Nicholas Campbell
Bellville Boys Basketball Coordinator
Room:
Email: ncampbell@bellvillebrahmas.org
Griffin Clary
Bellville Girls Basketball Contact
Room:
Email: gclary@bellvillebrahmas.org
The Bellville Boys and Girls Basketball programs represent Bellville High School in preseason, district, tournament, and playoff competition. Follow both teams throughout the season for game results, standings, player accomplishments, and the preparation and teamwork behind their performances.
- Upcoming games, tournaments, and schedule changes
- Game results and season records
- District standings and playoff races
- Tournament and playoff advancement
- Player statistics and milestone achievements
- Team preparation, practices, and strategy
- Close games, comebacks, and turning points
- New varsity players and emerging team leaders
- Senior recognition and final home games
- Awards, honors, and postseason selections
- Team activities and community involvement
- Boys and girls basketball features and season recaps
Covering the Bellville Basketball Beat
Start Here
- Introduce yourself to Nicholas Campbell and Griffin Clary and explain that you are covering Bellville Basketball for the BVP Newsroom.
- Coach Campbell is the contact for boys basketball; Coach Clary is the contact for girls basketball.
- Ask how each coach prefers to be contacted and how far in advance interviews, photography, or video coverage should be arranged.
- Request the current schedules for varsity, junior varsity, and freshman teams.
- Ask which practices reporters may attend and whether any portions are closed.
- Find out how rosters, statistics, scores, and schedule changes will be communicated.
- Ask when players and coaches will be available for interviews after games.
- Check with both coaches regularly so the boys’ and girls’ programs receive consistent coverage.
- Submit possible stories as pitches before beginning full coverage unless your teacher tells you otherwise.
Your Responsibilities
- Check for boys and girls basketball updates at least once each news cycle.
- Track games, tournaments, district standings, playoff races, and schedule changes.
- Maintain contact with Coach Campbell and Coach Clary.
- Watch for close games, comebacks, winning streaks, rivalry matchups, player milestones, and emerging leaders.
- Pitch promising stories to the newsroom.
- Arrange interviews, photography, and video coverage in advance.
- Confirm scores, player statistics, team records, standings, and postseason honors before publication.
- Follow up after games for results, photographs, reactions, and information about what comes next.
- Provide balanced coverage of both programs throughout the season.
Important
Always identify which program and team level you are covering: boys or girls, and varsity, junior varsity, or freshman. Verify final scores, records, statistics, district standings, and playoff information with the appropriate coach before publication.
Do not enter locker rooms, team meetings, or closed practices without permission. An injured player’s medical information is private; report only what the player, parent, coach, or school has officially released.
A final score is only the beginning of the story. Explain how the game was decided—the turning point, key performances, strategy, adjustments, and what the result means for the team’s season.
Reporting Your Basketball Stories
Possible Story Ideas
- Season previews for the boys’ and girls’ teams
- New varsity players and returning leaders
- Tournament results and standout performances
- District openers and important district matchups
- Rivalry games
- Close games, comebacks, and overtime finishes
- Winning streaks or major improvements
- Players reaching scoring, rebounding, assist, or other milestones
- A player stepping into a new role
- Changes in strategy or the starting lineup
- Teams qualifying for or advancing in the playoffs
- Senior Night and final home games
- Players earning district or postseason honors
- Academic recognition and team achievements
- Behind-the-scenes preparation and practice
- Team service projects or community activities
- Season recaps and graduating seniors
Signs There May Be A Story
Pay attention when:
- A tournament, district opener, rivalry game, or playoff game is approaching
- A game is decided in the final seconds or overtime
- A team comes back from a large deficit
- A player reaches an important statistical milestone
- An unexpected player has a major impact
- The team changes its strategy, rotation, or starting lineup
- A player returns after missing games
- A team begins a winning streak or ends a losing streak
- A victory changes the district standings or playoff race
- The boys’ or girls’ team qualifies for the playoffs
- A player or coach receives an award
- Seniors prepare for their final home game
- A younger player emerges as a team leader
- A team shows major improvement during the season
- Coaches or players describe a game as especially important
Questions to Ask: The 5 W's and 1 H
You will not necessarily ask every question below. Select the questions that fit your story and ask follow-up questions whenever an answer is unclear or incomplete.
Who was involved?
- Was this a boys’ or girls’ game?
- Which team level played: varsity, junior varsity, or freshman?
- Which players made the biggest contributions?
- Who started the game or entered in an important situation?
- Which coaches or assistants were involved?
- Who made the key play or decision?
- Who confirmed the final statistics?
What happened?
- What was the final score?
- What were the scores at the end of each quarter?
- What was the turning point?
- Which plays changed the game?
- What strategy worked especially well?
- What problems did the team face?
- What adjustments were made?
- What records, milestones, or accomplishments resulted?
- What does the result mean for the season?
When did it happen?
- When and what time was the game?
- When did the momentum change?
- When did the team take or lose the lead?
- When did the key play occur?
- When is the next game?
- When will district or playoff competition begin?
Where did it happen?
- Where was the game played?
- Was Bellville the home or visiting team?
- Where will the next game or tournament be held?
- Where can students find schedules, tickets, or official updates?
- Where does the team currently stand in district competition?
Why does it matter?
- Why was this game important?
- Why did the team use a particular strategy?
- Why did the momentum change?
- Why was a particular player’s performance significant?
- How did the result affect the district standings or playoff race?
- Why should students follow the next game?
- What did the team learn from the result?
How did it happen?
- How did the team build or lose its lead?
- How did Bellville defend its opponent?
- How did the team create scoring opportunities?
- How were turnovers, rebounds, or free throws important?
- How did the coach adjust during the game?
- How did the players respond under pressure?
- How did the team prepare for this opponent?
- How will the team prepare for its next game?
Questions for Players
- What was your role in tonight’s game?
- What was the turning point from your perspective?
- What adjustment helped the team?
- What was the most difficult part of the game?
- What was happening during the key play?
- How did the team respond when the momentum changed?
- What did you learn from this game?
- What does this result mean for the team?
- What needs to improve?
- How will you prepare for the next opponent?
Questions for Coaches
- What was the game plan?
- What did the team execute well?
- What caused the greatest difficulty?
- What adjustments did you make?
- Which players made important contributions that may not appear in the scoring totals?
- What was the turning point?
- How does this result affect the district standings or playoff race?
- What must the team improve?
- What comes next?
People You May Need to Interview
Depending on the story, consider interviewing:
- Boys basketball coach Nicholas Campbell
- Girls basketball coach Griffin Clary
- Assistant coaches
- Team captains and senior leaders
- Players involved in key moments
- Leading scorers, rebounders, defenders, or playmakers
- Players who made important contributions off the bench
- Younger players taking on larger roles
- Players reaching milestones or receiving honors
- Athletic trainers when appropriate and authorized
- Opposing coaches or players when available
- Tournament or school officials
- Students attending the game
Do not interview only the leading scorer. Basketball stories should also recognize defense, rebounding, passing, leadership, and contributions that may not appear prominently in the box score.
What You Need to Collect
Before writing or producing the story, collect:
- Whether the game involved boys or girls basketball
- The team level: varsity, junior varsity, or freshman
- The opponent’s complete and correctly spelled school name
- The date, time, and location
- The final score
- Scores by quarter
- Bellville’s official team record
- District record and standing when applicable
- Verified player statistics
- Names and grade levels of players interviewed or featured
- The turning point and important plays
- Information about strategy and adjustments
- The next opponent, date, time, and location
- Playoff or tournament implications
- At least one useful player quote
- At least one useful coach quote
- Photographs or video showing game action
- Identification of everyone shown in photographs
- A photograph that shows emotion, reaction, or an important moment
- Official schedules, box scores, brackets, or announcements
- The name of the person who confirmed the information
Before You Leave
Ask yourself:
- Did I identify the boys’ or girls’ program?
- Did I identify the correct team level?
- Do I have the correct final score?
- Do I have the scores by quarter?
- Have all player statistics been verified?
- Do I have the correct spelling and grade level of every player mentioned?
- Can I explain the turning point?
- Did I identify contributions beyond scoring?
- Did I interview at least one player and the appropriate coach?
- Do I have strong quotes—not merely “We played hard”?
- Do I understand what the result means for the season?
- Do I know the team’s current overall and district records?
- Do I know when and where the next game will be played?
- Do I have usable action photographs or video?
- Did I identify everyone shown in my photographs?
- Did I avoid entering restricted team areas?
- Did I avoid reporting private medical information?
- Have district standings, playoff information, and postseason honors been officially confirmed?