How to Become a Sports Writer

A sports writer covers games, athletes, and the stories around them, from match reports to long features. You become one by knowing a sport deeply, publishing coverage of it consistently, and turning fast, accurate reporting into clips an editor can trust.

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The steps to get there

1
Pick a sport and a level you can cover in person or closely, from local leagues upward.
2
Publish reports and features regularly, because volume of clips is how sports desks judge you.
3
Learn to file fast and accurately, since much of the job is deadline reporting right after the whistle.
4
Develop sources among players, coaches, and clubs, as access is what separates a report from a rewrite.
5
Widen your range beyond scores into features, profiles, and analysis that show a voice.
6
Pitch sports editors with a specific angle they cannot get from the wire.

A day in the life

You cover the match in person where you can, filing a report almost before the final whistle, then widening the same events into features, profiles, and analysis. The job runs on access and speed: sources among players and coaches, and the discipline to write fast without writing loose.

Your first 90 days

Pick a sport and a level you can cover closely, from local leagues upward, and publish reports and features regularly. Learn to file fast and accurately, develop sources for the access that separates a report from a rewrite, and pitch editors an angle the wire cannot give them.

On the pay

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics counts sports reporters within News Analysts, Reporters and Journalists (SOC 27-3023), which is not available through the public BLS wage data API, so no wage figure is shown here.

Your first markets

Real places to submit or pitch, pulled from this site's living databases on the day this page was built. Check each one's current guidelines before you send.

Contests and grants

Guggenheim Fellowship (US & Canada) — Grant amount varies; ~175 fellowships/year (deadline 2026-09-15)
Mslexia Novel Competition — £5,000 + manuscript feedback + agent intros (deadline 2026-09-21)
L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest — $1,000/$750/$500 per quarter + $5,000 annual grand prize (deadline 2026-09-30)
Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers - Boulevard — Publication and one-year subscription to Boulevard Magazine (deadline 2026-09-30)

Magazines that pay

Brilliant Flash Fiction — $20 US per accepted piece (open now)
CRAFT Literary — $100 for original flash (open now)
Raising Mothers — $100–$400 (open now)
Small Print Magazine — none (open now)

The full, sortable lists live in the deadline databases.

Looking for paying gigs and staff roles right now? Browse the writing jobs directory - verified job boards, pitch markets and marketplaces, filterable by niche.

Tools for the job

The free tools on this site that do this kind of work.

Frequently asked questions

How do I start writing about sports with no experience?

Cover the games near you that no one else is covering, from school and amateur leagues to local clubs, and publish the pieces. Consistent, accurate coverage of an overlooked beat is how most sports writers begin.

Do sports writers need to have played the sport?

It helps you read the game, but it is not required. What editors need is someone who understands the sport deeply, reports accurately, and writes with pace and a clear eye.

Is sports writing part of journalism?

Yes. Sports writing is a specialty within journalism, so the core skills of reporting, sourcing, and filing to deadline all carry over, applied to games and the people who play them.

What kind of writer should I be?

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