In this class, we’ll be moving beyond the games we covered in Intro to the stories of people, teams, and organizations in the world of sports. You will hear me say many times that everyone has a story, and in sports, that’s especially true.

I have taught versions of this class more times than I can count, both in sports and in the journalism curriculum. (Remember, this class counts in place of JOUR 4090 if you are a journalism major). This semester is going to be a little different because we’re going to go beyond UGA varsity sports and local high schools: you will be finding stories among UGA club athletes and the committed athletes in our local community, which includes runners, cyclists, people who work in sports, and many others. These are people who are passionate about sports—some are Olympians, but many others pursue sports not as a vocation but as an avocation. They all have fascinating stories to tell.

Normally I assign students to particular teams or schools. This semester, however, I’m going to set you loose to find stories that inspire you and your potential audience. We will talk about a lot of ways to do that, but you also can make your own connections to people and places that I or others might not know about. We will also talk about conflicts of interest: I do not want you writing about your bestie and how much he loves pickleball.

Ultimately, this is the class in which we find good stories and tell them. You will tell them in written words, in images and in sounds. You will tell them hopefully well enough to get them published. And along the way, you’ll learn what separates good and great stories and what makes them worth telling.

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