Little League World Series insights

A bold choice, to be sure. But I'm sure any editor would see this as a bold principled stand, and reward him accordingly. ***Too tired for blue font***

Seriously, though, if you think covering news is beneath you, then you should try filing for unemployment after you get canned for insubordination. See how your pride reconciles that.

 

And it's not as if the editor will say "yeah, PETeacher is right, we shouldn't cover this." He'll more than likely assign it to someone else.

 

There were assignments I thought were beneath me, but those words never came out of my mouth. My response was to cover the shit out of it, give them MORE coverage than they deserve. Then, afterward, have a congenial discussion with the editor about whether this really was worth the coverage ... NOT that it was beneath you.
Hell, one year I went from covering a National League pennant contender to -- because of a strike/lockout -- covering the Babe Ruth League World Series. I was seriously pissed, but I gave it the top effort I had.
Got a letter afterward from a guy who was a major league scout and also involved with the Babe Ruth team. He said, "You're probably the only writer in the nation who covered TWO World Series winners in the same season."
Got a good laugh out of that ... as I went to cover the Watts Summer Games and the World Games for the Deaf.

 

Wow.

It's not about you, dude.

It's about the readers.

You have a crappy attitude.

 

I've heard third-hand that Williamsport is an armpit and that hospitality rates are jacked up for this part of the year; it's Williamsport's opportunity to hold visitors captive. Be prepared.

Don't constrain yourself to featuring players/coaches. What were some of the extreme travel scenarios families will have to go through? I assume the team has already had to travel to a district/state/regional tournament; how bad are the expenses getting for families? How DO players/coaches spend the downtime -- playing tourist? Any "super fan" stories -- someone without a blood tie to the team making the trip -- or "last time a team from here went to Williamsport" stories? Don't forget the wet-blanket approach: How many Little League titans (the Chris Drury exception noted) have much success at high school, let alone beyond that? What's the team's secret of success (practicing 40 hours a week)?

I don't know your outlet's digital presence, but you should be able to own real-time updates via your paper's website and/or Twitter. Suggest to your advertising department they try to get a sponsor for said digital real-time score updates.

Don't forget to look out for your own pocketbook -- are any other newspapers that have teams in the field NOT sending a reporter and need a freelancer (i.e., you) to cover their games?

 

Does Williamsport bring in waitresses from State College to handle the rush?

 

Thanks Dog8Cats...just the type of advice I was looking for...some good ideas in there...I know it's a financial hardship for many of the families. A real Catch-22...clapping and celebrating a big win, a big moment for their kids, then the "Oh, we have to pay for a cross-country trip" moment shortly follows.

 

Make sure the city desk is clued in too. There's bound to be viewing parties at local sports bars/restaurants that can be covered. Do a bunch of them go to the same school, or have the same teacher? They may also need a color piece on A1.

 

Oh, please spare me that "it's about the readers" spiel.

Of course, the job is about the readers, but there are lines, too. If it were really "about the readers", we'd cover competitive cheerleading like we cover basketball. If it were really "about the readers", we'd publish the names of alleged rape victims. If it were really "about the readers", we'd write stories about the junior varsity and freshmen teams.

But we don't because there are levels that we won't lower ourselves to, regardless of what the readers want.

Be honest with yourself. Did you really go through four-plus years of college, work your tail off to get into the journalism industry, and perhaps make a few upward movements to cover Little League baseball?

I didn't.

And I wouldn't be canned for insubordination, because I'd exit that door on my own accord first if I were ever asked to lower myself to that level.

 

+1

i heard they might need the work.

 

We don't cover competitive cheerleading, middle school baseball and the local Little League regular season, because it is about the readers. We know the vast majority of them don't care about those sports -- just a few vocal parents. The LLWS (or the other youth baseball organizations) does have a much more broad appeal. People all of a sudden care, because the kids are representing their town on a National stage, and a televised one, at that.
I really didn't want to go to so South Mississippi in August when I was sent to the Dixie Youth World Series a few years back, but I wanted my name on the story. Why? Because I knew I could do a better job of telling the team's story than anyone else at my shop. The team was the talk of the community for about a month.