Guide for Interviewing Athletes

Bleacher Report Marketing Manager Aron Glatzer gives some tips for interviewing athletes.

A key part of sporting coverage is what coaches and athletes have to say about the game or their respective performances. In a straight-forward feature on an athlete, it is important to write your story around his or her quotes. In a column, the writer has much more creative freedom to express his or her opinion, but quotes can serve as evidence to justify one’s opinion. Here are some general guidelines for the interview process:

1. Be prepared and have your questions prepared on a pad in advance. Also, if possible, have follow-up questions ready in your head depending on the athlete’s response to outlined questions. I recommend using a tape recorder as well as jotting down quotes on a note pad during the interview to cover your bases.

2. For phone interviews, set your phone at an audible tone on speakerphone and put it down on a flat surface. It is almost impossible to manage note-taking with the phone held up to your ears.

3. Be confident and not intimidated by the interview process, as the majority of athletes are down to Earth personalities who happen to have an exceptional gift in sport. Act as a professional and not an overly-excited fan.

4. Be respectful and not demanding in your approach, but do not be afraid to ask the tough question if it pertains to the story. In most cases, ask the easy questions first and the tough ones later to make sure you walk away with a complete interview. Example: for an athlete recovering from an injury, it is OK to ask the timetable for recovery.

5. When questioning somebody who has overcome or is currently dealing with some type of adversity, make sure that you are dealing with public knowledge. Treat these issues with sensitivity and be ready to change the subject if need be.

6. Use quotes within the context that the athlete intended for, and avoid inventing quotes of any kind at all costs as it reflects poorly on the writer and publication.

7. Do your research. Spend 30 minutes (at a minimum) in getting background information on the athlete(s) you will be interviewing in order to put together a list of pertinent interview questions before the actual interview takes place.

8. Have fun. Establishing relationships and dealing with athletes on a personal level is a fantastic experience and what being part of the media is all about.