How to Break Into Sports Journalism

By Heather Taylor In college, I interned in the sports department of a Southern California newspaper. The newsroom there was filled with enthusiastic editors and writers (both male and female!) who were constantly popping in and out en route to games, checking emails, taking phone calls, and watching TV screens that played seemingly never-ending baseball and basketball games. The energy was electric, and there was never a dull night.

If you have never worked in sports media, it’s easy to assume it’s a boys’ club. Spoiler alert: take a look at how many women are on staff at ESPN, The New York Times Sports, or Sports Illustrated and you’ll see it’s absolutely not. But like so many industries, sometimes you could be the only woman in the room, or other times you might be one of 27 women competing for the same position.

Breaking into this field requires tenacity, drive, guts, determination, and most of all, love for the game. Wondering if you’d make the cut? Ed asked his sports editorial friends for their advice on how to break into this field with confidence.

Know your stuff.
A runner since high school, Meghan Kita knew early on that majoring in magazine journalism meant she’d end up at Runner’s World. Now, as senior editor, Kita firmly believes that the best way to break into this industry is to be on top of your game, literally. “If you want to write or edit stories on a certain topic, be as well-versed in that topic as you can possibly be,” she says.

For example, one serious topic that Kita felt needed to be addressed was mid-run harassment, a frequent occurrence with female runners—yet a story that doesn’t get discussed as much as it should. She conducted a survey and eventually helped publish Running While Female, a special report on the topic. More than half of Runner’s World’s readers are women, and Kita is proud to be involved with coverage that that their audience can actually use. “Whatever you can do to immerse yourself in the topic you’d like to cover can only improve the quality of your story ideas and the quality of the edits you might make on others’ work,” she says.

Don’t give up on your ideas.
Kayla Lombardo, editor at Excelle Sports, has loved both words and athletics ever since she was little. However, like so many writers, she has often struggled with self-doubt about her abilities. That’s why she uses a line from A League of Their Own as her mantra when the uncertainty kicks in: “The hard is what makes it great.”

Lombardo also knows how discouraging it can be to watch story ideas you pitch get passed over by your editors. But just because it was rejected once doesn’t mean you have to forget about it entirely, she says. If you believe in that idea, find someone who will embrace it. “There is a community willing and waiting to consume the content you produce, no matter how niche it may seem,” she adds. “And thanks to the Internet, it is easier than ever to find and impact that audience with your words and ideas.”

Own it.
Imagine landing your dream sports editorial job—and then getting put on a sports beat that you know very little about. That happened to Jamie Lisanti when she got her first position at Sports Illustrated covering tennis. The game was unfamiliar territory at first, but it quickly became the best thing that could have ever happened to her. She asked questions, conducted thorough research, and listened to people with experience. “I always try to remember to be a reporter first and foremost, and I think that can help any journalist looking to break into any area in media,” she says.

Now a producer at Sports Illustrated, Lisanti says that if you want to break into this industry, you need to be confident and ready to tackle problems head-on. “I face challenges every day, whether it’s handling breaking news, writing on deadline, working on a new project, reporting on an unfamiliar subject, or figuring out a new system,” she says. “Even now, after dozens of stories in the magazine and online, seeing (and holding!) that first Sports Illustrated issue with my byline under a story is still a special moment for me. That’s what makes this job so rewarding and fun. Every day is different.”

Heather Taylor is a former entertainment writer turned brand mascot aficionado (and head writer) for Advertising Week’s Icon Blog. She shares her thoughts on pop culture at HelloGiggles and has been published in Brit + Co, The Drum, and BettyConfidential. Chat with her about anything from SNL to the Pillsbury Doughboy on Twitter @howveryheather. GIFs highly encouraged.