I've read pretty much all the sports stories available here. Was just wondering if anyone knew of any story not in the Top list where the character is a sportsman/woman.
I've read pretty much all the sports stories available here. Was just wondering if anyone knew of any story not in the Top list where the character is a sportsman/woman.
Try the 'Take Me Out To The Ballgame" series by Tony Stevens.
Also Jay Cantrell has a couple (couldn't see them in the list on a quick view) which are "The Outsider" and "A Flawed Diamond". They are related, so read them in that order.
not in the Top list where the character is a sportsman/woman.
please define how much of a sports person you want them to be, and how much of the story is to be about sports? I ask as there are some stories very sports focused, and some where the sport is secondary or tertiary to the main story plot.
A Category Search lists 68 stories with the code Sport, but there are some that were written before the Code was created and don't have it applied to them because the author is either no longer active or hasn't gotten around to amend the codes. If you list what you've read e can name what you don't list.
Apologies for being so vague.
I've read pretty much all the sports stories here, including the stories recommended by @ustourist. Even those without the sports tags such as Douglas Fox's football stories.
@Ernest Bywater
I'm probably looking for new stories where sports plays a any role although I would be partial to stories with heavy focus on sports. Stories such as 'A Flawed Diamond' and has baseball as a mechanism to move along timeline within the story.
Stories such as 'Lost and Found' by Douglas Fox are great as well. Perhaps to be more succinct, I'm looking for more exposure to American sports through the great fiction out here.
Here are a few good sports stories that I have come across in the past:
The Defenceman by Cold Creek - https://storiesonline.net/s/59488/the-defenceman
Path to Glory by Brendan Buckley - https://storiesonline.net/s/56290/path-to-glory
Playing the Game by Rev. Cotton Mather - https://storiesonline.net/series/1235/playing-the-game-parables
Stupid Boy by G Younger - https://storiesonline.net/series/1080/stupid-boy
Several of the Life in Paradise stories by Douglas Fox (You mentioned Lost and Found, but Drive for Excellence is also very good) - https://storiesonline.net/series/183/life-in-paradise
Oh Boy by Dual Writer - https://storiesonline.net/s/76530/oh-boy
Banner Year by Shrink42 - https://storiesonline.net/s/46443/banner-year
You may have read all of these, if so, let me know and I'll look for others.
Edit: I also really like Finding Home by Ernest Bywater, but as an avid fan of American Football, some of the football scenes in the story drive me a bit nuts. It's still a really good story though. - https://storiesonline.net/s/66183/finding-home
I also really like Finding Home by Ernest Bywater, but as an avid fan of American Football, some of the football scenes in the story drive me a bit nuts. It's still a really good story though.
Ernest would probably appreciate hearing what he got wrong. Depending how complex it is and how old the story is, he may not be enthused about changing it, but many authors like knowing what they get right and what they screw up.
Ernest would probably appreciate hearing what he got wrong
I would be interested in knowing what someone thinks is wrong. All the football scenes were run by an American Football Fanatic I know to make sure the rules etc were applied correctly.
Also, I don't have an issue with revising a story if there is a clear fault, not just a perceived fault, and not if it's an intentional fault. By intentional fault I mean something like Al not knowing what the yellow rags are on the ground, that's because he's not familiar with the game and doesn't know they're penalty flags.
It's mostly minor things, but together they are enough to take me out of the story.
Firstly, some of the terminology is a little off. I assume that this is intentional because Al isn't familiar with the game, so he doesn't know all the terms for certain things, but even so, it is distracting.
In the semi-final game you describe Alec running around for a minute and a half to waste time. This seems very unrealistic to me. I can't imagine such a play lasting more than 30 seconds at the most. From what I've found, the longest time a play has taken in NFL history is 24 seconds, and I can't imagine a play lasting 3 times that long.
In the final, you reference Al calling time in, which catches the opponents off guard. You don't call time in in high school football. The referees come over and tell both coaches when the timeout is over. The captain can't end a timeout early.
I still love the story, and the football isn't a main focus, but I still find it a bit annoying.
Firstly, some of the terminology is a little off. I assume that this is intentional because Al isn't familiar with the game
Correct, it was intentional to show his lack of knowledge and familiarity with the game. I even say that a few times.
High School Football is not as fast paced as college or NFL, and I have seen some YouTube video of a player wasting a lot of time by running around to evade being tackled, which is why I put it in. It comes under the heading Very Rare, but Possible as something that can happen at that level, but not higher.
Now, my understanding about Time Out procedures in American Football is the coach or captain calls the time out, the ref calls it. Then either the time is up or the calling coach / captain calls time in, the ref tells the other side if called by one side, or tells both sides if it's timed is up. There is a minimum period a time out must run, but there's nothing in the rules it must run the full time, thus a short time out can be used by the team calling it. There's a few seconds allowed for the teams to get back on the field and ready, but if the coach uses that to continue speaking to the team the ref will start the play before they get into position. Maybe I was wrong to assume everyone would assume the ref told the coach time was up, I'll probably adjust that in a revision. However, as I see it, the ref tells the other coach time is up and the players have to start back to the field or he faces a penalty for time wasting - thus he doesn't have time to go through his new play properly. BTW the procedure is the same for basketball (which I spent many years as a qualified referee for) and is often used to cause confusion in the other camp in a tight situation.
My AF adviser asked a few refs about it, and most said they hadn't seen a short time out, but one had. He even named a high school that does it in a tight game at least once a season.
edit to add: if my memory is right, the minimum time for a time out is half of it.
Now, my understanding about Time Out procedures in American Football is the coach or captain calls the time out, the ref calls it.
In the NFL, the broadcasters can call timeouts as well.
In the NFL, the broadcasters can call timeouts as well.
Ayep, TV Time Out - but that's the NFL, not local high school. TV Time Outs can also be called in most college conference games.
Alec
Heck the story made no bones about his lack of knowledge of American Football or for that matter his lack of interest in the game. That comes across nicely and any mistakes should be covered by his personal history.
Thank you all for chiming in.
@jr88 I've read all the stories that you've suggested. Thanks for helping though.
Over the weekend, I've decided to try my hand at writing a sports story myself. If there's anyone willing to guide me, or help me with terminology as well as the mechanics of how american football works, I'll be greatly obliged. My story title is 'A Matter of Life and Death', the first three chapters are out. The following chapters will probably be out weekly.
If there's anyone willing to guide me, or help me with terminology as well as the mechanics of how american football works, I'll be greatly obliged. My story title is 'A Matter of Life and Death', the first three chapters are out. The following chapters will probably be out weekly.
Sorry, but I've never been a big fan of the game. I can follow along, but I always spent more time at games flirting with girls rather than watching the details on the field.
I just wrote a sports story about a player aiming for a professional career, but all my research focused on the scouting and recruiting aspects, the story doesn't include any actual play.
Over the weekend, I've decided to try my hand at writing a sports story myself.
I've just asked the fellow who helped me with the US sports activities in my stories to look at this post, if he's interested he may post a message or contact you direct, if he can.
You can reach me at:
JIM7@fastmail.us.
I referee High School football, and am also a football fan.
:)
I referee High School football, and am also a football fan.
in the quote, spell fan as extreme fanatic and he does know the rules and what will or won't work on the field. He also umpires baseball, so he has a big bat near to hand all the time.
edit to add: he's also a damn good story editor, and a passable proof reader
I can attest that TeNderLoin is the go to guy for sports - both football and baseball. He has helped me out on numerous occasions with my Stupid Boy series.
@TeNderLoin
Cheers for the help! I will definitely be in touch.
@Crumbly Writer
Would you mind if I used your work (as to the recruiting aspects) for reference? I think that would be faster than Q&A with TeNderLoin... after all, you don't know what to ask what you don't know.
@Crumbly Writer
Would you mind if I used your work (as to the recruiting aspects) for reference? I think that would be faster than Q&A with TeNderLoin... after all, you don't know what to ask what you don't know.
Feel free to contact me via SOL's author directory. They've got my email address.
Unfortunately, the information is released in small dips and drabs throughout the story. It was mostly gleamed from a relative's (my ex's niece's son) experiences being pursued by several large college teams. Other than that, the entire story takes place off the field.
It might be easier to just trade emails for a while as we thrash out precisely what you need.
Trailer Park series? Baseball, football and gymnastics, but it's coded mt/ft for a reason and some of the plot was way over the top. Charmingly told though if memory serves me.
If anyone is interested, there is a new sports related story I uploaded to the Wizard today. First part is up and the rest loaded to appear every other day for all 9 parts. It's focus is on the people and their interactions, but it does have a quite a few interesting baseball scenes in it.
https://storiesonline.net/library/storyInfo.php?id=13761
edit to add: you really should read the note in the Foreword.
you really should read the note in the Foreword.
The name "baseball" doesn't refer to any existing real or imaginary person, nor is it intended to refer to any such being. It's just a damn game, you idjits! 'D
Douglas fix Algonquin stories follows a group in PA. First few in the series are not very sports related, but the main thrust of the series revolves around a Penn state wr. Going through hs and college.