Things You'll Need:
- Writing Implement (pen, pencil, felt tip pen, crayon - the choice is yours)
- Notebook
- Past Team History (statistics, player changes, coach changes, personnel changes, previous seasons' results)
- Phone
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Step 1
Read up on your selected team. For example, browse old newspaper articles, the web, any credible information you can find about the team. Observe how other writers have written up sports previews and take note of what kind of phrases they use specifically for the preview.
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Step 2
Create a contact list of coaches. A list may already be available depending on the newspaper for which you are writing the article. Ask your editor if one is available from previous previews. If not, search the schools' web sites for coaches' emails and/or phone numbers. If coach information is not included on the web sites, contact the Athletic Directors (AD) of the schools.
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Step 3
Compose a list of interview questions. These can start off as simple as, "What is the spelling of your name?" or "How long have you been coaching this team?" Remember, if you don't know the basics, you can't convey the information to your readers.
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Step 4
Make those phone calls! You should have notebook and writing implement in hand, of course.
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Step 5
Be able to think on your feet during interviews. You can stick to your original interview questions, but conversation with the coaches may have sparked more questions. Ask them!
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Step 6
After you have conducted all of your interviews, write your article. Generally in the newspaper industry, being concise is best. Use words that are descriptive and "hit the nail on the head," rather than using unnecessary words that will make the preview verbose.
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Step 7
Proofread your work. Double check spellings of names and high schools. Make sure everything is grammatically correct. Read your preview out loud - Does it flow? Do the transitions make sense? Are you using the correct forms of words (e.g., "they're" instead of "their")? Is the tense maintained throughout the preview?
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Step 8
After you have edited your preview and corrected all that you wanted to fix, submit it to your editor!
