Yearbook Write-up

The yearbook staff needs your help! They are looking for Write-ups for a few fall and winter sports teams.
Fall Sports
Girls Soccer
Cheerleading
Golf
Volleyball

Winter Sports
Girls Basketball
Boys Basketball
Boys Winter track
Girls Winter Track
Wrestling
Hockey
Swim and Dive

The write-up is only 1 paragraph and a brief summary of the season including the coaches, captains, and stand-out players.

I have a yearbook if you need an example!

Second Article - High School Sports Wrap-up!

For your second article, you will be working on a Winter Sports Wrap-up. You can choose any of the winter sports teams at the high school to focus on - Basketball, Track, Swimming, Wrestling, Hockey etc.

Season Preview and Wrap-up Stories

Season previews and wrap-ups are fixtures of the sportswriter's repertoire. These are done any time a team and a coach are preparing for the coming season, or when the season has just ended, either in glory or infamy.

Obviously the focus here isn't a specific game or even individual, but a broad look at the season - how the coach and players expect things to go, or how they feel once that season is done.

Here's an example of a lede for this kind of story: (a lede is the technical term for an introductory paragraph in journalism! )

Coach Diane Newell had high hopes for the Norton High School Varsity Volleyball team this year. After all, the Lancers qualified for the tournament for the first time in a decade last season and finished in fourth place overall, a feat that the team had never achieved before. And yet, their hopes were dashed as they unexpectedly fell one game short of qualifying. 

Your article should include all of the following

1) A title that attracts the reader and also summarizes the season

2) An introductory paragraph (lede) that entices the reader to continue. This should be more reflective and should be no more than 5 sentences. 

3) 2-3 Body paragraphs that highlight the strengths and/or weaknesses of the season. These should also include details about specific players or specific games that were significant during the season. You may have to do some asking around here. Ask coaches, players, look up information in local papers. This should be based on facts so you will need to do some research into the season! 

4) A closing paragraph that reflects on the season as a whole and perhaps forecasts the upcoming year. (This is a good place for quotes from players or coaches to be included as they are the ones most likely to reflect on the season!)

This will be due by next Tuesday, March 4th at the beginning of class. They should be posted on your blogs and printed out to be turned in. 

First Article

First Article – Olympics

You are going to be writing your first article on either a team or a specific Olympic athlete. This article should be informative as well as reflective. You may choose any athlete or sport. Things that need to be included in your article

1)      A title that captures the reader’s attention and accurately describes the content of the article

2)      The details in the article should be clear and supportive. You should do some research and share your research with the audience. Any information that you take from an outside source, needs to give credit to the source. If you get information from ESPN, give credit to the writer and the news source in the body of your article.

3)      Your article should also correctly and thoroughly identify WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and HOW. Who are your writing about? Give background! What event are they competing in? Who is their biggest competition? When is the event taking place or being aired? Etc. etc.

4)      Make sure you grab the reader’s attention from the beginning. Unlike formal essays, it is okay to start articles with questions to engage your reader!

5)      It should be as free as possible from any and all grammatical errors.

Response Questions for the Patch

So the Question is, How well do you think Sam will be accepted in the NFL?

As always, please keep your answers brief, 50 words or fewer, and have them to me by 9 a.m. Monday for consideration for The Page. Look forward to seeing your answers. An article on the issue is pasted below. Have a great week! Ken

BC-FBC--Missouri-Gay Player,885

By RALPH D. RUSSO

 AP College Football Writer

Tolerance is about to be tested in the National Football League. 

And Michael Sam hopes his ability is all that matters, not his sexual orientation. 

Missouri’s All-America defensive end came out to the entire country Sunday night and could become the first openly gay player in America’s most popular sport. 

“I just want to go to the team who drafts me,” Sam told ESPN in an interview that aired Sunday, “because that team knows about me, knows that I’m gay, and also knows that I work hard. That’s the team I want to go to.”  

Nobody has ever done this before.  

In interviews with ESPN, The New York Times and Outsports, Sam said publicly for the first time that he was gay. He said he came out to his teammates and coaches at Missouri in August. 

Sam will participate in the NFL combine later this month in Indianapolis and is projected to be a mid-round draft pick in May. 

“Hopefully it will be the same like my locker room,” he told ESPN. “It’s a workplace. If you’ve ever been in a Division I or pro locker room, it’s a business place. You want to act professional.” 

Sam received much public support Sunday night from people throughout the world of sports. 

“I can’t wait to cheer for whatever lucky team that drafts (at)MikeSamFootball. Personally I hope he goes to my favorite team. The (at)Colts” tweeted Jason Collins, the pro basketball player who said publicly last season that he is gay. 

There also were words of caution. 

Offensive lineman Frank Garcia, who played nine seasons (1995-2003) in the NFL with the Panthers, Rams and Cardinals, said Sam could face “huge challenges” in the league. 

Garcia was teammates and good friends with defensive lineman Esera Tuaolo, who announced he was gay on HBO’s Real Sports in 2002 — three years after he left the NFL. 

Garcia said although he and Tuaolo regularly hung out as teammates in Carolina in 1999, Tuaolo never once let on that he was gay. 

“I think a lot of guys in the NFL are going to say they will accept it, but there are a lot of guys who won’t,” said Garcia, now a sports radio show host with WFNZ-AM in Charlotte. “The reality is Michael Sam is going to open himself up to a lot of criticism and a lot of challenges. Those are challenges most gay people have to go through, but when you are dealing with alpha males and some meatheads in an NFL locker room it’s amplified. And there are some guys who have strong religious beliefs, too, so he’s going to be judged. He’s going to face some things that are going to be very difficult to overcome.” 

The 6-foot-2, 255-pound Sam participated in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., last month after leading the Southeastern Conference in sacks (11.5) and tackles for loss (19). He was the SEC defensive player of the year. 

There have been a few NFL players who have come out after their playing days, including Kwame Harris and Dave Kopay. 

Collins, a 35-year-old backup center, came out after last season when he was a free agent and was not signed this season. MLS star and U.S. national team player Robbie Rogers also came out a year ago. 

“His courage will inspire millions to live their truth,” Rogers tweeted about Sam. 

Division III Willamette kicker Conner Mertens, a redshirt freshman, said last month he was bisexual. 

“We admire Michael Sam’s honesty and courage,” the NFL said in statement. “Michael is a football player. Any player with ability and determination can succeed in the NFL. We look forward to welcoming and supporting Michael Sam in 2014.” 

Sam’s announcement comes at a time gay rights and sports have collided at the Olympics in Sochi. Russia’s anti-gay propaganda law has received much attention, and criticism, because of the games. 

“By rewriting the script for countless young athletes, Michael has demonstrated the leadership that, along with his impressive skills on the field, makes him a natural fit for the NFL,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president of GLAAD, a leading lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy organization. “With acceptance of LGBT people rising across our coasts — in our schools, churches, and workplaces — it’s clear that America is ready for an openly gay football star.” 

The NFL’s sexual orientation, anti-discrimination and harassment policy states: 

“Coaches, General Managers and others responsible for interviewing and hiring draft-eligible players and free agents must not seek information concerning or make personnel decisions based on a player’s sexual orientation. This includes asking questions during an interview that suggest that the player’s sexual orientation will be a factor in the decision to draft or sign him. 

“Examples: Do you like women or men? How well do you do with the ladies? Do you have a girlfriend?” 

Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams tweeted:  “I could care less about a man’s sexual preference! i care about winning games and being respectful in the locker room!” 

Williams’ teammate, cornerback Drayton Florence, posted on his Twitter account: “No comment but it can be a distraction in the locker room. At least he’s open with it much respect!” 

——— 

AP Sports Writer Steve Reed in Charlotte, N.C., contributed to this report. 

The Gangster in the Huddle

Response questions:
What were contributing factors that led to Hernandez's life of crime? What was his home life like? What were some of his criminal activities in the past that should have been a red flag to anyone looking to draft him.. cough Patriots cough... the reason he dropped so far down in the draft?
Aside from Hernandez himself, who is responsible for his actions? Coaches knew he was into some illegal activity and yet he was continually allowed to excel. Who should have stepped in? Why do athletes appear so untouchable?

Next class - we will be talking Olympic updates and also Winter Sports updates in the school. Come to class prepared to discuss current events in either Winter Olympics or High School sports. You will each be expected to contribute to a discussion so make sure you have some new or interesting information to report back.

Super Bowl Leftovers

So after hours of pre game coverage, hours of sports broadcasters blowing smoke and criticizing one another, hours of complimenting the "glorious" Peyton Manning, the Super Bowl is finally over. Were you correct in your predictions? Were you completely wrong?

Your first task today is to write a longer blog post. In your post you must include 1) a follow up to your original prediction..admit your defeat or proclaim your victory. 2) give at least 3 highlights of the game- who played well, who underperformed, etc. 3) your overall feelings about the event. Good half time show? Game was so boring you fell asleep? Best/ worst commercial?

Your second task is to do some research. Your first article will be an Olympic preview. Choose any topic/ event/ person you want to write your first article on. You will need to turn in a list that answers the following questions 1) WHO is involved. Explain who the person is, why the person (or people) are significant etc. Any and all relevant character details should be found 2)WHAT -explain the sport/ event/ significant details etc 3) WHEN it will take place etc.

This can be in bullet points. The more information you can collect from various sources the better. Do not lose your sources! Print out any articles you use for information so that you can give credit where it is due. Turn in your list of questions answered with your printed sources.