Purpose
The purpose of this project was to create a weekly sports platform on interesting topics, centered around college and NFL football. As a sports enthusiast, I wanted to share my love of football by composing engaging articles highlighting the behind the scenes events of people and places in this exciting industry.
Additionally, from this experience, I wanted to gain a better understanding of communicating with the public through the blogging venue. Furthermore, as a writer and author, I determined that learning to express my creative ideas in this medium would be a valuable asset in the art of communication.
The Project Samples
Here are four samples of my posts:
Challenges Faced
Initially, I imagined that creating a public blog would be similar to writing a college paper or report. However, I quickly learned that formatting a blog post was challenging because it required the journalist approach to writing.
For example, one challenge was learning how to switch my citing mindset from the MLA and APA format to writing with a news reporter mentality. This was difficult as I faced the public scrutiny of my work and words while using information from another source. Without the aid of MLA or APA formatting, I had to learn how, where, and when to cite information from an outside venue.
An additional challenge was learning how to be an official sports blogger. This new writing venture required a different type of researching and writing technique that I was unfamiliar with. Furthermore, I had to remember that my ideas and topic information had to be interesting enough for the public to read.
The final challenge was learning how to determine what photographs could and could not be used in public posts. Suddenly, copyright issues became friend and foe in creating my blog. If I could not find a credible source for the photograph, I determined that it could not be used in the final piece.
Project Processes
When I envisioned creating this sports blog, I based my concept on the news commentator Paul Harvey. I believed that the little known facts of information behind people and events in football held the key to keeping the public reader interested in what I had to say. Therefore, I knew that I needed to have a weekly system for formulating and implementing my ideas. I began by using WordPress.com to create and publish my sports blog posts.
I began by creating a list of eight topics that I thought would be interesting to research based on current events in the sports world of college football or the NFL. Once the information on a particular subject was compiled, I began the search for interesting or corresponding photographs. Oftentimes, this was a disappointing endeavor when credible sources or citing could not be determined.
Every Tuesday morning, Scott McIntosh (my mentor) and I would meet via Zoom to discuss weekly topics, areas of improvement, and previous posts. His insight and experience in journalism was a valuable part of my creative writing and posting process.
When the initial information was compiled, I created a rough draft, which would be rewritten several times before it was sent to Mr. McIntosh for review. He would then make editing suggestions and corrections. The rewriting process would begin, making additions or edits before submitting my final WordPress.com post each week.
The best thing about receiving Mr. McIntosh’s edited reviews was that I was able to see where I needed improvement and where I was gaining confidence, using a news reporter mentality.
Overview
After posting my first article I felt triumphant. However, during my initial personal review and reflection process, I realized that writing a post for the public was more difficult than I imagined. Each week, I had to learn how to write new insights into an already public sporting using a journalistic viewpoint. This process was initially challenging and overwhelming. However, as my confidence grew, sports blogging became a creative process that I embraced.
This project also helped me to see the value and wisdom of working with an experienced mentor. Scott McIntosh provided unfiltered criticism to my writing, editing, and citing techniques. Accepting and applying his insight helped me to grow in this new area of communication while developing some fun and exciting sports posts.
My posts included the following titles:
Streamlined NCAA Transfer Portal is Better for Student Athletes, Better for Fans
Lights, Camera, Action: SoFi Stadium Taking Center Stage
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: Part 1
The Coliseum: Home to the USC Trojans: Part 2
100 Years: The Rise of the National Football League
The Man, The Myth, The G.O.A.T.*
Lombardi: A Coaching Legacy That Lives On
The Heisman Winner Is…
Insights
The educator and influential speaker Booker T. Washington stated, “I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed.”
While there were many obstacles to overcome in this project, I gained an even greater appreciation to the concept that anyone can write a blog; however, it takes a deeper understanding of news reporting and journalism to be a good blogger.
Furthermore, a journalist approach to writing requires a finite attention to details while focusing on a specific topic. Communicating in this venue required a new level of patience, editing proficiency, and re-writing capabilities.
Another obstacle to overcome was learning that my opinion in each article needed to be silent while focusing on providing factual information on a specific topic. Scott McIntosh, my mentor, provided wisdom and insight on how to use the news reporter mentality in citing another writers work or photographs. This was truly a difficult concept that I had to overcome each week. I could no longer depend on the rote details of MLA or APA formatting to help guide me in the citing process.
This communication project increased my love of football as I brought to life the in-depth, behind the scenes stories in my Sports Enthusiast posts. Furthermore, this project peeked my interest in news reporting and I look forward to learning more about professional journalism. This project helped me to realize that the world of writing for the public is just a key stroke away.