The document provides 10 tips for writing an engaging sports section for a high school newspaper. The tips include doing thorough reporting before writing, focusing on a single story rather than multiple stories, using vivid descriptions and details to show rather than just tell, avoiding cliches and "jock talk", using storytelling techniques, finding unique stories beyond just game recaps, and reading examples of good sports writing. The overall aim is to make the sports section more meaningful by providing well-written stories beyond just game outcomes.

1. Ten Top Tips forTen Top Tips for
Tiptop Sports WritingTiptop Sports Writing
How to make your sports section theHow to make your sports section the
best-read, most-meaningful portion ofbest-read, most-meaningful portion of
your high school newspaper.your high school newspaper.
Hemal JhaveriHemal Jhaveri

2. Top 10 TipsTop 10 Tips
for Tip-Top Sports Writingfor Tip-Top Sports Writing
 So, do you get theSo, do you get the
experience that peopleexperience that people
aren’t studying youraren’t studying your
activities section? Is youractivities section? Is your
activities protection takenactivities protection taken
over by old activityover by old activity
experiences and cliché-experiences and cliché-
filled features?filled features?
 These 10 guidelines canThese 10 guidelines can
go far to enhancing yourgo far to enhancing your
activities protection – andactivities protection – and
your audience of theyour audience of the
whole paper.whole paper.

3. 1.1. Reporting ComesReporting Comes
Before WritingBefore Writing
 You MUST do the effortYou MUST do the effort
of confirming before youof confirming before you
sit down to create a storysit down to create a story
 Remember, activities isRemember, activities is
one of the most statistics-one of the most statistics-
and facts-heavy topics outand facts-heavy topics out
there – you have to havethere – you have to have
those on hand to createthose on hand to create
excellent activitiesexcellent activities
experiences. Thatexperiences. That
indicates you have toindicates you have to
discover out who hasdiscover out who has
them, or keep a record ofthem, or keep a record of
them yourself.them yourself.

4. 2. Don’t Try to Do Too Much2. Don’t Try to Do Too Much
 Discover a SINGLEDiscover a SINGLE
FOCUS and keep with it!FOCUS and keep with it!
 Don’t try to tellDon’t try to tell
someone’s lifestyle storysomeone’s lifestyle story
 It’s difficult to tell moreIt’s difficult to tell more
than one person’s tale at athan one person’s tale at a
moment, so stay awaymoment, so stay away
from the enticement to tellfrom the enticement to tell
the tale of whole groups.the tale of whole groups.
Choose a gamer or two,Choose a gamer or two,
not the whole violation ornot the whole violation or
protection.protection.

5. 3. Show, Don’t Tell3. Show, Don’t Tell
 OK, so this isOK, so this is
perhaps a bit of aperhaps a bit of a
cliché, but it’scliché, but it’s
essential realizeessential realize
what it indicates –what it indicates –
you have to putyou have to put
visitors in the tale.visitors in the tale.
 Some examples:Some examples:
 UseUse
DESCRIPTION andDESCRIPTION and
get the DETAILS!get the DETAILS!
 How? DO YOURHow? DO YOUR
REPORTING!REPORTING!

6. 4. Don’t Do Game Stories *4. Don’t Do Game Stories *
 Most secondary schoolMost secondary school
magazines spread roughlymagazines spread roughly
every three or four severalevery three or four several
weeks. Unless you spreadweeks. Unless you spread
more often than once a 7more often than once a 7
days, keep the activitydays, keep the activity
experiences to theexperiences to the
everyday magazines.everyday magazines.
 Exceptions? When youExceptions? When you
can get a big activity talecan get a big activity tale
into your document lessinto your document less
than a 7 days after thethan a 7 days after the
activity is finished.activity is finished.

7. * Only do game stories for your* Only do game stories for your
regularly updated ONLINEregularly updated ONLINE
EDITIONSEDITIONS
 Get them up THEGet them up THE
NIGHT/DAY theyNIGHT/DAY they
happen!happen!
 Get the outcomes in theGet the outcomes in the
initial grafs.initial grafs.
 Add at least a quotation orAdd at least a quotation or
two.two.
 Team information (overallTeam information (overall
and league) should be inand league) should be in
the tale.the tale.
 Report some mathematicalReport some mathematical
features.features.

8. 5. Avoid Cliches Like the Plague5. Avoid Cliches Like the Plague
 If you’ve observed itIf you’ve observed it
before, see how to say itbefore, see how to say it
another way.another way.
 An example: He took it toAn example: He took it to
the outlet in a gut-checkthe outlet in a gut-check
activity. “It’s all about theactivity. “It’s all about the
group,” Cruz said. “Theregroup,” Cruz said. “There
isn’t any ‘I’ in TEAM, soisn’t any ‘I’ in TEAM, so
I performed my ownI performed my own
activity and took it up andactivity and took it up and
down the ground at 110down the ground at 110
%, and then let the Ws and%, and then let the Ws and
Ls deal with themselves.”Ls deal with themselves.”

10. 6. Avoid ‘Jock Talk’6. Avoid ‘Jock Talk’
 With all-ESPN all theWith all-ESPN all the
time, this is a pernicious,time, this is a pernicious,
challenging problem tochallenging problem to
prevent, but you must tryprevent, but you must try
to only use brilliant,to only use brilliant,
significant quotations.significant quotations.
 Suggestions – 1. SomeSuggestions – 1. Some
trainers and sportsmentrainers and sportsmen
will complete SILENCEwill complete SILENCE
with more innovativewith more innovative
comments, so figure outcomments, so figure out
how to WAIT for betterhow to WAIT for better
solutions. 2. Don’t asksolutions. 2. Don’t ask
cliché concerns.cliché concerns.

11. 7. Use Dramatic Story-Telling7. Use Dramatic Story-Telling
Devices to Tell Your StoriesDevices to Tell Your Stories
 Use the dilemma ofUse the dilemma of
activities to create moreactivities to create more
impressive experiences.impressive experiences.
 Consider fictional gadgetsConsider fictional gadgets
like foreshadowing, etc.like foreshadowing, etc.
 Consider story-tellingConsider story-telling
methods like italics to setmethods like italics to set
off activities in a differentoff activities in a different
time or position, etc.time or position, etc.
 Try methods like theTry methods like the
Walls St. PublicationWalls St. Publication
function technique.function technique.

12. 8. Don’t Always Write8. Don’t Always Write
The Obvious StoryThe Obvious Story
 Look for the little-Look for the little-
known, unminedknown, unmined
blocks on yourblocks on your
university.university.
 Look for theLook for the
experiences thatexperiences that
individuals don’tindividuals don’t
know about. Those areknow about. Those are
the experiencesthe experiences
individuals will wantindividuals will want
to learn.to learn.

13. 9. Sports Is Also News9. Sports Is Also News
 Just because it’s goingJust because it’s going
in the activities areain the activities area
doesn’t mean it needsdoesn’t mean it needs
to be smooth andto be smooth and
smooth andsmooth and
interesting. Even oninteresting. Even on
secondary universitysecondary university
grounds, activities hasgrounds, activities has
its discuss of hard-its discuss of hard-
news experiences thatnews experiences that
are asking to learn.are asking to learn.
 Some examples:Some examples:

14. 10. Read Good Sportswriting!10. Read Good Sportswriting!
 There will do of badThere will do of bad
sportswriting out there.sportswriting out there.
Prevent it.Prevent it.
 Find the good items andFind the good items and
use it as one foruse it as one for
confirming and story-confirming and story-
telling methods.telling methods.
 Examples: The BestExamples: The Best
Activities Composing ofActivities Composing of
the Season, Activitiesthe Season, Activities
Shown, ESPN playboy,Shown, ESPN playboy,
the L.A. Periods, thethe L.A. Periods, the
Birkenstock boston WorldBirkenstock boston World
and many others.and many others.

15. Thanks for Listening!Thanks for Listening!
 Hemal JhaveriHemal Jhaveri
 Senior Social MediaSenior Social Media
EditorEditor
 Media, Sports, U.S.Media, Sports, U.S.
 hemaljhaveri2@gmail.hemaljhaveri2@gmail.
comcom
 https://angel.co/hemaljhttps://angel.co/hemalj
haverihaveri