Storytelling Through the Lens of Sports
Course description: A semester-long course focusing on craft, access, voice, interviewing, and storytelling skills, all grounded in real-world experience. The sports world harbors diverse personalities, features natural narrative frameworks, and intersects with topics from business to education to race. In this age of Donald Trump and Colin Kaepernick, the lines have blurred, perhaps permanently. Students need not have a background in sports, or even a pre-existing interest. We’ll be viewing our subject matter as a laboratory, megaphone, and lens through which to focus on the human experience. The course will include: Reading and discussion, on-the-ground reporting at local events, navigating the pro sports PR behemoth (which is rivaled by only politics in trying to curate coverage), guest speakers, drawing out reticent interview subjects, and narrative strategies. Students will complete a series of smaller assignments – a reported column and a personal essay among them – and produce one meaty feature that is developed over the course of the semester and is suitable for publication. The format – written, audio, video – is up to the student.
Introduction: This course is not about “sportswriting”, the venerable but outdated genre of gamers, pressers and stock quotes. That world is fading. Its skills are narrow and become less applicable by the day. Rather, we’ll be using sports as a vehicle to discuss ideas and illuminate issues. Think of OJ: Made in America, or Michael Lewis’ “Moneyball” (a book about innovation and iconoclasts). We’ll view every sports story as, at heart, a story about people. All the tools of narrative writing – character, dialogue, scene – will be relevant. So will the tools of the essayist, including whimsy, satire, and voice. We’ll learn about the peculiar challenges of the sports world – the gatekeepers and wary subjects and media noise – and how to overcome them.
During the course, we’ll read and dissect the best work in the field, past and present, from Wright Thompson to Mina Kimes, from investigative stories that rely on court records and police reports to deep-dives based on immersion reporting. We’ll talk about how the writer gained access, approached interviewing, and structured and created the final product. You’ll learn about the idiosyncrasies and customs of sports institutions. We’ll also look at the magic trick of embedding a human tale into a sports framework and finding that, suddenly, people who’d usually steer clear of an issue – be it sexuality, race or immigration – will pay attention. As one of last year’s students put it, it’s like a “cheat code.”
All our work will be grounded in real-world experience. We’ll attend a Warriors practice and speak with players, beat writers, and the team’s media relations reps. More generally, I plan to tailor the course to the interests and skill sets of the students. For that reason, this syllabus will undoubtedly change before the beginning of class. You are the ones learning, after all. So we may cover a Cal rowing team, or you may shadow matched industry professionals for a day. I may bring in writers like Jason Fagone, who occasionally dabble in sports but are expert storytellers (his piece, “What Bullets do to Bodies,” was read into the Congressional record last year). We may cover a Warriors or Kings game. Whatever provides the most value to the class.
A few other notes:
* We’ll be hearing from a series of guests. Last year’s mini-course met in person with Pulitzer Prize winner John Branch (author, staff writer at The New York Times) and Pulitzer Prize winner Steve Fainaru (author, ESPN investigative journalist), former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie, and Chronicle columnist Ann Killion. This year, we’ll be able to expand the list, and guests will include broadcast media, sports photographers, and others adept at telling stories, no matter the format, as well as experts in niches such as law, crime, and analysis. If you have specific requests, or areas of interest, don’t hesitate to contact me ahead of time.
* IMPORTANT: You needn’t have a background in sports to take or benefit from the class. On the contrary, approaching the sports world with an outside perspective is often an advantage. It will help, however, if you become familiar with the primary outlets for good sports stories. Many of these you likely already read. The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, GQ, and numerous other general interest publications/websites run some of the best writing about sports. Sports Illustrated, where I work, was for many decades the standard-bearer for literary sports writing and is still home to excellent writers and reporters (or so we’d like to believe). In the last half dozen years, the New York Times has published innovative, creative work in its sports section.
* The class will meet weekly. It’s important that you attend all the classes. We don’t have a lot of time and we’ll be covering a lot, with each week building on the last.
*Finally, a note on my teaching philosophy, which can be summed up as: I’m all in. I’m passionate about this stuff. I love breaking down stories. I love the opportunities and surprises and insights of reporting, and the puzzle of writing.
READINGS
Readings will consist of stories available either online (the majority) or via handouts. You needn’t purchase anything. We will read some stories in class; others for homework. All will be linked on the course website. The readings may vary based on current events and student interests.
COURSE FORMAT, POLICIES, AND GRADING
Your Responsibilities
– Show up to class on time and prepared.
– Be proactive and engaged. Read widely and don’t be afraid to introduce new topics and suggest ideas. This class will benefit immensely from the collaboration. I expect each of you to push each other, and me, to be better.
– Peer editing is one of the most important parts of the class. Take it seriously and provide thoughtful, constructive feedback.
Grading
This course isn’t about grades, obviously, but I understand they are a necessity. With that in mind, you will be graded as follows:
Classroom participation: 25%
Group editing and feedback: 25%
Assignments, from conception to execution: %50
Make-Up and Late Policies
All work is due when stated unless in the case of exceptional circumstance. Deadlines are the lifeblood of journalism; respect them. Most important, late work hurts your classmates, as we will be workshopping.
Academic Honesty
Don’t cheat. Don’t plagiarize. Don’t make stuff up or fabricate quotes, scenes or anything else. As Ted Conover once said: “Either it happened, or it didn’t.” Anyone who is caught plagiarizing, fabricating or cheating will receive a zero for the course.
Revisions
This syllabus is subject to change throughout the semester, based on opportunities that may arise and your interests. I’ll keep the class informed of any changes.
Office Hours and Communication
I’ll hold regular office hours from 10-1 PM on Tuesdays. You can also contact me by phone or email, which I check regularly, though when possible face to face is always better. I’ll be using an email list as the primary means of class communication, so please check your email regularly. All class announcements will also be posted on the course site.
Disability Accommodations
If you need disability-related accommodations in this class, if you have emergency medical information you wish to share with the instructor, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please inform the instructor as soon as possible by seeing him/her after class or making an appointment to visit office hours. If you are not currently listed with DSP (Disabled Students’ Program) but believe that you could benefit from their support, you may apply online at dsp.berkeley.edu
ASSIGNMENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunities
This course is what you make of it. The Bay Area is rich territory for potential sports features and columns. There’s no reason why the work you produce in this class shouldn’t be published. Keep that in mind as you formulate story ideas. If your work is up to professional standards, I’ll do all I can to help you place it.
Personal Essay
Prior to the first class, please produce a short essay, between 600-1,000 words, about your relationship to sports. Perhaps you played in high school or college and the experience taught you something surprising or valuable. Maybe you go to opening day every spring with your aging father as a way to connect. Maybe you spent your formative years hating sports. Maybe you still hate sports. You can write about the feeling of running your first 5K or your worst experience in Little League. Make the essay funny, or sad, or insightful. It’s your choice. You needn’t do any reporting. If you prefer, you can produce a short-form video – no more than 3-4 minutes. We will be sharing and discussing the essays in class.
The goal is threefold.
1) To dig into your past and look for connections, emotions or moments that may provide the core of a publishable story or column (the essay can evolve into your primary project if you decide to report it out).
2) So that I can get a sense of you both as writers – your voice, style and tone – and people.
3) Because one of the keys to covering sports is relating to athletes, no matter how accomplished or managed they may be. Underneath all the dollars and scandals and the rest, sports are still games, and they evoke a giant range of emotions.
Assignments: Exercises and Reported Narrative Story
Students will complete a handful of smaller assignments during the semester, none of which will take more than a few days. Some we will complete in a day. These will primarily be exercises in pushing yourself and encouraging creativity.
The primary focus will be one meaty feature developed over the course of the semester. Students may choose a deeply-reported essay/column, a narrative feature, a reported radio piece, or a documentary-style video feature. Previous classes have covered all manner of subjects. One student used Marshawn Lynch’s old Oakland neighborhood as a way to talk about gentrification. Two students paired up for a story, told via audio and text, about the community of refugees from Laos and Vietnam who play Sepak Takraw in Oakland. Others wrote about hockey or biking. The goal, always, is publication. The platform – radio, print, video – is not as important as the storytelling. I’m a believer that there’s no such thing as a “sports story”; all stories are ultimately about people. I’ll work with students to formulate ideas, revise their work, and aim big. If you so choose, you need not even write about sports; a great story is a great story.
Suggestions: Choose a viable idea and have a publication/outlet in mind. Aim to make the reader feel something, or learn something, or see the world in a slightly different light. Write with authority and exploit the best elements of your voice. Follow your interests. If you’re fascinated with extreme sports or sports science, delve into those realms. Write about an intriguing Cal athlete or a compelling youth soccer coach in Richmond.
Important: Your story must be reported, even if it’s first-person. Which means using your experience as a jumping off point or bolstering it with reporting.
Aim to write 2,000-4,000 words. If the subject matter calls for it, write longer. Especially in this age of online outlets, it makes little sense to pigeonhole your work based on arbitrary designations. Produce the best work you can.
If you choose a photo essay, expect to write something as well. If you choose a video or radio feature, no written element is required.
About the Instructor
Chris Ballard is a senior writer at Sports Illustrated and the author of four books, most recently “One Shot at Forever.” He’s written for The New York Times Magazine, his work has been anthologized in “The Best American Magazine Writing”, and five of his features have appeared in “The Best American Sports Writing.” He’s a National Magazine Award finalist and seven of his stories have been optioned for film. He’s covered the NBA on and off for over a decade and writes features, columns, and longform stories for Sports Illustrated. He attended Pomona College and received a Masters in Journalism from Columbia University.
TENTATIVE CALENDAR
WEEK ONE – 1/16
Introduction: Landscape of Sports & Storytelling Foundation
WEEK TWO – 1/23
Idea Generation: Trophy & Scarf
WEEK THREE – 1/30
Ideas, Part II – Swift Breakdown, Where to Find & Test
Skype Guest: Mina Kimes, ESPN Senior Writer/Commentator
WEEK FOUR – 2/6
Access & Earning Trust
Skype Guest: Grant Wahl, Soccer Guru/Author, Sports Illustrated & Fox Sports
WEEK FIVE – 2/13
In-Class Story Pitches/Mooney breakdown
- DEADLINE FOR PITCH/STORY IDEA SELECTION****
WEEK SIX – 2/20
Reporting & Interviewing
In-Class Exercise: Interviewing
In-Class Guest: Ann Killion, 2017 California Sportswriter of the Year
WEEK SEVEN – 2/27
Storytelling Elements I
In-Class Guest: Jason Fagone, author, “The Woman Who Smashed Codes”; Chronicle narrative writer; freelancer for New York Times Magazine, Huffington Post, ESPN the Magazine, Wired, Mother Jones, and many others
WEEK EIGHT – 3/6
Warriors Week/Storytelling II
In-Class Guest: Ben Cohen, Wall Street Journal
March 5th trip to Warriors practice
WEEK NINE – 3/13
Story Structure.
Virtual Guest: Jessica Contrera, Washington Post
DEADLINE FOR WRITTEN CHUNK: LEDE/SCENE *****
WEEK TEN – 3/20
Video/Photo
Guest: Jed Jacobsohn, award-winning photographer/videographer: AP, Sports Illustrated, Player’s Tribune
NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK
WEEK ELEVEN – 4/3
Story Workshop
DEADLINE FOR PARTIAL DRAFT AND PROSPECTUS ****
WEEK TWELVE – 4/10
Cinematic Storytelling
In-Person Guest: Grant Thompson, Screenwriter, McFarland, USA
WEEK THIRTEEN – 4/17
The Edit Before the Edit
Guest Editor: Owen Good
FULL DRAFT DEADLINE****
WEEK FOURTEEN – 4/24
Pitching and the Industry
WEEK FIFTEEN – 5/1
Takeaways/Moving Forward/Party
*Final Stories Due/Shared*
Storytelling Through Sports 