A contention unerlies this unit: that sport and writing are seen to be disparate and disconnected activities.

Sport is seen as active, agressive, often masculine whereas writing is quiet, passive and sometimes figured as a feminine pursuit. Whatever relation the two fields have is incidental rather than constitutive.

In a unit like this we obviously believe this not to be the case. We argue that writing and sport are vitally connected and sometimes form a symbiotic relationship. Writing popularises sport while sport inspires and animates writing.

There are 2 main ways in which we see professional writing and sport as connected:

• Writing as a functional component of sports playing/administration/management
• Internal (Office) communication
• External communication (Media liaison)
• Report writing
• Funding proposals

A whole unit could be taught on these issues. And while it would be dry it would be immensely functional and useful for someone wanting to get into sports administration.

• Writing about sport for reward
• Working Journalism (Baum, Wilson, Lynch)
• Journalistic articles by non-journalists (Bob Murphy eg)
• Books
• Creative writing (usually not for pecuniary reward but for other kinds of reward)
• Academia (mostly history of sport and sports science)

This is what we usually consider to be the stuff of sportswriting. Writing about sport from the simple jopurnalistic to the creative and academic fringe.

• competitive writing (I'm being a little tongue in cheek here)
• Prizes
• Competitions
• Funding grants
• Theatre sports even

Another thing we'll be loooking at in the unit is a third realm or an anti-realm of non- or para-professional writing. Writing that takes on the guise and seriousness of professional writing but which involves little or no payment.

• Fanzines
• Blogging
• Facebook
• Social media
• Discussion boards

These are vehicles in which people read and write about sport for what sometimes seem to be the rarest of impulses in the contemporary sports world: commitment, loyalty and passion.

Hopefully in the coming weeks we can demonstrate the way these attitudes underpin the best of all sportswriting.