Covering high school sports has evolved
Above: National networks are broadcasting high school football games. (Charity Beck for The New York Times)
About three years ago I wrote for the Oakland Tribune and covered the De La Salle-Mission Viejo football showdown.
The game was in Orange County, both teams were nationally ranked and the game was televised on Fox Sports Net.
The Orange County Register sent several reporters, a columnist and a photographer. I was there for the Oakland Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and Contra Costa Times also sent reporters.
It was an 8 p.m. start and before the first whistle there was already a TV timeout. "You gotta be kidding me" was the reaction from most of the reporters in the press box.
That was just a few years ago and in just that short time, covering high school sports (football specifically) has evolved drastically.
What used to be a treasured pastime has become about which players are getting Division I offers, who might turn pro and even ratings.
Mater Dei opens the season against City Section powerhouse Carson, a game that'll be nationally televised on ESPN.
It used to be that one reporter got the job done. Now there are bloggers, scouting services, radio and local television broadcasts and photographers who now carry video equipment, shooting and editing the action.
Above: ESPN broadcast a game between two Florida schools. (Charity Beck for The New York Times)
MaxPreps.com and CalPreps.com have grown popular because of the the high demand for the latest recruiting information.
ESPN.com just a few years ago hired its first full-time high school sportswriter and Sports Illustrated just recently expanded its high school sports coverage.
Fox 11 and KCAL-9 here in Los Angeles sends a crew on Friday nights to check out some of the best high school football action in town. About three years ago a few reporters at The Register, including myself, made weekly appearances on ESPN Radio 710 for quick snippets about the high school football games we covered that night.
Here's a story about high school football being covered by major networks, published two years ago in The New York Times and an excerpt:
What has been the stuff of hometown legends, high school football has suddenly become high-definition, low-cost programming for national broadcasters and marketers eager to woo men 18 to 34. This year, 13 games will be shown on ESPN networks, and 8 on Fox Sports Net.
This sudden attention has not only given coaches and administrators one of the biggest rushes of their lives, but has also put them in potentially dangerous territory. How do you take advantage of the exposure that often builds school and community pride without exploiting teenagers? How do you square business with education?
So how did we get here? Who is to blame?
The media? The internet?
There used to be a time when fans couldn't wait to wake up and read the story in the sports pages. Now many of them logon to blogs like this one within minutes after the game concludes to discuss the outcome.
I'm not oblivious or naive to the notion that newspapers are trying to survive in this day and age where readers have more and quicker options to find the latest information.
But has the evolving of covering high school sports become a good or bad thing? Therein lies the debate.
31 Comments
Leave a comment
About this blog
 |
|
Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
High quality info here! Keep up the great work. I love the feelings being expressed.
How d isappointing! With just a few exceptions I really feel really let down by what you call the most effective and worst of 2009. Using the exception of Melbourne is logo virtually all the remaining I'd be ashamed to set in my portfolio had I designed them. There yet again I did notso I can breathe a sigh of relief.
Great things! I dont know what you were on when you wrote th is but now you got an totally supercharged fan, appear forward to reaching your future stuff!
Dairtel? And that nasty, squashed variety is kerned to tightly! That may be all I obtained.
As well as complete Tropicana debacle was left off why? Talking of Tropicana, does the brand new Aol logo remind any individual with the rejected Troipcana logo? Personally, I'm not a fan of your Aol rebrand. Whilst the execution and implementation are exceptional, the precise wordmark is dull, uninspired, and just kind of blah. That currently being stated, I agree with most of the other rankings. I'm still in really like together with the city of Melbourne is new identity.
Exciting. No Pepsi or Wal-Mart? Don't forget the uproar of these two re-brands? Surpr ised to determine they did notmake the ??Worst??? l ist, glad to discover that Kraft produced it tho.
Sorry for that big examine, but I am really loving the new Zune, and hope th is, as properly because the great testimonials some other individuals have written, will aid you decide if it's the correct selection for you personally.
Kudos to you! This is a really good blog here and I love your style of writing. How did you get so good at blogging?
horoughly, the write-up is truly the freshest for this extraordinary topic. I totally agree along with your conclusions and can eagerly look ahead to the upcoming updates. only saying tkank you won't just be sufficient, for your personal exceptional lucidity within your writing. I am going to instantly seize the rss supply to stay present using each updates.Solid function and very much accomplishment as part of your business efforts!tkank you lots.
This is good info! Where else can if ind out more?? Who runs this joint too? Keep up the good work :)
You certainly deserve a round of applause for your post and more specifically, your blog in general. Very high quality material
Thank you so much, wonderful job! Exactly the stuff I needed to know.
I just sent this post to a bunch of my friends as I agree with most of what you’re saying here and the way you’ve presented it is awesome.
You certainly have some agreeable opinions and views. Your blog provides a fresh look at the subject.
The sector covers Imitation Designer Handbags daily with or without handles and / or straps for carrying personal belongings. Occasional evening bags handbags are also included. The market in a part, traditional handbags made of genuine leather can be shared out mechanically or chemically processed animal pelts, and secondly, handbags, manufactured, synthetic fabrics, primarily from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyurethane. To the former, the pockets of the highest quality full grain leather and leather handbags inferior divided white.
Great Blog. I add this Post to my bookmarks.
I’ve been visiting your blog for a while now and I always find a gem in your new posts. Thanks for sharing.
Looks more like a facelift update rather than a total redesign.I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! this is what they should have done before
I enjoyed reading this. There are bits I agree witha and bits that I don't, it's always interesting to read what people think about making/showing art etc.I won't write any more, as a rule of thumb I like my posts to be shorter than Donald's!
Great post!
Incredible! This amazing is all I can believe just for a blog post like this valuable. This kind of is fully a tremendously interesting posting. You will have to know a lot about this unique
Thanks for good article. Hope to see more soon.
Oh was het een wedstrijd? Echt raar dat wij meteen daarnaast stonden op te treden, haha
I normally don’t post in Blogs but your blog forced me to, remarkable work.. beautiful …
GDI is a MUST for webmasters!
Aw, this was a really quality post. In theory I'd like to write like this too - taking time and real effort to make a good article... but what can I say... I procrastinate alot and never seem to get something done.
We built NMAAFilms.TV in order to provide a singular network from which ALL kids here in the State of New Mexico could gain a raised profile to maximize their chances of receiving scholarship offers, post education employment opportunities and to strengthen the bond within our communities for these kids who work so hard to do the next right thing.
We want our kids to know that we are proud of their commitment to their respective school or club extra-curricular activites and we hold them up as examples of the right things kids are doing nowadays.
Visit www.ProViewNetworks.com and watch the NMAAFilms Channel today. We think you'll like what you see.
William Hernandez #24 Franklin Los Angeles again has been unstoppable both in the air and on the ground Avg. 150+ Recieving ,150+ Rushing, leading team in all . He is D1 MATERIAL a certified on and off the field prospect that needs your help in recognizing Hispanic talent playing since Pop Warner and holds records in almost every position . Had his # retired from Organization ..great story behind the lines.. Hope you get blessed and find yourself @ Franklin High School Los Angeles playoffs are thursday agaist Canoga Park Thanks,
Money. Just money.
Money. Just money.
Do high schools benefit from having Fox Sports or ESPN televising hs football games???? and if so, where the does the sponsor monies go?
In my opinion, the monies should go to the high school's Athletic program and Scholarships. There are many SGV schools who need it more than others.