Track coverage

[ebbybm]

Why isn't track covered like the other sports? I look in the local paper (Tennessean), and on some sites, but the coverage is scarce. I think for the most part, the season started in Metro but I have not seen the results in the paper. Maybe someone has some insight.

[Coach B.]

QUOTE(ebbybm @ Mar 30 2007 - 09:35 AM) 826426438[/snapback]Why isn't track covered like the other sports? I look in the local paper (Tennessean), and on some sites, but the coverage is scarce. I think for the most part, the season started in Metro but I have not seen the results in the paper. Maybe someone has some insight.

This is the info from Upper Northeast Tennessee. It seems that the sports editors have to make the decision on which spring sports to cover. With baseball, softball, tennis, and track all going at the same time, with all the schools in their readership.... their sports staff may not be able to cover everything. So decisions have to be made. In my observation in our area, some papers view track as important. Kingsport Times-News is excellent for Upper Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Elizabethton Star is good for small schools in the area. Johnson City Press-the big schools(AAA) and sometimes the A-AA. Our local papers in Erwin(The Beacon and The Erwin Record) are very good at providing coverage.

Effective communication between the track coaches and the media can go very well when the media understandsyou, your program and the impact on the student athletes. Sometimes the coaches have to provide information and go the extra mile to "sell " their program to the media. Don't assume they(the media) know who or what you do at your school.

 

with honor to be a h.s. coach,

 

Coach B.

Unicoi Co. High School

[ebbybm]

Thanks Coach. Its just odd for me. I guess overall has changed since I was in high school in the 80's when it was still NIL in Nashville. While at my son's track meet last week I was talking to some of the parents who were in school around the same time as myself and track was a big deal back them, as it is still in some regions. The track meets (like the Banner Relays) used to be packed like the football games.

 

I guess with basketball (AAU) overlapping we lose tracksters. I know a lot of kids who wanted to partake in track but due to AAU opted out. My son did that one year but the he choose last year to run track, as well as this year.

[itzme]

The real reason is that in most towns, including our own, there is no competition in the newspaper business. Very, very few high school athletic events (it's not just track) are covered by an actual reporter from the paper. They rely pretty much on whatever is phoned in to them by coaches.

 

You'll see the bigger meets (Hartman Relays, Harper Relays, Great 8 etc.) get some coverage, but as for local dual or tri-meets...no way.