

1. Evened up matters with a 70-59
2. 8-2 slate
3. Got way laid
4. Jampacked crowd
5. Limit its turn-overs
6. Point Guard
7. Fired 19 pints
8. Hauling rebounds
9. Scored six points
10. Topscored with 28 big pints
11. Converted just three of 11 3-pt. tries
12. As the final buzzer sounded
13. Playing solidly all throughout
14. League leader bannered the team
15. Turn-around shot
16. Poured all of his 19 pints
17. Beat the buzzer
18. Rainbow territory
19. Undergoal stab with 5 seconds left
20. Failed to score
21. Wide-open three point shots
22. Stretch the lead to three
23. Improved their record
24. Grabbed four rebounds
25. Dished out four assists
26. Sank both free throws
27. Guns for 2^nd berth
28. 1-2-2 defense
29. Whole court pressure
30. Triangle offense
31. Fake and roll offense
32. Finger Roll
33. 2^nd Board
34. Perimeter Area
35. Towering Defense
36. Arrow Decision
37. Back Court Reliever