Tips for reporting on high school athletics

I've always reported from the press box. For some reason, I can't take football notes without a bird's eye view. If you stay out of the team's way (in front of the bench and what not) I don't see the problem. Still ask the coach, though. You don't want a Bobby Knight meltdown in front of a football stadium.

 

Simple solution for rain:
Buy a big-ass pancho, but only if it comes in a big-ass clear plastic bag.
When it rains, wear the pancho. Put your notebook (I use a legal pad on a clipboard with my running individual stats on the back of the clipboard) and writing hand inside the bag. Don't take it out.
Everything stays dry, you can see what you're writing and you stay dry. Best of all, you can probably charge the company for it.

 

Do some research ahead of the event. Used to be quite a challenge, but not so much these days with the internet.

Find out how the teams you are covering are doing. On a winning streak? Losing streak? Coaching change? Key injuries? Where in the season does the event fall? What is the history with the teams/individuals involved?

Develop a story line BEFORE you go cover the event (even if you aren't writing an actual preview). Then you can compare that with what exactly happens at the event. Was it an upset? Did someone have a career day? Those are the kind of things that can make a good game story. What I see too often is that reporters show up to cover a game not having a clue about one or more of the teams/players.

 

Don't rely on the team managers for stats, EVER, and triple-check the players' names.

Oh, and don't give any parents of players so much as the time of day.

 

Speaking of parking ... if you're not filing from the stadium, park as close to the gates, not the stadium, as possible. Even at the smallest of schools, no matter how long you hang around afterward, there's gonna be traffic. For a big game once, when I lived close enough to the stadium, I threw a bike in the back of my car, grabbed my usual parking spot at 3 p.m., then rode home for a few hours.

If you're working upstairs, you can always check numbers against the PA announcer's roster. Just like you, it's his/her job to have the right IDs.

Before you go, ask your editor if he wants anything on the JV game, if it's being played before the varsity game. He'll either want nothing or just a score, in most cases. When mom calls wanting more, talk to your outdoors guy for a list of short piers she can take a long walk off of ... unless she's hot, of course.

 

Always be looking ahead for feature or enterprise story ideas. Those are where you can let your creative talents shine and will be far more memorable than the average gamer.

 

While whatever game's coming to an end, make some quick notes of questions you'd like to ask the coaches and players (if any) that will help form your story so that when the time comes minutes later, you're ready to rock.

 

It's OK, though, to date the cheerleaders once they turn 18. But it's better form to go for their moms.

 

If you end up just covering a couple of schools be sure to go out and talk to head coaches during the school. Just let them get to know you. You'd be surprised how much that helps you. If they know you and you have a working relationship with them sometimes they will give you information others don't get. Also they will talk to you more candidly. Plus head coaches become good sources when other things happen at a school, like another coach getting fired. Even another coach at another school in the district. One more good person to make friends with is the head trainer and the main secretary. It's amazing how much secretaries know. I guess this is really basic stuff.

One thing I always do is talk to the coach before a game. At my last job, I had two main schools I covered. No matter what, I'd go down to the field during warm ups and shoot the shit with the head football coach and his coordinators. Get any last second thoughts and let them know I'll be down after the game to talk to them. Plus in Texas, it's just cool to go down and soak up some of the Friday night atmosphere.

I also like to get to the stadium early to stake out a seat in the press box. Get there early and you don't have to worry about a seat or an electrical outlet.

Always call ahead to the Athletic Director and let them know you are coming to the game. It sure can't hurt.

After reading some of the comments on here, I'm really glad I get the chance to cover high school sports in Texas.

 

Unfortunately, I have to do things differently than people here because I'm responsible for taking pictures at my games in addition to reporting. So I have to walk the sidelines.

I usually walk the sidelines of the team I'm covering. The players and coaches are more likely to know who you are and not think much of it if you're mingling with them. Be prepared to run if a play gets anywhere near you unless you don't mind being tackled with no pads on by a linebacker who is 10 years younger than you.

As for taking notes in the rain, I generally shoved my notepad in the waistband of my jeans and then flopped my shirt over it. Keeps it dry and when I need to make a note of something, I can quickly pull it out, jot it down and shove it back in without completely compromising the integrity of the paper.

Because I was having to juggle a camera in addition to a notepad, I had to rely on whoever it was taking stats for the home team. Very few teams had computerized stats. My way of thinking: if they're at least close to being right, very few parents are going to call in and bitch since those are considered "official" stats. The main things to get right are who scored, general chronology halftime score, final score. The rest is just filler.

Also, if you make sure to make contact with the coach at some point of being there (even if it's late in the season and they just see you and know you're there), some will be decent and will make sure to talk to you before they take off. One coach I covered I had to chase down after every game but the other one actually put forth an effort, which means I put forth a much better effort on his stories and features.

Recorders are good. Start it before you walk up to the coach. That way, if one were to go on a tirade the way a coach did on me last season, you've got nice audio proof to play for their athletic director as a reason for why you're not coming back the rest of the season.

 

Most of the stuff on here is good stuff.
Getting to know coaches/players is key. And before you go start shagging fly balls/shooting hoops or just sometimes saying hi to a player, you better be sure you know the coach, and he's cool with that. Some coaches are so controlling they don't want a member of the media even looking in the general direction of some of his team with his consent.

Definitely know how and when you have to send any game story and if you are filing by your computer...even if you know the stadium has wireless access (good luck with that in HS), have a backup plan. McD's are good. Since I've been at my joint for quite some time, I personally know quite a few hotel desk clerks who are more than willing to let me borrow the lobby and wifi.

And speaking of backup plans: Many games you will know who the standout players are you want to talk to. But if you don't know them, you may not know how good an interview they are. Joe Blow may be able to rush for 328 yards and score 5 TDs, but he may not be able to tell you anything more than "WOOO, This feels great" (This is based on a true kid in a state semifinal game), so always plan to interview a couple of kids...and in football, some linemen are dumb as stumps, but those that aren't may give you the best quotes you will ever use.

And oh yeah....never forget the basic Ws. Repeat that. Seems obvious enough but there may be a day when you get a call similar to one a previous SE had for me: "He Joe, great story, I think you really captured the game. Just one question: What was the final score?"

 

You seriously think shagging flies, taking BP or shooting hoops is a good idea?