Tag: brainstorming

Five Story Ideas

My first story idea for my individual project would be international/foreign athletes during the Holidays. I think it would be a very timely story considering the Holidays are coming up. It is also something that I have had my own personal interest in. Even though I work for the WBB team, I’m only an hour away from home so I can always see my family for the holidays. I always felt a bit of sympathy for athletes who aren’t able to travel back to their countries to celebrate with their families. Since I would be dealing with international students this would be a great opportunity to bring notice to foreign holidays, ones that aren’t popular in the U.S. I even thought of a neat title: “Not Home for the Holidays.” I would want my story to show how these athletes sacrifice a lot, including time with their family during special occasions. This is one of my top 2 favorite story ideas.

To accompany my holiday story, my other top idea was doing a story about their stories. I was thinking of focusing on about 1-2 athletes or taking examples from many. The story would go through how they ended up in the U.S. and will show my readers just how the international recruiting process works. Everything from the time the athlete considered leaving home and coming to the states, when they first began being recruited by an American coach, the difference between competition in their home country and here, how their experiences was when they first got here, etc.  This story seems like something that may get pretty lengthy so I was leaning towards focusing it on one person after hearing many stories, just picking out the best one and developing it to a print story.

Now for the others…

I considered doing a story about the different training procedures and tactics. This would be basically comparing the level of difficulty and amount of time dedication in each country. I have my reservations about this idea. One, it seems a little boring unless I get hold off someone who just has an amazing story about how training in the U.S. is extremely tough or extremely easy. Secondly, I feel like every athlete will say training in the U.S. is harder because why else would they have come to the states. I feel that usually international athletes come here to be better and face better competition and with that comes harder training. And finally, I don’t want to use an American athletic trainer as a source unless I am able to use a foreign one as well, one that trains internationally, and that will probably be very difficult.

I also considered doing a story on foreign athletes and how it is difficult for their family and friends to root them on from back home. This is considering that their families back home aren’t able to access American networks that air UGA athletics. I think I could pull a good interesting story from this topic, but I think finding the right athlete may be difficult. I would also look into some ways that families get around not having American networks- online streaming, getting film in the mail, etc. It also may be difficult contacting the families, but I want to focus on how they feel about sending their child to another country and then not even having the ability to watch them compete.

And finally, I came up with a story idea as I was doing research into this topic. As I was reading through some articles I realized that their are a lot of critics and people who oppose recruiting nationally. This includes coaches, fans, staff, and other athletes. Some people believe that recruiting foreign players brings down the competitiveness of a sport and takes opportunities away from American athletes. There are many people who are avid opponents to college teams pulling kids from other countries, I just worry whether I’ll be able to find some who are willing to speak out. I also have my reservations on this idea as well because I can understand how a racist undertone might be placed on this story. Having pride in the country and American athletes isn’t racist of course, but giving people a platform to speak out against college students coming here from other countries just doesn’t make me completely comfortable. Due to the times this country is in, I would have to find an acceptable and appropriate way to report this.

5 Story Ideas

  • Come up with at least five story ideas for your personal story (one paragraph per idea) and post in your personal category using the tag “brainstorming” by September 2.

 

  1. My first story idea is the multisport athlete story I posted about on Wednesday. Multisport athletes tend to begin their sport later and life and have more success at an older age compared to other athletes in one of their sports. For example, most elite triathletes find the sport after competing as a swimmer or a runner in college and begin triathlon after graduation.
  2. College’s phasing out Olympic sports has become a huge issue in recent years. The USOC recently created a position solely to work on keeping Olympic sports, such as wrestling and men’s gymnastics, at the collegiate level.
  3. Women joining men’s sports teams has increased drastically over recent years, namely in high school football. The kicker position has attracted a lot of females looking to play football with no other place to go but their high school team. Last year, Northview’s Olivia Mitrovich became the first female to score points in a GHSA Football playoff game.
  4. Since our team story is about high school transfers, an interesting take that I know I already discussed with you (Suggs) is the turnover of college coaching. Not just in football, but in all sports. It seems like every year there are huge questions of who is going to become XYZ’s next greatest coach and lead them to the playoffs. When that coach is only as good as the last one, they are out the door again. Do athletic departments have unrealistic expectations of their coaching staffs?
  5. Lastly, this is almost a little contradictory to my first story idea, but diving into the emergence of women’s triathlon as a Division I sport and identifying how that will effect swimming and running programs across the country, as opportunities arise for women to choose triathlon in college. Also could discus how this will impact the Olympic pipeline.

It looks like you have a lot of well-thought out ideas. I like the idea of multi-sport athletes the most, especially since it’s something we don’t hear a lot — do they take the risk in playing the sport they might not be as good at? When and how is the decision made to focus on one sport? Is the prominence of that sport a factor in the decision? What is the general policy amoung the USOC about promoting or discouraging in multi-sport athletes? How does school fit in? How does it affect family life? I think that this is very prescient given Rio last month, and could be a good way to explore that as well as the debriefing that comes with the end of the games and the transition period back into training and the other sports or activities the athletes may participate in.

—–Evan

Story Ideas

One story idea I have for the L2M reports is a stats-heavy numerical analysis of how accurate NBA refs are throughout the games. I could see if the refs get better or worse as the game goes on.

 

Another story idea is to see how NBA players of draft eligibility  perform based on age they are when drafted. (The NBA recently changed rules on when players who declared for the draft could renege on their decision.) I could look at the performance of players based what age / year in college they were when they left college. (Milwaukee Buck rookie Thon Maker evaded the one-and-done rule by going to prep school after he graduated high school. He said he avoided going to college because he wouldnt be focused on grades. The fact that was eligible at 18* in itself could be  a story .  )

 

The NCAA changed a few rules before last season (shot clock, 3-foot arc). I could go back and look at how the rule changes affect pace of play, TV ratings and how how long the game were before and after rules, as well as player and coach reactions.

 

My final story would be to examine how close gap in becoming between USA basketball and the rest of the world. Although the Olympics are over, I could look at how many international players have joined the NBA and NCAA since ’92, as well the performance of international players in the NBA, NCAA and in international youth competitions.

Story Ideas

1.CHOICE School and how they’ve effected Cobb County High School athletics:

Having gone at a Cobb County high school, I know that CHOICE schools have been implemented since the No Child Left Behind legislation went into place. The idea was to allow children to get the best education which had now spurred in metro Atlanta schools as ways for athletic teams to gain out of the county talent. Since, we’re not doing it in our team coverage, I thought an individual story on it would be interesting.

2. Sexual assault and college football

It’s a hot topic, much like #BlackLivesMatter and other social issues. The NCAA and other entities are trying to clean up a real problem that has been overlooked for years. I saw today a USC football player was released for having allegations against him. But, also speaking to what the NCAA, conferences, and specific schools are trying to do to avoid this. I know within UGA there is a It’s On Us campaign, so researching what schools have partnered with out bystander awareness training courses are being implemented.

 

3. Nike growing in soccer

In looking at COPA, EURO, and Olympics, Nike had a big influence on all of the winning teams where in the past Adidas has ruled soccer. I think looking into the growth of Nike in the soccer industry would be interesting. The idea would be to see if it’s merely a money and sponsorship ideal or Athlete preference.

 

4. Social Media and HS athletes

To continue on my multi-platform trend story, I would like to dive deeper into the effect of social media on HS players and the way they’re recruited. Part of the brand communications side of my brain sees some of the things my little brother’s friends post on twitter and I cringe at the thought of coaches seeing some of the idiocy that is posted, therefore seeing if that kind of social media preference can change a coach’s decision on signing athletes.

 

5. Emergence of sports psychology

I think this is a larger topic today that people try and avoid, but mental preparation for games and competition has grown significantly. Many colleges employ a single sports psychologist to deal with just their athletes. I think looking into the emergence of this and how athletes are utilizing the resource and if there has been a shift in performance would be a great story line to see how colleges no longer focus on just physical preparation.

Personal Story Ideas

  1. Age Regulations in the NBA and NFL

As I’ve mentioned before, I think it would be interesting to look into the long term impacts of draft eligibility rules regarding age. More than 10 years after the NBA adopted the “one and done” rule, it would be interesting to take a broad look at the players who left college early and how their careers turned out. The same holds true for football.

2. Bilateral Advantage

One of the topics I’ve come across while studying for the Paralympics is the idea of “bilateral advantage.” This is the theory that double-amputee athletes, like Oscar Pistorius, have an athletic advantage over single-amputees and able-bodied athletes. I’m hoping to dig deeper into this topic in Rio.

3. Athlete Dismissal

“Off the field issues” and program dismissals have always been points of contention in college sports. Many coaches and athletic directors have been scrutinized as being too lax on athletes who get into legal trouble or otherwise violate conduct policies. Others are known to dismiss athletes without a second thought. Still, other programs have reputations for taking on athletes with “troubled” pasts at other schools. I’d love to look into this.

4. NCAA Regulations and “Likeness”

Keeping with my interest in law, the NCAA’s monopoly over college athletes is a hot topic. I would like to look into the NCAA’s policies regarding athletes and both sides of the argument about paying athletes and the use of their likeness. I think this is a good opportunity to look into big-time schools’ compliance programs and notable punishments.

5. Title IX in the SEC

Our discussion about the equestrian team sparked my interest in how other big football programs, in the SEC and across the country, balance their men’s programs to satisfy Title IX requirements. To me, the idea of such a massive equestrian team to ensure UGA football can continue is a bit crazy but very creative. I’m sure other schools have come up with other solutions and this would be a good opportunity to look into this and revisit the idea of Title IX to see if current athletes believe they are being treated fairly.

6. Liability of teams and personnel for injuries

One more just for kicks. An important legal debate in sports is the liability of teams and coaches – let’s say at the college level – for injuries sustained by players. Hundreds of civil suits have been filed against athletic departments and coaches, as players and their families have alleged negligence that resulted in injury. This begs the question, what are the obligations of a team/organization/coaching staff to protect players from injury? This could also be extended to mental health.

Story ideas

Parking: Examining the businesses in and around SunTrust Park, their right to ownership of the parking lots that surround them. Are there legal grounds for the Braves to claim that property as their own? What is the monetary value lost by these businesses by not licensing these spots instead of the Braves selling them? What did they do to try to stop this? How will this affect future business, especially with a new complex coming in?

Traffic: All along, this has been the biggest issue, and one of the biggest gripes people have with the move. How comprehensive were the studies about potential traffic problems? Was it overlooked in lieu of simply migrating to the place where the highest customer base is? Is there a way to simulate what a typical game day traffic pattern would look like?

Economic gain: Beyond the figures given by the team, is this truly the best fiscally responsible move for the team and the county? Are the economic gains great enough to overcome any loss? What are the long term projections 10-15 years down the line? How do they compare to when the Braves opened Turner Field (admittedly in a location not far from the old one).

Player reaction: We really haven’t heard too much from players on the move on a mass level, whether that’s because they’ve been advised not to or don’t want to get into it. You’d think that the move is closer to where most of them likely reside, and for some of the hometown people where they lived growing up. This is an interesting angle that probably will be more formed as the offseason approaches in the next few months.

Comparison: How does what the Braves did and are doing compare to recent stadium deals and dealings with local government? This isn’t just a local issue. What models did the franchise use if any in developing their plans for a new stadium?

Extra: Mixed use: The Braves’ new stadium is going to start what will likely be a new wave of stadium complexes, where the stadium is the centerpiece of a mixed-use development space with apartments and trendy shops and restaurants. It is a beautification of sorts. With this in mind, will it affect attendance at all, where the area is a place to go eat and shop that happens to have baseball? Or will it attract more fans? Are these people baseball fans who would go either way, or people who are attracted to the other things available that go to the game to see both the team and the developments around it?

Individual Story Ideas

– Georgia high school football coaching contracts

A look across the landscape in Georgia high school football quickly reveals the value schools put in their programs being elite. Take Colquitt County, for example, who pays head coach Rush Propst over $122,000 each year to be the head coach of the Packers. While the rise in salaries could be high schools’ responses to top high school coaches leaving to work up the college football coaching ladder, that doesn’t excuse the imbalance between coaches contracts and teachers at the very same school. What are the repercussions of a school committing so much money to one coach who may not even teach a class, and are high contracts completely necessary to build consistent winners?

– Division II tennis

Generally speaking in college athletics, the difference between being competitive and being an afterthought shrinks as you move from the NCAA’s Division III up to Division I-A. That, however, is not exactly the case in Division II men’s tennis due to international players. Programs such as Division II Armstrong Atlantic in Augusta field rosters of nearly all foreign players, with many of the athletes having tried their hand at professional playing careers before giving it the old college try. The result is damaging to the American tennis scene, as many would-be college athletes understand playing at a level lower than Division I tennis still often means competition against Division I-esque talent each match. I want to look at the costs for certain schools in Georgia to recruit and bring in so many international players as well as if there has been blowback from young local players who are not good enough to play professionally or at Division I but don’t want to waste their time against much superior talent.
– Southwest DeKalb football

Southwest DeKalb High School suffered a tremendous tragedy under a month before its first football game when head coach and former Florida State player Michael Tanks suddenly had a stroke and died at the age of 48. Despite Tanks’ unexpected death, the team has gotten off to a 2-0 record under interim head coach Fletcher Salter, who had not been a head coach in the state since he was at McNair High School in 1996. I want to examine how the program has carried on after such a horrible loss with so little time before the season and how Salter has gotten the team to its best start to a season in nine years.
– FBS football scheduling

Appalachian State shocks No. 5 Michigan in the Big House. Georgia Southern embarrasses Florida in the Swamp. James Madison tops a Virginia Tech team that went on to win the ACC. The list of FCS teams losing to FBS squads goes on and on, but if some people in the sport had their way, the games would no longer happen. For some FCS teams, the money they make from these seemingly imbalanced matchups help the entire athletic department stay afloat. How damaging could taking these games away be for programs such as Savannah State, which lost to Florida State and Oklahoma State 139-0 for a cool $860,000 four years ago, and Division II teams, which often get run-off from playing games against FCS opponents?
– Georgia State football

One team’s trash can be another team’s treasure. Just ask Georgia State. The Atlanta Braves’ decision to leave Turner Field for brand-new SunTrust Park has largely overshadowed the future of Turner Field, which will be used by Georgia State football. For a program still trying to become consistent in the Sun Belt Conference, the team’s move from the Georgia Dome to its own stadium could be a step in the right direction. I want to dive into the school’s decision to pursue the purchase and how valuable it can be both in football as far as recruiting and proximity as well as for the school, which wants to essentially make it a southern extension to the school’s campus.

Various story ideas to explore refugees in Clarkston

Since I feel pretty confident that I’ll my individual project will center around refugees in Clarkston, Georgia, and how their lives are affected by sports, these are five variations of how that could play out.

  1. As of now, my top choice for a story would focus on the children and their families who are part of the Fugees Family soccer team. I’d like to look at what motivated their parents to have them join a sports team and whether that has helped the children acclimate to the community. I would explore what type environment this soccer team provides and the challenges they have faced since arriving in the United States. For this angle, the emphasis would be on the families’ adjustment in the new area and how soccer has benefited their kids.
  2. Another angle for a story about Fugees Family centers around the founder, Luma Mufleh. She has an interesting background, as she grew up in a wealthy family in Jordan. She noticed that she grew up being handed anything she wanted while other children were far less fortunate. That motivated her to found Fugees Family in 2004. This is the angle that has been primarily covered by other news outlets, which makes it less attractive for me to write. I think an angle that focuses on the players and their families would be more compelling, even if it is more difficult to reach the sources.
  3. Finally, a story could focus on the combination of Fugees Family and Fugees Academy, the academic component of the soccer program that was added in 2008. In 2016, the school graduated its first senior class and 86 students are currently enrolled. This story would look at how a soccer team grew into something that affects the children on a larger scale. It would be very interesting to dive into the dynamic of an all-refugee school. That being said, this could be a small piece of any Fugees Family story and might not warrant an entire story.
  4. As a solid backup plan, there are other routes I could go to explore the intersection between refugees and sports in Clarkston, Georgia. During my reporting for the story I wrote last year, I found out that refuges made up about 90 percent of Clarkston High School’s cross country team. The concept of working with a team from a public high school would be interesting since it directly displays how these children are becoming part of a new community. The boys’ cross country team won the Georgia 5A state title in both 2014 and 2015, so that would add a strong athletic component to the story.
  5. Even though the cross country team has been successful at the state level, another similar story would be to look into the environment at Clarkston High School, using the football team as a lens. I’d assume that the makeup of the football team is somewhat similar to that of cross country since the percentage of students who are refugees at Clarkston is very high. In the last two seasons, Clarkston only won one game and it is off to an 0-2 start this year. Therefore, there wouldn’t be the draw of having athletic accomplishments like the cross country team, but in general people are more interested in football. I don’t know how reliable some of these sites are, but a few places show the football roster only having 12 players. That could make this an interesting story.

Personal Stories

The first story I’m considering is the one about the expansion of lacrosse as I mentioned earlier. One idea I had was seeing how many high schools across the country have lacrosse programs and create a graphic. I’d probably keep a narrower focus on Georgia and possibly interview members of the club lacrosse teams here.

My second idea is further research on concussions. I really liked the trend story I wrote in multi platform and wouldn’t mind doing something along those lines.

My third idea is to write about soccer and how it’s a growing sport in the US. I know football players in high school play soccer in the spring especially if they’re kickers or punter.s

My fourth idea is to investigate why international students come to the US to play college sports instead of possibly going pro in their home countries.

Finally, my last idea is about the emergence of neutral site games in FBS and if this will be a regular thing in every college across the five major conferences.