Covering sports like a Covering sports like a proproKansas Journalism InstituteKansas Journalism Institute

June.2011June.2011

Rod Satterthwaite.Dexter High School.Rod Satterthwaite.Dexter High School.

Ten tipsTen tips

1. Don’t cover old news1. Don’t cover old news

2. Don’t use cliched quotes2. Don’t use cliched quotes

3. Use 3-5 meaningful quotes per article3. Use 3-5 meaningful quotes per article

4. Avoid pro/college sports stories without a 4. Avoid pro/college sports stories without a local anglelocal angle

5. Don’t just cover games5. Don’t just cover games

Tips continued ...Tips continued ...

6. Expand your definition of sports6. Expand your definition of sports

7. Don’t bore your reader7. Don’t bore your reader

8. Don’t be a cheerleader8. Don’t be a cheerleader

9. Make your leads count9. Make your leads count

10. Make your ledes count10. Make your ledes count

Out with the oldOut with the old

1. 1. Don’t cover old news. Concentrate on the future angle or develop the feature angle to old news.

Get rid of the coach-Get rid of the coach-speakspeak

2. 2. Don’t use cliche quotes. (“He gave a 110 percent.” “We played hard, the other team just wanted it more.” “We didn’t win a lot, but we had fun trying.” “We have some very good athletes, and if everybody works hard, then we could win a lot of games.”)

Look at these examples: Don't use quotes like this

Every story needs Every story needs quotesquotes

3. Try to use 3-5 meaningful quotes per article.

Leave the pros to the Leave the pros to the prospros

3. Cover your school. Avoid pro/college stories unless they have a local angle.

Think before and afterThink before and after

4. 4. Cover practices, locker rooms and post-game activities to get the full flavor for the story.

Expand your coverageExpand your coverage

6. 6. Go beyond the obvious (club sports, hobby sports, extreme sports, overlooked players, those who work hard in practice, trainers, etc.)

Don’t bore your readerDon’t bore your reader

7. Rosters are not newsworthy7. Rosters are not newsworthy

Leave the cheering Leave the cheering to the cheerleadersto the cheerleadersto the cheerleadersto the cheerleaders

8. Not every player or team is outstanding8. Not every player or team is outstanding

Ledes matterLedes matter

9. 9. Don’t lead with the date.

Ledes matter, part IILedes matter, part II

10. 10. Don’t lead with the name of the town, the name of the school or the name of the team.

Some story ideas ...Some story ideas ...

adapted from Bobby Hawthorne’s The Radical Write(used with permission)

1. Weird things you find in lockers

2. Cheapest things to do after a game

3. Practice war stories

4. The teammate from Hell

5. Creative ways to make fun of your coach

•Team trips

•Strange superstitions

•Things coaches hate to hear from teenagers

•Things teenagers hate to hear from coaches

•Useless things coaches say to players

•White lies players tell their coaches

•Characterisics of effective coaches

•A horrible game

•Things coaches to do embarrass their players

•Things players do to embarrass their coaches

More column ideas ...More column ideas ...6. Team trips

7. Strange superstitions

8. Things coaches hate to hear from teenagers

9. Things teenagers hate to hear from coaches

10. Useless things coaches say to players

11. White lies players tell their coaches

•Characterisics of effective coaches

•A horrible game

•Things coaches to do embarrass their players

•Things players do to embarrass their coaches

And some more ideas ...And some more ideas ...

12. Characteristics of effective coaches

13. A horrible game

14. Things coaches to do embarrass their players

15. Things players do to embarrass their coaches

Some examplesSome examples

Tell me what you think of this story: Tell me what you think of this story: "It doesn't get any tougher than this" by Rick R"It doesn't get any tougher than this" by Rick Reillyeilly

One more example ...One more example ...

What about this: What about this: "Her left foot gone, cheerleader cheers on" by "Her left foot gone, cheerleader cheers on" by Mitch AlbomMitch Albom

Thanks and contact info.Thanks and contact info.

Rod Satterthwaite, Dexter High SchoolRod Satterthwaite, Dexter High School

sattertr@dexterschools.orgsattertr@dexterschools.org

734.424.4240 x. 7407734.424.4240 x. 7407