Would you touch this story?

spaceman's subhead ... "I hit it"

 

I'm with frank. if it's a college kid, maybe. have done a story on a college senior with a little girl that turned out nicely. but a high school kid? nah.

 

Again, if they agree to it ... if they WANT to talk ... then what is the problem? I don't think anyone is suggesting you ambush the kid.

 

Because it's pure voyeurism.

 

What the hell are you talking about?

 

Depends on how it is written, how good she is, whether she plans to play softball again in college or what have you.

 

If you can find a good angle for the story, I don't see why the hell you wouldn't write it. It's an issue more and more high school students are facing these days, and how athletes deal with something like that is certainly interesting enough to find a spot in the sports section.

The whole "if this was college, maybe, but high school? nope" argument is really old. An issue is an issue.

 

It would depend on your sourcing, and how the story was handled, of course.

But, it's an interesting, out-of-the-ordinary story regardless of the circumstances of how/why it happened. So, if I could get it, I would do it.

And I would certainly try to get it.

 

if the story can be turned into a larger issue piece, it could be fantastic. but if it's just set on one kid ... I don't know. guess there's not anything 'wrong' with it ... but to just be another 'she's a great athlete overcoming _____' story? meh. just doesn't play for me.

 

The story the OP describes, of a particular high school softball player knocked-up a second time after a first miscarriage causing her to miss the season, is not a matter of public concern. It does not matter whether she wants to talk about it or not. The details of her absence are not relevant to the performance of the softball team. This is not a sports story.

If the OP wants to turn this into a general interest feature on teen pregnancy, then I guess that's okay, but it still cannot be a sports story that talks about what a good pitcher Polly Pregnant was before she got knocked up, then quoting her coach on her rise-ball, then throwing in a graf or 2 about how she got knocked up, then about her future plans with softball. It would have to be a feature about what drove this girl to get pregnant, the ramifications, reflection on decisions, expert input, peer input, with maybe the slightest mention that she was also a star softball pitcher. Thus, it would not be a sports story.

So, if you're working in sports and covering the softball team this is not your story. If the girl wants to talk about it and you want to refer it over to someone else then fine. If you want to get special leave to write a non-sports story yourself, and have aspirations to cover something more than sports, and think you can do a good job with it, then good luck with your story.

 

So sports reporters ONLY write nice little gamers and the occasional "He was awful, but now he's good" feature?

 

You have a very narrow view of what constitutes a "sports story." Newsflash: The very best "sports stories" have very little to do with what goes on between the lines.

Just because you're not going to talk about her "rise ball" doesn't mean it can't be a story on your sports front. And, yes, if you are on the preps beat, this is a story you should at least attempt to pursue. If you cover this team regularly, you are in a unique position to cover this story ... you might have a relationship with this girl that no other reporter does (hopefully, the baby isn't yours).

Your logic here is so completely flawed that I am flabbergasted.