To run or to ignore

Agreed.

 

I would run his number but not his name, in case he commits a hard foul later in the season</crossthread>

 

To me, it would depend on your location. If you're a small-town paper 25 miles out from a big city, why not? People will think it's kind of cool that the local kid cracked the Big City market. I think that's at least a little newsworthy. I wouldn't do a story, but would do two-paragraph brief or something. And, are you really competing with that TV station if it's 25 miles away and spends 99% of its resources focused on Big City schools? I highly doubt any of your readers will be confused enough to give you up and turn to them for their Podunk High news.

 

If the criteria of being named Athlete of the Month is that some mom called and nominated her son, is that worth writing about?

If the kid actually had a great month, why not simply write a story about him and all the wonderful things he is doing?

 

This, and whatever you do, be consistent with it. As said before, don't do it in February and then ignore it in March.

 

I ignore running. Does that count?

 

Put it this way:

Does the local TV or radio station mention the Podunk News athlete of the week/month?

I imagine most of them would scoff at the notion.

Asked and answered.

 

I had one like this a month or so ago. A girl from one of our high schools had the top overall score in the state bowling tournament (yes, bowling, don't laugh). As a result, she was statewide player of the week in the Clarion-Ledger. I mentioned that as part of a notebook item on their team's performance in the tournament. But if it's the local TV station's deal, not no, but hell no.

 

Before we started our own all-county team, I'd ask them it they ever saw a sign in McDonald's promoting the specials at Burger King.

 

Exactly. They have their job to do and you have yours. If your paper wants to do an Athlete of the Week/Month, that's your business. Unless the TV people break some news, like "John Doe has signed a letter of intent to play at State U.", then it's not a story.

 

If this kid had a bigger role or was just a bit better, maybe the team would have finished 3-21. Who knows, maybe even 4-20!

 

I once took a call from a mother who wanted a correction run about our all-area team. When I asked what the problem was, she said her son had been left off. As in, he wasn't picked for the team.

She insisted it had to be a mistake and wanted a correction, because our competitor had put her kid on their second- or third-team all-area team. She did not understand how the two teams could be different.