Like it or not, sports attract a lot of readers
Consider this sports lead from several years ago:
Tech controlled play most of the game Saturday afternoon in toppling Dallas Lincoln 68-59 to win the Class 4A state basketball championship, the school's first, in front of a 4A title-game record crowd of 15,341 at Erwin Center.
Photo by Alberto Delcampo
Helpful hints based on the lead:
Put the final score high in the story. Never wait to reveal the final score in the middle or the final paragraph. Leave that to the television sportscasters.
Look for great moments in the game, ironies, outstanding players, interesting tidbits (such as the fact that five senior starters were playing their final game), description, crowd reaction, crowd numbers, venue condition (rainy, snowy, hot, cold), breaks in the norm (lights going out, sprinkler system going off).
Make the reader interested in your story by using short sentences, lean writing (cut out "there is," "that," all unnecessary words), active voice rather than passive voice (the boy hit the ball rather than the ball was hit by the boy.)
Search for the WOW factor. When the reader finishes reading the story, he/she should say, "Wow, that was interesting" or "Jeez, I didn't know that." For example, look at these paragraphs:
Brown, like Bell, started 134 games (100 of them victories), was named the game's most valuable player, scoring 26 points. Tech (36-3) became the 12th Greater San Antonio team to claim a state championship, beginning with Brackenridge in 1926.
- Consider using additional identifiers in lieu of the last name: the 6-foot-10 freshman, the former Clark Cougar, the three-time all-district performer, the four-sport letterman.
- Develop points brought up; don't just . . . quit.
Jerald Reiner almost single-handedly kept the Bulldogs in the game. The senior ended his career with 32 points, including TLU's first 11 points. He hit six 3-pointers. He fired them in the face of two and three defenders, and he landed on his backside after putting down a couple of them.
Reiner also posted up and scored on turnarounds, and he skittered through the lane for short jumpers.
"Fans in the Heart of Texas Conference may not see another player of Reiner's capabilities for awhile," Caspar said. "He's a diamond. I just marvel at his skills."
Reiner also posted up and scored on turnarounds, and he skittered through the lane for short jumpers.
"Fans in the Heart of Texas Conference may not see another player of Reiner's capabilities for awhile," Caspar said. "He's a diamond. I just marvel at his skills."
- Get specific, meaningful quotes. Avoid quotes like "We did good" or "I was happy with my play." How did they play well? Why was he happy with his play? Use the summary-quote approach (paraphrase-quote) to get more into the story. Quotes are best that answer the questions why, how or so what?
- Depending on the sport, play-by-play works OK for part of the story, but keep it short.
- Get high scorers and other superlatives.
- Look for extremes: shortest, tallest, youngest, oldest, etc., Crowd size, unusual chants. Keep your observation powers churning. But drop these interesting tidbits into an otherwise predictable scenario.
- Look for specifics of nonverbals: artifacts (What were they wearing if unusual? Were they sporting odd haircuts, jewelry, tatoos, etc.,) paralanguage (this is not what is said, but how it is said), environmental description (such as weather).
- Writing style is something that is developed over a period of time.
- When you read a game story, look at HOW it is written as well as the contents. Make mental notes (or even real notes) on how the reporter uses transition, quotes, nut grafs, attribution.
In a highly anticipated matchup WOULD REMATCH BE BETTER? of rival squads, the Northwest Vista Wildcats
Two seasons ago, a regular season defeat to the Tigers prevented the Wildcats from advancing to the playoffs. Last season, the Wildcats qualified for the playoffs only to suffer elimination from the Tigers. THIS GOES ON TO EXPLAIN THE ANGLE
The Wildcats ensured they got off to a good start this season by controlling the Tigers from start to finish in enemy territory. The Wildcats won the battle, but only time will tell if they win the war as it could turn out the paths of the Wildcats and Tigers may cross again in the postseason. EXCELLENT.
(Photo at right from The Ranger at San Antonio College) John Wright, business management technology freshman, soars over kinesiology sophomore Clifford Wallace for 2 points Wednesday. Daniel Arguelles
All sports stories are not game stories, obviously.
I read a marvelous story in the San Antonio Express-News by Tom Orsborn (one of our exes, a former sports editor and editor of The Ranger) about hockey injuries. The riveting story began with description of the doctor sewing up a split eyebrow. It made my skin crawl, but I could not stop reading.
Another story I read in the Express-News was by Raul Dominguez (another ex who was sports editor and managing editor of The Ranger) about golf for women executives.
More and more sports stories also involve legal issues (the UT Longhorns come to mind), medical issues (injuries which must be specifically described, not just a sore knee), social issues (domestic violence in columnist Kevin O'Keeffe's series about marital problems among athletes), business issues (strikes, new facilities, etc.)
In other words, you won't always be writing about people playing children's games. The sports page is a microcosm of the real world with all the problems such as illegal drugs, sex scandals, violent crime, fraud, mismanagement, personnel difficulties, etc. Sports writers need to be able to weave a story, play with words, hold the reader's interest from the top to the bottom.
Sports writing breaks the mold and allows the writer to try new approaches. But first, master the old approaches.
Many times the reader has either watched the game on television or in person or heard the score.
Another problem, you are writing for the occasional sports page reader AND the diehard fan (a k a fanatic). Their needs are different.
Sports stories can be about individuals who excel in sports: bikers, runners, skaters, dancers, bowlers, gymnasts, body builders, weight lifters, Frisbee golf players, collectors of sports memorabilia, climbers, divers, skiers, balloonists, sky divers, hunters, fishermen, skateboarders, archers and any other individual sports enthusiasts. No need to devote all your sports space to team sports.
• Look for historical sports topics: former students, faculty and staff sports enthusiasts, fans, parent groups, etc.,
• Look at health topics seasonally: cold prevention, energy diets, weight loss, body toning.
• For team sports, look for individual standouts to feature; then, drop in the remainder of the story - eschew play-by-play reports.
• Look for photo features and photo sports stories; the sidelines are often more interesting than the action. Sideline shooting in field sports often is wasted effort because the center of action is so small and distant.
• Look for "evergreen" stories such as sports superstitions (I knew a tennis player who always kept the same amount of coin change in his pockets and another baseball player who always put his socks and shoes on a certain way - CRAZY, but fun and often interesting), historical features, rules changes, etc.,
These can be planned ahead.
• Look for historical sports topics: former students, faculty and staff sports enthusiasts, fans, parent groups, etc.,
• Look at health topics seasonally: cold prevention, energy diets, weight loss, body toning.
• For team sports, look for individual standouts to feature; then, drop in the remainder of the story - eschew play-by-play reports.
• Look for photo features and photo sports stories; the sidelines are often more interesting than the action. Sideline shooting in field sports often is wasted effort because the center of action is so small and distant.
• Look for "evergreen" stories such as sports superstitions (I knew a tennis player who always kept the same amount of coin change in his pockets and another baseball player who always put his socks and shoes on a certain way - CRAZY, but fun and often interesting), historical features, rules changes, etc.,
These can be planned ahead.
• When selecting photos, don't always go for the action on the field. Look for other shots on the sidelines, in the dugout or on the bench. Don't forget the fans. Photo by Tyler K. Cleveland-The Ranger at San Antonio College
Tips and Tricks to Make Your Writing Better