Dealing with mistakes a copy editor might catch...and covering JVs

Exaclty, have the coach send you the top scorers and maybe a one sentance summary. Covering the JV games will only drain time and space.

 

And the answer to their parents when they call and ask why they don't get covered, " It's JV. If your son/daughter works hard, they'll get coverage when they play varsity."

What you want to say: "Look, I understand that you think the coach screwed little Johnny. But I cover the team he picks. Don't try an end-around on me because you think your kid is good and he isn't."

 

Do not let parents bully you into covering JV games. Draw a line, and draw it firmly.

Also, do not let the amateur photographer parents bully you into running their JV photos. They are welcome to send them, but you don't have to run them. If you accept courtesy photos for varsity games you can't attend, make it clear that you run varsity pics only, not JV.

 

I know this is going to sound like one of those posts from someone who doesn't realize small-paper realities, but I really think you say no, PERIOD, to courtesy photos on games.

If you're not dealing with someone on your payroll, you run into situations where they demand to know why you used picture X the week before and didn't use picture Y this week.

 

Yeah. Does the paper have a website? Let 'em post it there if they want.

 

I forget the Latin expression and maybe somebody can provide it, but the English version is "Don't let the Bastards Get You Down"

 

That would be illegitimi non carborundum. Applicable to any JV event, or youth sports, for that matter.

 

One thing I've done over the years as I've gotten to know people in the community, is I occasionally mention to certain parents who are big parts of the athletic program that I don't cover JV and told them why (too many teams, when they play varsity they get covered, etc.). Those conversation inevitably filter their way through the ranks of parents for most of the teams.

When I first started here, I got calls about covering JV and/or middle school a few times per season. Now, I barely ever hear anything about it. They all pretty much know the deal by now and by telling people I had a good rapport with, the information came out in a positive light and not with me getting into an argument with some overzealous parent.

 

Things i've learned: get the score right. Spell the names right. Get the mascot right. Try to get in as many names as you can. Mess those up and no purple prose can save you. I didn't learn it from a manual either. I learned it by screwing up. Now you know whats important to your readership and you can set up ways to ensure accuracy next time.

 

About once a season I get the "Why don't you cover the JV/freshman/middle school team that's having a great season?" call. If somebody wants to write up a few paragraphs and maybe send a team photo, I'll use it, but I'm not going to cover it myself. It's all I can do just to cover all the varsity teams and if I cover one JV team myself, it just opens the door for all of them.
A few weeks ago, I received a complaint about why I didn't use a photo of a varsity wrestler that was submitted, and used a staff photo of a different varsity wrestler. The reader pointed out that the kid in the unused submitted photo won his match and the kid in the staff photo that was used lost. Maybe so, but if I use a courtesy photo instead of a staff photo, our photo editor would have my hide for wasting his photogs time.
I understand people mean well and want to help (when it helps them, too) but sometimes the best way to help is to not help.