1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Interviewing kids

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by HanSenSE, Jun 30, 2010.

  1. I think not asking the yes or no questions is the biggest thing.

    I wrote a story about five years back about some hot shot 10-year-old who was tearing it up on the racetrack. The cars weren't quite go-karts, some kind of modified version they used for these kind of races. Anyway, the kid was doing so well in local and regional races against older kids, Red Bull racing was ready to sign this kid to a contract when he was old enough.

    Taking all that into account, the open-ended questions were easy to ask: How does it feel to be pursued by Red Bull Racing? What's the feeling you get when you beat older kids? How do your friends at school react to what you do? What do you do to get ready for each race?

    I remember after the interview his mother told me he doesn't talk much and I looked down at my tape recorder and saw I had about 25 minutes. I laughed and said he did pretty well. Some kids just open up when you ask the right questions.
     
  2. Smash Williams

    Smash Williams Well-Known Member

    Really depends on the kid. One of the best interviews I've had recently was with an 8 year old girl. The 11 year old girl I talked to later that day (youth sports clinic), on the other hand, was freaked out by me.

    Some basic tips -

    Always ask follow up questions, and try to get involved in a conversation instead of a true Q&A. If at all possible, let them see what you're writing down or really limit the notes. They get distracted, and if they're old/self-aware enough, they'll start getting self-conscious about what you're writing.

    If you can, sit down with them. That puts the two of you on a more level playing field, and the kid will like it. Ask them to show you something if they're freezing up, or let them fidget with a bat or ball or whatever.

    In general, kids are pretty literal, and a lot of them will answer with a single sentence instead of the 3-4 sentence thought. Some will also think you're looking for a "right" answer like their teacher would, which leads to a lot of the "uhhh" ing. That's why it's important to get them in a conversation and not a strict Q&A.

    A great thing to do with kids is to watch and listen very closely for what they say to each other or their coach and, within reason, quote that.
     
  3. crusoes

    crusoes Active Member

    Most girls. I've run into my share of teenage Sphinxettes.
     
  4. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    Good advice, all. I've had a couple of interviews hijacked by parents, even grandparents. I've usually found creative ways to politely know they're butting in.
     
  5. kingcreole

    kingcreole Active Member

    Did a story on a 12-year-old baseball team that won one of those "national" tournaments a few years ago. Its best player was a girl. She was a helluva an interview, and a couple of her teammates were too.

    One kid said, "We don't care if you're a boy, a girl or an alien. If you can play baseball, you can play for us."

    Loved it. Some kids are better interviews than the college kids I deal with.

    As for the original question, I'll have a list of about five kids I may want to interview. I'll ask the coach which one talks the most and never shuts up.
     
  6. Mediator

    Mediator Member

    I agree that for a Little League tournament, getting the right quote is a numbers game. It's not like you have to get A Rod, so talk to a few one on one, find the best talker and there is your lead.

    A lot of good advice on this thread, and most of it applies to interviewing the grownups as well, except for the bending down part. That would be weird.
     
  7. expendable

    expendable Well-Known Member

    My best success has come when interviewing them in groups. No more than two or three, but they tend to open up more when with their teammates. I've found they like to talk about their teammates' performances more than their own.
     
  8. PBOWKER

    PBOWKER Member

    some great advice on this thread!

    The most important, though, is get them into a conversation. This works with ALL ages, and a conversational tone can lead to the good quote that you're looking for.

    When dealing with the younger kids, interviewing them in groups of two or three (especially after winning one of these summer league championships) can be particularly effective. If little Johnny won't say anything, then his loudmouth friend, Joey, standing next him, will say something. Or at least, he'll give a gesture to Johnny as if to say, "Speak up, dude!" If you're one-on-one with a quiet 12-year-old, there's no escape...
     
  9. farmerjerome

    farmerjerome Active Member

    Be ready with a lot of throw away questions.

    If you get stuck, ask the kids about something one of his/her teammates did. Sometimes kids can't talk about themselves. That works in preps too.
     
  10. esport12

    esport12 Member

    Agree with most of what people have said here. One thing I have done is to talk about myself to get the conversation going. You know when I was 12.... and the kid, without prompting, invariably responds. or gets more comfortable.
     
  11. Den1983

    Den1983 Active Member

    Agreed. If you want to talk about one kid's great game, ask a teammate.
     
  12. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    If you are standing and are a foot taller than them, sit down with them. Less intimidating.

    If they say yes or no, wait three to five seconds and see if they keep talking. Sometimes you do not need the follow up. Sometimes they are thinking of what to say. They just need the time to say it.

    Pay attention to who the chattiest kid on the field is. Who really gives a shit if they are any good? They will probably be your best talker.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page