Don't know where to start- Help

Some will say it's not important, but in-school journalism training is a great way to go.

Yes, there are things you'll only learn in the field, but you'll be a lot more marketable and confident if you get some specialized training before throwing yourself out there.

Ideally, get on as a freelancer for the local paper while still in school. This way you can pick up some of the on-the-job tidbits while getting a formal education. Even better, find a school that offers (paid, more than a week at a time) work terms.

It used to be that newbies to the business could jump in without any schooling and be taught on the job by the veterans. That happens less and less now, as: a) The veterans are overworked and largely underappreciated, and have less time to help you, and b) An overabundance of J-school students makes it easy to toss an inexperienced applicant's resume into the trash can without even a read.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck.

 

hp,

Knowing a great deal about all kinds of sports is great, but it certainly isn't a requirement for a start in journalism.

A willingness to learn is. You need to have a basic knowledge of whatever sport you cover (which may be checking a book out of the library on rugby before going to do a rugby feature).

Beyond that, you improve with experience, but there is something to be said for writing from a limited knowledge of the sport. You may tend to focus more on an angle or a personality rather than grinding out play by play.

If you can write, report, be organized and willing to learn, you can cover anything. That's not a problem.

 

Best advice so far.
Don't consider it sports writer, consider it journalism and approach it as such. Working a beat is much tougher than writing 10 or 15 inches of copy and it takes practice and experience.
The interview technique is also more important than the writing, because if your questions gain little insight into your subjects, then it makes the writing so much more difficult.
Sports writing is like an ice berg. The 15 inches of copy you see is merely the tip of the work that went into it (or should have)