Chapter 1: Introduction to Sports Writing — CampusJourn
Chapter 1

Introduction to Sports Writing

You already know how to tell a great story. Now learn how to tell it like a real sports journalist.

🎯 Chapter Objective: By the end of this chapter, you will be able to explain what sports writing is, name the four values every sports journalist lives by, and write your very first sports story.
A Filipino elementary student holding a notebook and pen while watching a school sports game, ready to take notes
📖 Introduction

Have You Ever Watched a Game and Wanted to Tell Everyone About It?

You know that feeling.

Your school team just won. The buzzer goes off. Everyone goes crazy.

And the first thing you want to do is tell someone who wasn't there.

That's sports writing.

Seriously. That's basically it.

You're telling people what happened — but in a way that makes them feel like they were there too.

📌 Definition
Sports writing is journalism that covers games, players, and sports events — telling real stories about real things that happened on the court, the field, and in the pool.
🏫 Why It Matters

Why Does It Even Matter?

Think about your classmates. Some of them missed the intramurals because of a school activity. Some parents couldn't make it to the game. Some friends were stuck in another room when the big match happened.

They all want to know what happened.

📣
That's your job as a sports writer. You bring the game to people who couldn't be there. You make readers feel like they saw every play — even from the other side of the school.
🔄 The Process

What Does a Sports Writer Actually Do?

Five things. Every single time. That's the whole cycle — and you'll learn each step in this course.

👀
Watch
📝
Take Notes
🎤
Interview
✍️
Write
🚀
Submit Fast
⚡ What's Different

What Makes Sports Writing Different?

It's not an essay. It's not a composition. It's not a story you made up. Here's what makes it its own thing.

🏆
It's all about the game.
What happened? Who scored? What was the turning point? That's your whole story. Everything comes back to the game itself.
📊
Facts only. No opinions.
You don't write "I think Hanna played well." That's a feeling. You write "Hanna scored 14 points and made the game-winning spike." That's a fact that actually happened.
⏱️
You write fast.
No sports writer takes three days to finish. The story needs to come out while the game is still fresh. You learn to write quickly and clearly — every single time.
💥
You make people feel something.
Facts tell what happened. But your writing makes readers feel the tension, the excitement, the final buzzer. That's what separates an okay sports story from a great one.
⭐ Core Values

The Four Values Every Sports Writer Lives By

Before you write a single word — you need to know what kind of writer you're going to be. These four values are what make a real sports journalist different from someone who just writes about games.

A colorful classroom poster showing the four journalism values: Accuracy, Fairness, Balance, and Originality
🎯
Accuracy
Every fact you write must be true. Wrong score. Wrong name. Wrong school. Any of those and your whole article loses the reader's trust.
If you're not sure about a fact — check it. Never guess.
⚖️
Fairness
Your job is to report what happened — not to cheer for one side. Even if you love San Isidro Elementary, if Rizal Central played better, you report that honestly.
A good sports writer covers both teams with equal respect.
🔭
Balance
A balanced article gives readers the full picture. Report how well the winners played — but also mention what the other team did well, or where the game was close.
Balance makes your article trustworthy.
✍️
Originality
Your article must be written in your own words. You never copy another writer's sentences. You never make up quotes that players didn't say.
Write what you observed — in your own voice. That's original journalism.
🔍 Spot the Difference

Two Examples Side by Side

Matet and Oliver covered the same football game. Read what each one wrote. Can you spot which one is real sports writing?

❌ Not Sports Writing
"The game was good and our school won."
  • What score? We don't know.
  • Who played? No team names.
  • What happened? Nothing specific.
  • Reader finishes knowing nothing.
✅ Sports Writing
"San Isidro Elementary defeated Rizal Central, 3–1, with Laurence scoring twice in the second half."
  • Who won? San Isidro Elementary. ✓
  • What was the score? 3–1. ✓
  • Who stood out? Laurence. ✓
  • When did he score? Second half. ✓
⭐ The One Rule for This Whole Course
Every sports story must answer:
Who won? · What was the score? · What happened?
If Your Story Answers All Three —
Who Won? + The Score? + What Happened? = 🗞️ You're a Sports Writer
Miss any one of those three — and the reader is left in the dark.

✏️ Practice Time

Apply what you learned. Work through the activities below step by step.

1

Sports Writing or Not? Read each sentence — decide if it's real sports writing.

📋 For each sentence below, click Sports Writing or Not Sports Writing — then click Check to see if you're right and find out why.
Sentences checked:
Sentence 1
"I think the basketball game yesterday was really exciting."
Sentence 2
"Laurence scored the winning goal in the 78th minute, giving Mabini Elementary a 2–1 victory."
Sentence 3
"My favorite player is Daisy because she tries hard."
Sentence 4
"Henry blocked three shots and led his team to a 58–50 win over the defending champions."
Sentence 5
"The game was okay."
2

Write Your First Sports Story Turn a made-up game into a real-sounding sports report.

📝 Imagine your school played a basketball game today. Make up the details — but make it sound real. Your story needs: both team names · the final score · one player who did something important · one exciting moment.

📎 Sample Answer (to guide you)

✅ Sample
San Isidro Elementary beat Mapagmahal Central, 64–58, in a tight quarterfinal game. JM led all scorers with 22 points, including a big three-pointer with two minutes left. Henry hauled in 14 rebounds to help his team hold on. It was San Isidro's biggest win all season.

Step 1: Fill in the Frame

🗒️ Use this frame to get started

Step 2: Write Your Full Story

🔍 Self-Check Guide

What to Check Done ✅ Try Again 🔄
Both team names are there ☐ ☐
I included the final score ☐ ☐
I named at least one player ☐ ☐
I described one moment from the game ☐ ☐
I used past tense (scored, won, blocked) ☐ ☐

📊 Simple Rubric

5/5
You're already a sports writer. 🗞️
3–4
Almost. Add what's missing and you're there.
1–2
Try again using the sample as a guide.

Answers for writing activities will be different for each student. Use the rubric to check your work or ask your teacher for help.

🧠 Tap the Right Answer

Read each statement. Tap YES or NO. Move fast — you've got this!

0/5
Score
Question 1 of 5
QUESTION 1 OF 5
Loading...
out of 5
Up Next

Chapter 2: Parts and Elements of a Sports Article

You know what sports writing is. Now find out what goes inside every sports article — and why each part matters.

Chapter 2 →
← Previous
Chapter 2 →