Selected Tips On Writing a Competent Sports Essay

Writing guide
Posted on January 24, 2019

What Is a Sports Essay?

Sports essay is a piece of writing which contemplates expressing an opinion about an issue related to sports. There is a wide range of topics which a writer can address. Sport is usually concerned with physical effort and specific skills which form the basis for the competency among different actors longing for entertainment. It contemplates engagement between the people, setting the rules of a game, provision of equipment, promotion, and operations with media. Consequently, it refers to different spheres of social life. In its turn, it creates the space for sharing integral ideas and starting a discussion.

From Where to Start?

Before writing an essay on sports, the author should identify the purpose of writing. The object defines the style and the writing details of the article. Firstly, there are informative essays, which describe the particular event or its significance for the life of people. For example, one can write a piece on the history of the NBA and the effect of it on the modern culture. Secondly, there are persuasive essays which aim to convince the reader of something related to sports. The example can be the work arguing that athletes should not be suspended from competitions for the whole life because of drugs or doping.

Another type is an opinion essay. The purpose of such a composition is to convey the notion about sports events. For instance, one may argue for his or her favorite kind of sport or declare the unnecessity of video assistance for referees as it may harm the spectacularity of the matches. The last kind is about comparing sports or the significant figures in different games. As the sports contemplate rivalry and competence, there are always debates on who is better. For example, a person can contrast the performances of different stars, in particular, a comparison between Kevin Durant and Lebron James in the NBA, or Messi and Ronaldo in soccer. These are central kinds of essays that may help learners choose the theme and direction of writing.

What Topic to Choose?

The choice of topic is not limited to the purpose. The writer can think over the sphere of connection of sport to the human life. Moreover, competition is an excellent source for studying leadership or management. There are a lot of sports teams, and behind every united group, there is a manager. His or her skills can be observed to outline leadership. However, the most often used topics relate to worldwide events, most popular sports, problems referring to game rules, the significance of teams, players or managers, and comparison of different sports:

  • FIFA World Cup and Its Meaning for the Modern Society;
  • Who Did More Contribution to Basketball – Lebron James or Michael Jordan?
  • Some Sports Are Dangerous and Should Be Restricted;
  • Drugs and Doping in Sports;
  • Should Violent Kinds of Sports Be Broadcasted on TV?
  • Why Should the Government Support National Sport and Its Proliferation?
  • Should Games Be Used for Commercial Purposes?
  • How Sports Affect Children and Their Development?

Before writing, a person should know that the topic would be interesting for him or her and the audience. Following, the writer should try to avoid the trivia issues as they may not be suitable for the audience. These are examples of undeveloped topics:

  • Sport Is Good for Everybody;
  • Michael Jordan Is the Best Athlete in the World;
  • The Impact of Squatting.

With the definition of the topic of an essay, the next stage comes. It refers to the pre-writing tips. They are the guarantees that the article would have suitable content, firm evidence, and precise structure.

Where to Start a Research?

As soon as the topic was chosen, the next step is to evaluate the subject and the latest events concerning the subject. For example, if the essay is about soccer, the writer may apply to the most recent developments relating to the World Cup. Reference to the latest events can be a sign of awareness of the issues and in-depth knowledge about the subject. However, prior to any writing, severe research is needed. The research part would ensure that the paper would have strong arguments backed by the statistics or facts. By that, the writer should think over adequate sources which would be credible and have the necessary information.

Writing depends not only on the topic but the sources. If a writer prepares the materials on the significance of the teams or players, the best sources of the information would be informational agencies, documentaries or biographies. They provide primary facts and analytical materials for those who lack knowledge on a subject. For example, if writing about golfer Tiger Woods and his significance, the ESPN.com can be a useful place to search for information.

However, considering his statistics, there is no better place than the official website of the golf tournaments. Following, the best sources when seeking the information for statistics refer to the sports news or the official data of an organization providing the sports tournaments. Moreover, the documentaries are an excellent way to find the vision over a specific issue. The biographies give the summary of life and records of the famous sportsmen and women carrying the understanding of their success. Among other websites which may be helpful, there are such news agencies as SkySports.com, BBC.com, euronews.com. They usually cover all international events and may provide the chronology or analytical opinion.

At the same, time if there is an ethical or social issue to be evaluated, there are reports of independent organizations, sports institutions, and documents of the scientific or sports groups. If the writer decides to write about the effect of the sports industry on other spheres, including business, health or politics, there are some articles to be found. At Thesportjournal.org you can find such information as there is a pool of the academic articles. Besides, if the author wants to pay attention to the effects on health, there is Sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com, where the items on sports medicine are placed.

Another source of information on the recent events refers to the sports magazines. It is better to address specialized sports articles and choose an appropriate due to the kind of sports the writer is searching for. The best source for information on soccer is FourFourTwo. Besides, there are other websites such as ESPN The Magazine, Sporting News, Athletics Weekly, The Hockey News, Boxing News, Basketball Times, Baseball America. They provide news and statistics on the particular kind of sport.

Writing Process Begins: It’ll Be Easier with Our Writers’ Help

Another part of the pre-writing process is composing an outline. The significance of the plan is about giving logic, structure, and sequence to any opinion. The outline is to provide the structure and vision to the whole paper. It consists of three parts which are equally important for the spread of ideas:

Intro

The first part of the outline is an introduction. It consists of the sentences which grab the attention of the audience, tell about the main points of the future work, and give a general picture. It provides the gradual vision to the rest of the paper as giving starting and finishing lines. Here, the writer shows the thesis. It is the critical solution, idea, or claim of the essay expressed in one or two questions. It is comprised of arguments the writer would develop in the next parts, in particular, the main body.

Example:
For instance, the main topic “The necessity to regulate martial arts” contemplates explaining why the martial arts as sports should have governmental control. By that, the thesis requires showing why the writer thinks so and producing critical arguments. In the particular case, it could relate to the violence and injury rate of the sports. The more specific the thesis is, the better, as it would allow the writer to maintain logic and produce fundamental ideas.

Body Paragraphs

The next part of the outline refers to the body paragraphs. They constitute the sections in which the writer proves a particular point of view. The principal purpose of this section is to contribute to the arguments of the thesis.
Each body paragraph begins with the transition sentence which directs to the following discussion. Further, the fundamental idea of the debate is provided in one sentence. It shall refer to the thesis. Besides, the subsequent information aims to support the idea with evidence or facts. It is necessary to rest on personal experience of the writer or credible sources depending on the ultimate goal of the text.

Example:
If the writer is sharing an opinion about the skills of Lebron James, the evidence can be his vision of the mastered skills or the way the player leads his team. Besides, the facts or statistics, records or achievements can supplement it and support the idea. The details matter, so for the writer it is necessary to look for the proper sources.
In the ending part of the body paragraph, the author connects the evidence and the idea, so that the argument was solid and contributing to the thesis. However, every part must be completed. The writer should conclude every paragraph with the concluding statement proving the argument.

Example:
For instance, the argument may state: ‘there is a high injury rate in martial arts, and the most devastating kicks shall be forbidden’. The support may be the provision of the statistics from the media. Other than that, it may be backed by the explanation of kicks to a grounded opponent. In the end, the writer should refer to the main idea of the argument and show how it contributes to the thesis. Saying that there are injuries and underlining their dangerous nature would support the idea of restriction. On the contrary, the negative example of the same idea may sound like “the fighters kick hard and the rules should be reviewed”. In this part, there is no logical connection to the thesis. Besides, it is the vague statement as the fighters hit hard to win, it is the essence of the martial art.

The ultimate part of any essay refers to the conclusion. It is the essential part of the article as it shows the results of the work. In the first sentences of the judgment, the author restates the beginning statement. For the sports essays, it is what the writer wrote in the introduction.

Example:
The writer should again underline that the martial arts are dangerous and need control. The subsequent information would depict the findings of the writer. Concerning the examples provided above, they may be the record of injuries or description of violent actions. Besides, the writer can add his or her general comments deriving from the findings.

Post-Writing Is a Final Straight

Other than the main scope of work, a number of steps shall be made after the writing itself. When the author has an outline, the paper begins. However, as in any great sport, serious activities occur on the finish line. For the writer, it is the post-writing stage, which gives the writing the quality and power. It refers to editing, proofreading, and referencing.

Editing in the sports essay refers to making the piece sound good and eliminating the mistakes. There are different ways to improve the composition and check its content. Proofreading is the reading the written materials to find errors. In sports essay writing, there are usually a lot of names, if the topic refers to the teams or persons. Besides, the errors may apply to the incorporation of statistics into the text. The writer shall check whether there are the right prepositions and tenses. As far as the sport is about the records, the author should check the dates and precise events, so that the facts were correct. The misspelling of names, data, or places may harm the support of the idea. Lastly, there is a paper referencing, where the writer provides the sources backing the evidence for the arguments support. The inclusion of references is important, as it shows that the essay is credible. All the information about sources the writer adds at the end of the paper. Also, the in-text citations are necessary due to the requirements of the different formats, in particular, APA or MLA.

Main Post-Writing Tips:

  • Check the spelling of all significant words and incorporated details;
  • Give someone to read it as it is easier to find errors for a person who looks at the paper for the first time;
  • Look for complicated and heavy sentences to make them simpler. It will increase the readability and understanding of the essay, especially, if there is some data;
  • Examine if there is a tautology or the repeated words, as they indicate poor writing;
  • There are some websites which can help to produce references – citethisforme.com and citationmachine.net, for example.
  • Besides, the OWL Purdue guide would help apply the correct in-text citations under the format of the paper.

The sports topic provides the vast space for writing. Thus, the writer can choose from the variety of the topics and spheres to which sport belongs. An excellent essay results from an exciting topic, clear thesis, and solid arguments. One of the keys to it is proper research, which gives background and awareness. The writer has articles, documentaries, websites and magazines for the statistics and facts. Besides, a structure is not less important, and the outline is the skeleton of the successful paper. It gives guidance and vision. In the end, writing a sports essay is a race where each stage is essential for the result. The success on a start line is as critical as on a finishing straight, as well as all laps the writer overcomes to reach the finish line.

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