2023-Sportswriting-Tips by Ben G. Gines Jr..pdf

2023-Sportswriting-Tips by Ben G. Gines Jr..pdf

1. Sporstwriting tips
By Ben G. Gines Jr.

2. Quick Tips For Sportswriters
Lead Angle is the most important part of the sports story.
Select your strongest angle. Justify the selection of that angle. Make sure it
follows the whole tone of your story. If the story ended in a buzzer beater,
make sure to develop an appropriate angle. In such a case, ‘best play’
angle is the most suitable.
If a player dominates the offense and becomes a key factor for his team’s
win, make sure to develop a ‘best player’ angle.
If the angle trails on the rally, comeback or fight back side of the story, try
to make the first few succeeding paragraphs deal on that angle.
In such cases, developing the crucial contributions of key player/s and key
play/s into the story is a must.

3. Summary lead vs novelty lead
Straight lead, also known as Summary lead, is a lot easier to master
than the Novelty lead, also known as soft lead or delayed lead.
Messi, Argentina advance at World Cup, beat Poland, 2-0 (AP
news, Nov. 30, 2022)
Novelty Lead –Rest easy soccer fans, Lionel Messi will grace the
World Cup stage at least one more time.
The Argentina great had a penalty saved but his team still beat
Poland 2-0 Wednesday after second-half goals from Alex Mac
Allister and Julian Alvarez and advanced to the last 16.
After opening the World Cup with a shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi
Arabia in one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history,
Argentina wound up finishing in first place in Group C and will next
play Australia –a surprise qualifier for the knockout stage.

4. Novelty Lead (descriptive style)
Headline: Miracle in Doha: Japan revels in stunning World Cup
progress (Aljazeera)
Lead: Japan erupted in cheers and tears after the national team’s
2-1 win over Spain, which crowds packing public viewing areas in
predawn cold shrieking with joy as they stunned another global
football power at the World Cup.

5. Utilize crucial contribution of players
Ex. Headline: Phils downs Vietnam, moves on to semis
Summary Lead Ex. Philippines saved three match points before
completing a great comeback from 2-0 set deficit to defeat
Vietnam and advance to the semifinals of the Asian Volleyball
Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand on Sunday.

6. Use players’ stats
For example, how many points did Magic Johnson pour into the entire
fourth quarter. How many points of that fourth quarter scoring were made
during the crucial stretch, say, in the last two minutes, when the Los Angeles
Lakers began pulling away from the Detroit Pistons.
Most errors commonly come from the use of flawed, improper lines or words
(both teams continued battling neck and neck).
To correct these flaws, compare your work from published articles in
newspapers or online news. Learn from them.
Writing is not just about having the tools for the job but knowing how to use
the right tools for specific job. Gather as many words as possible to
improve your vocabulary and practice how to use them into stories.

7. Avoid these as opening lines
Ex. 'Agadnanagpakitanggilasang Warriors players saunang
sagupaanpa lang ng laban'.
Also, avoid these Filipino exaggerations.
‘Pinakainng alikabok’, ‘Sing bilisng kidlat, ‘sinlakasng kabayo’.
‘Walang awanginilugmoksaputikanng kahihiyan’.

8. On headlines
Use complete name of teams only once at first mention, then use the moniker (Ex.
‘Bulldogs’ or ‘Stars’) the rest of the paragraphs. Same is applied when using the names of
the players.
There is a tendency to overuse these words
Outshined, outperformed, outplayed, in the headline and lead. The use of ‘whitewashed”
is simply unpardonable but still finds its way in the articles.

9. There is a tendency to overuse these words:
Outshined, outperformed, outplayed, in the headline and lead.
The use of ‘whitewashed” is simply unpardonable but somehow, still
finds its way in the articles.

10. Edit
Headline Ex. James Yap scores 45 points
Better: James Yap sizzles/explodeswith 45 points
James Yap’s 45 points powerTimpladosto Game 6 win
Ex. Johnny Abarrientosscoreda series best 45 points, including four triples to
help Alaska defeat PurefoordsTJ Hotdogs, 104-97 tying the PBA finals’ best-of-
seven series 3-games apiece at Araneta Coliseum Friday.
Better: Johnny Abarrientospoured a series best 45 points, ten of those coming in
the crucial last five minutes of the fourth quarter to help the Alaska defeat
PurefoodsTJ Hotdogs, 104-97, to force a rubber match of their PBA finals series
at Araneta Coliseum Friday.

11. Read and be familiarized
Even if you use the right word, verb or sports line, if you're not familiar with its
application, you are bound to commit mistakes.
Such were the cases in the output of neophyte writers.
Solution? Gather newspaper clippings or downloads recent articles for CJs
reading consumption.
Reading provides indirect training. It enables one to identify the right words.
Over time, it broadens one’s vocabulary and improves skills. So Read,
Read, and Be Familiarized!