Non-writing gamer advice

• How to get credentials

• After volunteering for the event, email the SID requesting credentials

• The email should be something along the lines of “Hello Brad, my name is Alice Bread and I’m a writer for the Michigan Daily. I’m covering the lawn darts game this Friday (the 13th) and need credentials for it. Thanks, Alice.”
• If you’re going with more than one person, communicate with them and only one of you request credentials. Be sure to include everyone’s full name who’s going.
• For phone covers email should be requesting access to coaches and players after the game, ask for interviews with them and provide your phone number. Try and get the interviews as soon after the game as possible especially if the game is on a weekday.

• What to wear

• Do not wear Michigan gear. We are an independent organization and that will be reflected in how we present ourselves
• Wear generally nice clothes, look semi professional. If you’re on a beat, you should dress up either business casual or business.

• Picking up credentials

• They should be at the ticket window at will call. Say “Hi I’m Alice Bread, I have a press credential with the Michigan Daily for this game.” You might have to show them ID, so bring that.

• In-game stats

• Statbroadcast is a thing. It’ll have the stats for the event you’re covering. If you need a password, it’s hail.hail

• Post-game interviews

• Every sport is different, especially with COVID. Work it out with the SID and communicate about how it will work.

• Stat broadcast

• It has all the stats for almost all the sports live and in game time
• https://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statmonitr.php?gid=mich
• Password: hail.hail

Phone Cover

• Try your hardest to find a way to watch the game

• BTNplus will have a lot of game coverage

• Free on university wifi or by using your umich VPN

• Some games will be on regular big ten network

• Use the stat broadcast even more if you can’t watch the game
• Ask questions like you would normally
• The coach knows you couldn’t watch the game, and will help you (most of the time)

Gamer Tips

• Pregame

• Look up the opponent: What’s their record, who’s their best player, what are they really good at/really bad at, are they on a win streak
• Look up the michigan team: same questions, read past articles of gamers/sidebars

• Types of note keeping

• What happened and when: Hailey Brown rifled a bounce pass from the corner into Naz Hillmon who took a dribble, turned and banked a layup in over #20 of Iowa
• Reactions of coaches, players on both teams and the player who scored/did the action: Akienreh Johnson shouted, turned toward the bench and pumped her fist
• Remember you still have to watch the game, if your note keeping is preventing you from watching and picking up on momentum swings, you’re taking too many notes

• 500-700 words long

• Make it readable and concise
• It doesn’t have to be a play-by-play account (i.e. Michigan scored a goal in the 33rd minute… Penn State answered in 54th minute… Mohammed Zakyi missed an opportunity for a winner in the 88th minute).
• Instead, think of it as a summary of themes and how those affecting the outcome of the game: Momentum swings, struggle areas, good areas
• Try to attack with an angle: Once you feel comfortable writing, take one of those themes and use it as a lens to which to view the game. How turnovers cost them the game, how michigan solved/succumbed to its confidence issues

• General tips

• You don’t have to end in a quote. Your voice matters
• Use stats to emphasize details
• Just write what’s important

• Examples

• https://www.michigandaily.com/section/football/michigan-fails-overcome-early-deficit-loses-penn-state
• https://www.michigandaily.com/section/ice-hockey/minnesota-gamer-119
• https://www.michigandaily.com/section/womens-basketball/michigan-escapes-65-57-east-lansing

Flash Gamer Tips:

• Take notes (see above)
• Housekeeping:

• Story shell should be on workflow by halftime, with you having texted the photog there or the managing editor who you want for photo

• Length: 300-500 words

• Write as you go, take stuff out as it becomes irrelevant
• Rely less on stats because at the end you’ll have to update them
• It’s just a gamer, don’t stress too much about it
• Doesn’t have to be play-by-play

• Avoid distractions that keep you from focusing on the game and on writing

• E.g: Tweeting too much, taking too many notes, paying attention to group chats, talking to the reporter next to you about conspiracy theories

• Pre-plan if possible:

• Say Michigan is on the verge of winning its first ever big ten title game: that’s an obvious lede to write before the game for both winning and losing

• Get a sense for how the game is going

• If it’s halftime and michigan is up/down by 20, chances are the game is over. You should already be starting to write your gamer because all of the exciting parts have happened
• Focus on runs of the game, momentum shifts. Those are more valuable than “Hunter Dickinson scored 18 points and had 6 rebounds.”

• Close games!

• Don’t sweat
• You got this
• It should be an evenly matched game, so your body should work regardless of whether Michigan wins or loses. The runs you’ve written about, the themes of the game stay true
• Prepare ledes and kickers for both a win and a loss as the time runs low

• “With time running out, Naz Hillmon’s heroics couldn’t save the Wolverines, the ineptitude of Michigan’s outside shooters proved too much for one to overcome.”
• “A triumphant Naz Hillmon shouted as she drew the foul. Once again, the dominant post player proved too much for defenses to handle, almost single-handedly dragging Michigan across the finish line.”

• Use breaks in play to write

• You can write a paragraph in a timeout, summarize a run that caused Michigan to call timeout, or organize your story. These are invaluable to you