I just revised syllabi (below) for both my sports writing and sports and media courses here at Eastern Illinois University. As always, I want to address far more than is possible in a 16-week semester. I know many disbelieve that sports has relevance, but that’s simply not the case. While writing about games is not [...]
Nov
20
2012
20
2012
Mar
8
2012
8
2012
Some basic tips for improving game stories
As I judged two state collegiate journalism competitions the past week, noticed a few areas where students can improve their coverage.
Add insights from players and coaches. Many stories failed to include a single comment, which is almost inconceivable for today’s readers. Most others included brief comments from the local school team. Few offered comments from [...]
Feb
16
2012
16
2012
Ryan’s one of the all-time best sportswriters
I wonder how many others, like myself, grew up reading and admiring Bob Ryan’s work at the Boston Globe? Plenty, I’m sure. He’s arguably been the best basketball writer in the country for decades. (Called the ‘real’ NBA commissioner by Bill Simmons.)
Plus, he remains a premiere sports columnist. Last week, he put the current Celtics-Lakers [...]
Jan
16
2012
16
2012
Some approaches to teaching sportswriting
Like most journalism teachers, I tinker with my syllabi all the time in order to find the most effective manner to present material and evaluate student work, even if perfection is impossible. The one constant – requiring students to get hands-on experience. In the past, my students have been assigned beats to cover the local [...]
Nov
3
2010
3
2010
Rugby emerging as NCAA sport
Let’s be honest: Rugby has never had a great reputation. On college campuses, rugby’s image is even worse – players arriving drunk to club games, teams setting up fields on private fields, and fans screaming and drinking along the sidelines. The stories are endless. And players nurture the idea that the sport is wild and [...]
Jan
30
2010
30
2010
Download these scorecards to cover games
Taking notes is essential to finding trends, pointing out key plays and making assessments in games. To help with that, I’ve included several scorecards and forms that will assist in these tasks. You can find them on the right side of this page, under ‘Scorecards.’
In descending order, forms and scorecards are offered for baseball, basketball, [...]
How best to turn yourself from sports fan to professional sports journalist? Quickly moving beyond general guidance about sports writing, Joe Gisondi focuses on the nitty-gritty, with hands-on, practical advice on covering 20 specific sports. From auto racing to wrestling, you’ll find tips on the seemingly straightforward—where to stand on the sideline and how to identify a key player—along with the more specialized—figuring out shot selection in lacrosse and understanding a coxswain’s call for a harder stroke in rowing. Preparing you for just about any game, match, meet, race, regatta or tournament you’re likely to cover, Field Guide to Covering Sports is the ideal go-to resource to have on hand as you master the beat. You can 
Click on the link 
