How To Become A Sports Journalist

If you’re a sports aficionado and love to write, becoming a sports journalist is a logical choice for a career path. Especially with the fluidity of the media industry these days, there isn’t a set trajectory for how to get there. You can start your own newsletter and gather a following on social media. However, there are some simple steps to get started as a freelance sports journalist.

We asked a few seasoned sports journalists for advice on how to get into the field (pun intended).

Don’t Feel Discouraged

Pete Croatto, a sports journalist who has been published in the New York Times and Rolling Stone, advises that early career writers to not feel overly intimidated by an arbitrary sense that they lack proper credentials. 

“You don’t have a [specific] background to write a sports story,” he says.

He says that if you have an angle and sources, you should feel free to pitch. 

Start A Newsletter

Similarly to other beats, self-publishing is a good way to get your start if you haven’t landed your first byline. With platforms like Substack, you can develop an audience.

“A newsletter can be a really good way to showcase your point of view,” says Frankie de la Cretaz, a freelance journalist and author of HAIL MARY: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League.

Writing a few blog posts of your own can be a great opportunity to cut your teeth, develop your voice, and eventually, present clips to an editor you want to work with.

Find Your Speciality

Chances are that you’re going into sports journalism because you’re a huge fan of major sports leagues. When starting out, you may be tempted to chime in with your own take of the latest NBA scandal or recap of what’s going on with Travis Kelce. However, trending topics are already being written about by an outlet’s in-house reporters. Cretaz notes that since staff writers are usually covering the more mainstream news, aspiring freelance sports journalists should  “look for the smaller stories” and “things that are more niche” and “underreported.” 

Jon Arnold, a sports journalist who runs Getting CONCAFED, a Substack newsletter, believes that “people who specialize in something are going to do better, especially as a freelancer” because staffers are covering “the big picture stuff.” 

Phil West, a sports writer, agrees, recommending that early freelancers look into their own skillset to see how it can translate to sports coverage. For instance, he cites knowledge of statistics as a potential asset.  

Rather than thinking broadly, narrow down your interests: Is there a specific team you want to report on? A trend happening in sports that’s not being written about? 

From there, you will be able to craft a stronger, more thought-provoking pitch. 

Think Locally 

Instead of trying to get that dream interview with a celebrity, you should think about lanes that aren’t so cluttered. You are more likely to stand out if you’re bringing something new and, practically speaking, as an early freelancer you may not get the same type of opportunities to interview all star athletes. 

“I would think first of access,” Croatto suggests. “[Think about whether] there’s something unusual that’s happening in your town that can turn into a sports story.” 

A local story, or any story that hasn’t already appeared on ESPN and other sports verticals, is much more likely to add something fresh to the conversation. 

Sports Is A Starting Off Point

Cretaz notes that the three sports stories they’ve written for the New York Times weren’t in the sports section. 

“If you think outside of the box in terms of who you’re submitting sports stories to, they’re not going to be as saturated either and they might be much more willing to pick up a story that has a sports bent because it’s not something their section is usually covering,” Cretaz notes. 

They have recently published a piece at The Nation about transphobia in competitive rock climbing. 

Arnold, similarly, says that sports stories can tackle broader issues, and hence, freelancers shouldn’t feel limited.

Go Back To Previous Editors For More Gigs

After you’re racked up a few bylines, you will want to find a steady anchor gig. Croatto suggests going back to the “same editors” and sites you’ve previously worked with to see “what they’re missing” and how you can help. 

Opportunity Finder is streamlining the process of finding editors, searching for rates, and sifting through pitch guides. This is a product built by former freelancers who have firsthand experience with pitching and contacting editors. Try Opportunity Finder.