Next to the entertainment page, the sports section perhaps enjoys widest readership among readers.

It is because sports stories are full of action and athletes are celebrities whom young people admire and look up to.

1. Know the rules of the game. Be well-versed in strategies and tactics, as well as team and individual records of competing teams. 2. As much as possible, follow teams during practice. 3. Develop the ability to detect the weaknesses or strengths of a team or an individual player. 4. Know coaches and players as much as possible.

5. Observe accurately. 6. Be able to take notes quickly without losing the sequence of play. 7. Be fair and unbiased. Even if you have personal favorites, you should maintain your objectivity at all times. 8. Support all opinions with facts. 9. Use the specialized language of the game being reported but take care not to be stilted. 10. Be original as possible.

1. COVERAGE STORY
this is a report on the outcome of the game, how it was played, including the highlights of the game.

2. ADVANCE STORY
a. Straight news - presents the facts of the coming event and informs readers of line-ups and list of competing team.

b. Background Story- is really a sports feature that informs readers what lies behind the coming event in history, tradition, significance, previous records, strategies, or personalities.

Examples: Forget about the USTs surprising showing. Its the time of the year when a seething rivalry takes center stage in the UAAP collegiate cage wars. Title holder La Salle (4-1) collides today with the title-hungry Ateneo (3-2) predicted to be cliffhanger and bursting with emotions.

c. Prediction Story - makes fearless forecast based on logical analysis of information. The story is based on research, observation of practices and previous games or competitions and conversation with contestants and coaches. Example: If the last years performance and this years workouts translate into action, RMHS swimmers are on their way to their seventh consecutive Division championship title, according to Mrs. Shirley Cinco, coach.

Conventional sports stories follow the structure of straight news- the inverted pyramid. However, sports news is different in the sense that it uses special vocabulary which throbs with action. Creativity and imagination are employed in describing action, thus spots stories have the flavor of features.

The traditional sports lead consists of 5 Ws and 1 H. It may play up any of the following features:

1. Significance of the game a. Did the team clinch the championship? b. Did the team qualify for the finals? c. Did the team squeeze into semi-final berth? d. Did the team exact revenge/ e. Did the team redeem itself from a previous dismal flop?.

2. Spectacular play a. Shooting a game- high 30 points, for example b. Leech-like defense that blanked the enemys star forward c. A series of three-pointers. 3. Hero of the game- play may not be spectacular but is called heroic because it is the key to snatching a win in breathtaking contest. a. A steal on the dying seconds of the game and then making a basket to edge the opponent by a point as the buzzer sounds. b. Converting a three-point shot to break a tie in a dying seconds. c. Baiting for a foul and then converting to free throws 4. Unusual Circumstances- such as athletes being downed with food poisoning, forcing the cancellation of the match. 5. Human interest

1. Significance of the game The Philippines got booked in a favorable bracket after yesterdays draw in the 11th Asian Womens Football Championship held at the Shangri-la Makati Hotel which was attended by top Asian Football Confederation officials. 2. Spectacular play Tiger Woods ripped up the back nine of Firestone Country Club or an 8-under 62 Saturday and took a five stroke lead going into the final round of the NEC Invitational.

3. Oddity Karatekas from the Philippine Federation yesterday reduced their rivals to a pulp as a controversial elimination bout against a rebel karate group seeking the right to represent the country in the Southeast Asian Games turned personal and bloody. 4. Human interest Jennifer Capriati spoke for her teenage rebellion and confusion as she sought to close the door on her past. Yet she revealed how fragile she remains, leaving the US Open once again in tears. An hour after losing to Monica Seles, 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth round Monday, Capriati began a news conference by reading a statement she wrote before the tournament and save until she was finished.

5. Question Lead How does it treat Dorothy Delasin? The Philippine Sports Commission is puzzled. PSC Chair Butch Tuason said yesterday Delasins case is complex situation. 6. Traditional and Rivalry/ Question Lead Whats in a playing jersey? For the De La Salle University and its band of followers, a uniform may spell victory or defeat especially when ranged against its favorite rival- Ateneo. Very few knew that two days before last Saturdays return bout with the soaring Blue Eagles at the Phisports Arena, the Archers big wings made one bold move. Change the Archers uniform.

7. Quotation Lead At last, our efforts will soon bear fruit. Thus said Hermie Rivera yesterday upon learning of the news that Manny Lopez had finally seen Christopher Camat, the US based Filipino boxer who has been making waves in America for the last three years. 8. Individual Stars Michael Cruz needed only11 minutes to become a UAAP mens basketball somebody. Yesterday, the little-known Cruz become a one-man army as underdog University of the East snapped USTs awesome 10-game winning run with a memorable 74-71 victory at the Loyola gym. 9. Score or Outcome/ Individual Star Xavier Nunog and Mark Jomalesa played heroes yesterday as the University of the Philippines stunned Ateneo, 74-71, in a shocking reversal in the UAAP Mens Basketball Championship at the Philsport Center.

Basketball:
- Evened up matters with 7059 - 8-2 slate - Got away laid - Jampacked crowd - Limits its turnovers - Point guard - Shone in the homestretch - Fired 19 points - Hauling rebounds - Scored six points - Topscored with 28 big point - Converted just three of 11 three points- tries - As the final buzzer sounded - Playing solidity all throughout - League leader - Bannered the team - Turnaround shot - Ripped the game wide open

- Poured all of his 19 points - Back-to-back win/ victories - Beat the buzzer - Rainbow territory - Undergoal stab with 46 seconds left - Seize the lead - Failed to score - Wide-open three-point shots - Stretched the lead to three - Improved their record grabbed four rebounds dished out four assists - Paced the team - Sank both free throws - Will tangle toda -Are on a roll with back to back victories -Are in blind with the San Beda red Lions at 3-4 - Guns for 2nd berth

Tennis
1. France Cedic Piolini used three titanic tiebreakers efforts and domination at the net to defeat fifth seed Gustavo Kuerten and reach US Open semifinal match-up with Todd Martin. 2. At 9-9 in the third-set tiebreakers, Piolini hit a running baseline forehand winner to reach his fifth set point. 3. In a pairpotentally scintillating semi-final scenarios, Venus akes on Hingis in a replay of the 1997 final, while Serena makes her grand slam final four debut against Davenport in a meeting of the hardest hitters in womens tennis.

Basketball
1.Nunag waltzed his way to 13 points in the final half while pint sized Jomalesa sank two crucial free throws as the Maroons improved 4-9. 2. The Growling Tigers ripped the Bulldogs right from the opening tip-off and finished with plenty to share against foes who were simply going through the motions of concluding their elimination matches. 3. Lordy Pugade bannered the Bulldogs with 12 points but his efforts went to naught as nobody among his teammates was able to submit double digit scoring. 4. Leaving nothing to chance against Adamson, which was tied at the cellar with NU, La Salle tormented its foes with a swarming defense throughout the game. 5. Big men Marvin Ortiguerra, Gilbert Lao and Melchor Latoreno pounded the boards without let-up and the Tigers ran the breaks perfectly to score the runaway victory. 6. Shackled at the middle, the Tamaraws tried to punch from the outside but Edwin Bacani and Celino Cruz faltered miserably.

Baseball
1. Andy Ashley pitched a five hitter and the San Diego won 7-3 despite Sammy Sisas major league leading the 55th homer Tueday night. 2. In Cincinnati, Greg Maddaux pitched seven shutout innings for his seventh straight victory and the Atlanta braves surged to an 8-2 victory over the Cincinnati reds. 3. Vaughn hit his 36th, a two-run, go-ahead shot in the seventh. 4. Sosa drove fifth-inning pitch from Harnisch 465 feet into the back row of centerfield bushes that shone a hitters backdrop.

Munz Beats Bennett

Diana Munz, a 15-years-old sophomore, beat 17-yearold US Olympic gold medalist Brooke Bennett in heartstopping 800-meter freestyle with 65 seconds lead in the US Open championships Saturday. Munz finished the overall race in 8:36.23 while Bennett clocked 8:36.88. Bennett has the lead as the two entered the final 100 meters. Munz caught Bennett in the final fifty to win the race in 1:02.42 and Bennett 1:03.87. Munz was third in the Pan Pacific meet last year and second in the National Championship. These were won by Bennett in six consecutive major meets, a record she has held. I hoped to beat her. I figured if I did, it would be great. Im ecstatic. Im so excited, shocked, Munz said. Shes usually ahead of me going into that final 100. This time she was within my reach and went all out the way to the wall, she added. Shes a great swimmer, so its been a challenge winning Munz said.

Glory Zamantha C. Bacudio F.P.Felix Memorial National High School Sports Writing Ang Maglalatik

SHAKEYS V- LEAGUE 6 Lady Blue Eagles pinatalsik ng Lady Pirates MALULUTONG na 21 kills ang pinakawalan ni Sherrilyn Castillo upang mapatalsik ang Lyceum of the Philippines Lady Pirates ang Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles sa score na 19-25, 25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 15-10 sa Shakeys V-League Season 6 womens volleyball tournament na ginanap sa The Arena, San Juan City kahapon. Nagpasabog si Cristina Salak ng 18 points at 6 blocks kabilang na ang 19 kills at 21 points ng LPU Lady Pirates upang tuluyang igupo ang solo lead sa torneo na may 7-2 win-loss record.

Naging mahirap para sa amin ang laban kayat tibay ng loob at determinasyon ang aming pinanghahawakan, sabi ni Carillo, star player ng Lady Pirates. Hindi naman nagpahuli si Denise Acevedo na umiskor ng 8 points at 4 kills kabilang ang 3 blocks ni Patricia Taganas ng Lady Pirates dahilan upang maungusan ang Lady Blue Eagles sa ika-apat na sets. Subalit winasak ni Dahlia Cruz ang mala-pader na depensa ng Blue Eagles sa pamamagitan ng 12 points at 4 blocks na sinundan pa ng 19 kills ni Degorostiza at pagkana ni Carillo ng 24 points na tuluyang nagpatilamsik sa ADMU sa iskor na, 15-10. Ayon naman sa coach ng LPU, Mark Banayad, ito ang pinakamatamis nilang pagkapanalo dahil sa kabila ng pagkatalo sa unang set ay nagawa pa rin nilang ungusan ang ADMU Lady Blue Eagles.

Alberto G. Goto, Hp.D.

The Sepoys Adviser F.P.Felix Cainta, Rizal