As the wife of a sports writer many of his tales about young reporters covering high school sports rang true. Yes, they do work mostly afternoons, nights and weekends (we don't get to see each other a lot). No, there aren't a lot of perks, although, as my husband says, what's better than getting to go to a game and then telling people about it? We did have a golf course manager offer to give us a good deal on our wedding if his course got some coverage, but of course we couldn't accept it, and we didn't get married there (darn ethics!).
The part of the talk I found most helpful was when Blodgett suggested possible story ideas including coaching changes, recruiting, awards and traditions. He also stressed that sports stories need multiple sources like teammates, coaches and even parents.
Although I don't call myself a sports fan, I think my husband has rubbed off on me more than I realized. When Blodgett told his Duke story and asked why someone would go to Duke for basketball, I couldn't help but say in my mind, "Duke is Duke."
For those of you who are are interested, the book that was mentioned is Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie.
Becky Gemmell
Escondido High School
Escondido, Calif.
Posts
Thanks for your unique perspective. I also have a unique perspective. I am married to a long time high school football coach.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't help reflect on our experience with the media throughout his career. High school football in Arizona is very popular, especially in Snowflake. Never in 25 plus years can I remember an unpleasant experience with media coverage.
It's all been in good taste and always favorable to students. I think sports coverage can really go a long way to helping our kids feel good about themselves.
Now that I am going to teach how to cover sports at our high school, Mr. Blodgett's remarks had even more meaning.
Thanks!
Denice Westover
Snowflake High School
Snowflake, Arizona
Thanks for your perspective on the issue of sports. I think you've shed light on the fact that even non-sports fans can still be effective in finding good sports stories.
ReplyDeleteIn an effort to help students feel comfortable reporting on different sections in the newspaper- I often encourage my news reporters to attend sporting events and write about everything they see.
They've actually found this to be a simple avenue into sports reporting. And of course, observing the audience has even led to feature story ideas.
Ariawna Talton
Molina High School
Dallas, TX