DS Year 12 interested in sports journalism...

[BaconAndAvocado]

...any ideas how he might pursue this career route and which degrees and universities are the ones to aim for?

He is doing A levels in Maths, Physics and Film Studies.

Ermmm, yes, it does. It's an essay subject.

If he's involved in any local teams get started by asking to run their social media pages. That'll test how committed he is!
And start a blog/ fan page and promote that via social media to try to get seen.
There are loads of sports journalism course - but as per previous poster, pick one with links to the sport they are passionate about. Lots of unis offer it. Manchester, Brighton, Solent, one in Preston too I think (or Lancashire).
Or consider a degree in a wider subject area then MA. Follow Lewis Coombes on social media. He started at Solent a few years ago and went to the bbc. He's very approachable.

https://apply.workable.com/telegraph/j/040C02D3FC/ may be of interest to him and other potential journalists.

Great posts already @BaconAndAvocado and I would definitely echo all those saying get experience.

Some really good ideas here too! So often ppl say vaguely "write for the local paper" but that's not easy. What is, is to get your writing out there. A blog, great. Parkrun report is a brilliant idea.

What sport does he love? Find the local club and offer to write reports for their website. I run the website for my athletics club but I don't have time to chase up content so I would snatch his hand off!

Before I have recommended a journalism degree as I suspect increasingly, journo employers have them and thus look for them (unlike old hacks like me). But I am coming round to the idea of another subject eg science, a good string to your bow, then maybe a masters.

Film and SM skills are so important. Lad I know works in SM writing about footballers basically. Man he works hard tho. It's never been an easy role but it's so tough now. Good creators of content ate still needed tho.

Just o add bacon, if he is thinking of applying to an undergraduate journalism degree some ask for evidence of interest. This might be evidenced via the personal statement but a few ask for a portfolio so he does need to get started if he hasn't.

As he does film, writing some film reviews/making a film blog would be a good place to start. Not many schools have magazines these days but if his school does, he could submit to that.

Or he could start a school newsletter! Tbh if he isn't doing some writing already I would question whether he really wants to do this. Does that make sense? - not "oh I want to be a journalist so I better start writing" - it should be "wow I love writing, here is all my written work, oooh maybe this could be a career".

I suspect that sounds harsh but it is such a tough career to get a foothold in now. And yet thanks to the internet it is easier than ever to get your content published. I used to send reviews and the like to my local paper and of course they rarely used them. Much much easier now.

To be fair clary my DS has only just decided he might like to go into journalism, although he has always been nerdily interested in sport. He started uni with a view to joining the Civil Service. He is finding it relatively easy to get writing experience at uni. But definitely if wanting to apply for an undergrad degree the writing and so on should already be happening.

He met a Guardian sports journalist recently, by the way, OP . Young chap. Did his degree in journalism at Bournemouth.

Fair enough @Piggywaspushed - but obvs the sooner you start writing, the better.

I don't mean anyone here (obvs!) but I have come across ppl who dreamily say "I'd like to be a journalist" while having done nothing and read nothing! as if the BBC is going to scoop them up and send them to report on Westminster politics or the Oscars.

The huge problem with sports journalism is it’s crowded with ex players! Just look at cricket, rugby, racing, athletics, etc. Columns all penned by former players or those in the game at a high level. It squeezes others out. The BBC got rid of loads of sports journalists to make way for retiring players. They are everywhere! Plus fewer jobs for men as women are getting more roles. I would avoid a journalism undergrad degree and do a masters at somewhere where alumni get jobs. Definitely get as much work experirbve and published work as possible before seeking a job.

We were at University of Derby open day on Saturday and they do 3 Journalism degrees:
Journalism
Sports Journalism
Football Journalism (very specific!)

The curriculum was wide and quite flexible with quite a lot of module options for 2nd & 3rd year

Loads of my old colleagues teach the courses there! Well worth a look I would say.

And their alumni are? That’s what really matters.