How To Become A Sports Writer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a sports writer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Cathy Irwin Ph.D.

A sportswriter writes entertaining and informative news on sports and publishes it for readers through various mediums like blogs, websites, newspapers, or magazines. As a sports writer, you will write about sports teams, a particular kind of sport, or a niche within the sporting world. You may work directly with a publishing company or choose to be a freelance sports writer. This work requires a lot of research, which is dependent on the nature and specifics of the job requirements and the current updates of sports events. In most cases, compensation comes per specific writings, and you can also get generous additional benefits from your place of work.

For this job, you need a college degree, additional education or training within journalism, or work experience with a sports organization. You must be embellished with strong writing skills, a great understanding of sports and sports updates, the ability to meet deadlines, and the ability to research thoroughly. You can earn up to $49,000 per year.

What general advice would you give to a sports writer?

Cathy Irwin Ph.D.

Professor of English, University of La Verne

Because of the pandemic, entering the workforce has been hard for many. At the same time, many employers have moved online and are meeting with clients and customers through Zoom and other online platforms. As a result, employers now, more than ever, need employees who have excellent communication skills.

English majors from La Verne graduate with excellent writing and critical thinking skills. As a result, they do have opportunities after they graduate. Many of them are hired in jobs because of their writing and editing skills. A large percentage of students decide to go to graduate school. They want to serve their communities, so they become teachers, librarians, lawyers, and officers in non-profits or the city sector.

The medical field is also starting to welcome students from the humanities because they are looking for well-rounded, articulate, and compassionate people. If students with a humanities degree want to go into the health or medical sector, they can apply to one-year post-baccalaureate programs that lead to medical school.

ScoreSports WriterUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $36,041

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate -10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.30%

Asian 8.75%

Black or African American 6.62%

Hispanic or Latino 13.23%

Unknown 4.44%

White 66.66%

Gender

female 17.39%

male 82.61%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.1

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a sports writer

Explore sports writer education requirements

Most common sports writer degrees

Bachelor's

83.3 %

Associate

7.6 %

Master's

4.0 %

Start to develop specific sports writer skills

Skills	Percentages
SEO	9.26%
Game Coverage	8.74%
Feature Stories	6.68%
Twitter	5.07%
Soccer	4.61%

Complete relevant sports writer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sports writers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a sports writer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sports writer resumes.

Research sports writer duties and responsibilities

Manage and encourage the Student/Staff in completion of tasks that are present.
Achieve worldwide coverage with one particular article criticizing racism in soccer.
Manage athletic contest statistics using various programs including Dakstats and other software.
Maintain social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and twitterconduct interviews with sourcesWrote local sports stories and take photographs

Prepare your sports writer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sports writer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a sports writer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable sports writer resume templates

Build a professional sports writer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your sports writer resume.

Apply for sports writer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a sports writer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do sports writers rate their job?

-/5

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Sports writer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019

Pros

I learned to read and write at an early age and have avidly pursued it since. Beside school publications and assignments, I've sought out numerous outlets for my love of writing, from features and sports writer for my local weekly news paper, to AP stringer for election coverage, to a Pohlad family internship at one of southeastern Minnesota's most respected dailies.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019