If you’re interested in a career as a sports writer, it takes more than just “knowing about sports.” It also takes good writing skills. It’s a difficult and often competitive field to break into, so it’s important that you start honing your skills as early as possible.
Developing a passion for a particular sport is a great way to set yourself apart in the job market. The more you enjoy writing about your favorite sport, the easier it will be for you to sell yourself to prospective employers as a qualified candidate.
Get your feet wet by writing for local newspapers and sports departments. It’s a great way to experience a professional environment and get a feel for what it’s like to work in the field.
Start off with a strong hook that grabs the reader’s attention and keeps them reading until the end of your article. This is known in journalistic circles as a lead (also called a lede).
Create a narrative that will appeal to your readers’ emotions, such as how a team is adjusting after losing an important player or what makes the game special for a certain player.
Include vivid detail to describe the key moments of the sports event or game you’re covering. This will help readers visualize what they’re reading, even if they don’t have the same knowledge of the sport as you do.
Cut excess words and jargon to make your article read more smoothly and easily. It’s easy to overuse language in your writing, especially when describing a specific sport or an important event, but you should be conscious of your word count and how you’re able to convey information.
Edit your articles and take them to a professional editor for feedback. They’ll be able to give you suggestions on how to improve your work and provide tips for a better article.
Know the type of sports article you’re writing and study best practices for it. This will ensure you write a strong piece and make your audience happy.
The most basic and essential method for sports writing is to start with a strong lead paragraph. The lead paragraph is usually the first sentence in your article, and it should grab the reader’s attention and keep them reading.
Depending on the type of sports article you’re writing, this could be a lead with quotes from a player or coach, a story about a certain player’s personal accomplishments, or something similar. Using soundbites from players and coaches in your lead is a great way to add a human touch and make your audience feel like they’re watching the game themselves.
If you want to find some sports writing jobs, check out job boards that specialize in entertainment writing. These sites can be a great place to start, and they’ll filter out any non-relevant jobs to focus on the ones that are most likely to pay you for your work.
Before you begin writing for your local paper, it’s a good idea to contact coaches and see if they have any potential candidates for feature stories on their athletes. This will allow you to meet with them, watch them play, and find out what sets them apart from their peers. It will also give you a chance to ask them any questions you have and set up an interview before the game or event starts.
