Sports Writing

"Friday Night Tykes" by Byran Curtis
A model article about youth football.

"The Ghost of the Gridiron" by W. C. Heinz
A model of writing about football, published in 1958. Available on PDF and Google docs formats in addition to being available to read online. Copyright clearance is needed to make paper copies for the classroom.

How To Write a Sports Article
Strong lead, clear writing, quotes, and more. Good for upper elementary and up.

How to Write a Sports Story
Examples and practice for middle school and above. This 13-page handout requires MS-Word or compatible application.

Narrative, Argumentative and Informative Writing About Baseball
Four writing activities for middle school and up. Common Core Standards provided. Don't miss the extension activity, a link to Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?"

Super Sportswriters' Camp
Students will identify the parts of a newspaper sports article in order to plan, write, and publish their own sports article. Lesson includes handout and rubric and is designed for grade 5.

A Whistle-Stop School with Big-Time Talent
An example of writing about football: Jerry Izenberg writes about Coach Eddie Robinson and Grambling State University's football program.

Writing Effective Openings
A challenge to students to write their own great opening lines, along with examples, tips, a quiz, and some lively student samples to help.

Writing Sports Profiles
Advice on considering conflict, news angle, setting, and more.