Sports columnists are professional journalists who report on current events in sports for their readers. It is possible that the job will require you to focus solely on one sport or a variety of sports. Sports columnists can work for a local newspaper, website, sports magazine, television sports show, or syndicated column as freelance writers. A college degree and a college sport writing internship are usually required to become a sports columnist.
If you want to be a sports columnist, you should get a college degree in English literature, American literature, or journalism. Writing-intensive majors such as English literature, American literature, or journalism will provide you with the training you need to become a good columnist. Granted, taking a different route, such as earning a degree in cultural media and sports, is an option.
A college sports writing internship, in addition to the aforementioned majors, can be beneficial. An internship could be a good idea for you because it will supplement your classroom learning and help you develop a writing portfolio, which you can use to apply for jobs after college. Your college’s career services department should be able to assist you in finding and applying for a suitable internship in sports writing.
During your final semester of college, you will most likely apply for your first sports-related writing job. Keep in mind, however, that your first sports writing job may not be what you had hoped for. When you first start working, you might find yourself covering local sports, not meeting any famous athletes, researching player statistics, or fact checking instead of writing. It could be years before you get the chance to write your own sports column.
Sports columnists have long work hours. Sports columnists must also be able to write, edit, and meet deadlines. Because sports columnists frequently interview players, coaches, team owners, and others involved in sports, good interpersonal skills are also advantageous.
It’s important to remember that if you work as a sports columnist, sports will consume your life. For example, if you cover a professional sports team and that team happens to have a game on Thanksgiving or Christmas, you will be required to work on those days. As a result, if you want to be a sports columnist, you must be willing to make such a sacrifice.
Sports columnists must also have a knack for capturing the moment. This is a skill that goes beyond being able to string together coherent sentences for an article. The sports columnist, for example, must accurately describe the current sports events while also conveying the excitement or mood of the event. It is not always easy to write in this manner. As a result, a sports columnist must be a gifted writer.