Hundreds of writing genres exist on the web. Content is needed in every industry, and for just about every hobby. That leaves a lot of room for professionals to write about what they love. The sports niche is far more vast than many expect. It’s not just journalism about teams, players, and who won what game. Sports writers also write about workouts, hobby sports, athletic sciences, and more. If sports are something you are passionate about, it’s helpful to look closer at what opportunities may be available. Here are just a few jobs that a sports writer does.
5 Potential Jobs for a Sports Writer
- Sports Journalism – Do you want to cover high school, college, or professional athletics? There is still a need for sports journalists. Sports journalists cover a wide spectrum of topics. They’ll interview and write about top players, do opinion pieces about teams and potential success, and cover the highlights of a game or event. There are hundreds of sports out there, which means there are plenty of ways to fine-tune what you want to write about. The key is typically choosing something you know well and love.
- Sporting Events Marketing – Sporting event marketers write about big events and do pieces that are all about promotion. Many event marketers need to generate excitement—it’s all about why people should be there. Again, there are a lot of options within the genre, including writing for an event spot, a team, or marketing firm.
- Hobby Sports – Think about publications like Runner’s World, Outside, and Alpinist — they all focus on hobbies and sports that people participate in. This type of content covers a lot of topics as well, from how-tos and gear to training, diet, and travel. They cover different ability levels and numerous topics. Many writers in this field will be able to write blogs, product descriptions, reviews, lists, and articles.
- Sports Medicine - Sports medicine is a far more technical type of writing. In this type of writing, you are more likely to write about injury, maximizing performance, and other physiological aspects of athletics. Writers in this field will need to understand the human body, mind, and sports.
- Sport Outfitters and Gear Retailers – Another type of content needed in the sports world is sport outfitters. There is a nice variety of content to write for outfitters, whether it’s for a major retailer or a small mom and pop operation that guides people on hobby sport trips. You may find the ability to write white papers, eBooks, blogs, website content, newsletters, social media posts, and more.
How to Get Work in Your Sports Writer Niche
Professional writers often take work where they can get it until they build the experience and portfolio to write in their chosen field. However, there are ways to maximize your chances of become a successful sports writer:
- Practice and research – Start your own blog about the sport(s) you want to write about and the direction you’d like your sports writing to take. Do you want to do human interest pieces? Game coverage? Opinion? Gear reviews? Training how-tos? Research the most successful publications and writers, and research and practice your skills.
- Intern – Sometimes you can find internships with local or national publications, marketing firms, local teams, or companies. If you want to learn what it’s like to be a part of the sports writer field, this is a great way to build your reputation and get your foot in the door.
- Improve your writing, editing, and formatting skills – The more skills you have, the better. Writers don’t just put words on paper, they have to learn the art of revision, how to read a style guide, how to query, and more.
If you are ready to become a sports writer, start putting a plan together as to how you’ll achieve it. Make small, measurable goals and get motivated to meet each one. Remember not to take rejection to personally—many writers work for years to make it happen. If you put in the time and effort, you’ll increase your chances of writing about what you love.
