Sports Institute seeking applicants

The deadline for Boston University’s Sports Institute is about a month away. This is a great opportunity to learn and practice sports journalism in print, broadcast and new media. Here’s some basic info:

• Program Dates: June 1-26
• Admission: Open to both graduate and undergraduate level students. Undergraduate students must have junior year status or above. Professionals seeking career advancement are encouraged to enroll as well.
• Application Deadline: May 1
• Summer 2009 Tuition: $3,750
• University housing is available.

Click here for more information.

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Apply for sports scholarship

Here’s information about a terrific sports scholarship.

The Associated Press Sports Editors are sponsoring four $1,500 scholarship for collegiate sports journalists. APSE, a national organization of sports editors, is awarding four scholarships to help motivate talented students to pursue a career in sports journalism. Collegiate sports journalists entering their sophomore, junior or senior years are eligible for the scholarship which will awarded based on the students’ journalistic work, their academic record, financial need, and geography.

Thin line between truth, hype

Gene Wojciechowski

Indiana University is hosting a great event next week, bringing four experienced journalists and commentators together to discuss the thin line between hype and truth in sports coverage to launch its National Sports Journalism Center. The session, “Heroes, Hype and the Truth: Separating Fact from Fiction in Today’s Sports World,” set for March 11 features Gene Wojciechowski, senior writer for ESPN Magazine; Bob Kravitz, sports columnist at the Indianapolis Star and ESPN Radio co-host; Steve Lavin of ABC-TV and ESPN; and Sage Steele, ESPN SportsCenter anchor. If you’re close to Bloomington, Ind., you may want to drive on over. I’m certain it will be worth the time.

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Great chance to cover a major event

Here’s a terrific opportunity to cover a major sports event. I’ve had students attend these in the past. They learned a great deal and made some good contacts as well. Check it out.

Here’s the release.

You have the opportunity to spend a weekend with some of the best sports journalists in the business. The United States Basketball Writers Association will host its third annual Women’s Final Four Seminar on April 3-7 in St. Louis and once again award a $1,000 scholarship to one of the Seminar’s participants.

Who owns state prep sports?

Who owns the rights to prep games? Is that sort of like asking who really owns the fire station or the city park?

Like these other public properties, a community really owns the rights to prep games.

So why are state high school sports organizations trying to say they own it all, the premise for a lawsuit brewing in Wisconsin.

Some youth coaches suck

Not sure why some coaches need to play mind games with young athletes. But some do, trying to create doubt or to diminish confidence in another team’s players. At the youth level, these coaches should be dismissed for their disgusting behavior.