The Art of Human-Centered Sports Journalism: Rick Saleeby on Looking Beyond the Scoreboard

Why the Story is Bigger Than the Game

Sports reporting often focuses on scores, stats, and highlight plays. Those numbers matter, but they don’t tell the full story. What happens off the field can shape the moment far more than a final score.

A Pew Research Center study found that 65% of sports fans want more behind-the-scenes and personal stories, but only 27% feel like they actually get them. That gap shows why human-centered reporting matters. Fans crave stories about people. They want to know what drives athletes, coaches, and communities.

Rick Saleeby has spent more than 20 years producing stories that look past the scoreboard. His work has earned him both an Emmy nomination and an Edward R. Murrow Award. But more than awards, his career shows how paying attention to details can connect fans with the real heart of sports.

Listening First

Building Trust

Many reporters jump straight into questions about wins, losses, or upcoming games. Saleeby takes a different approach. He starts by listening. He wants to know what shaped an athlete’s passion before the spotlight.

He recalls one Giants training camp where he asked a veteran recovering from injury, “What did it feel like on the first day you tried to run again?” The player paused. Then he told a story about sneaking onto a high school track at night, struggling with every step, and crying when he finished one lap. That moment never showed up in a box score, but it revealed a piece of his drive.

Why It Works

When athletes feel heard, they open up. That creates trust. Trust builds stronger stories. Stronger stories connect with fans in a way that stats never can.

Finding the Hidden Moment

Seeing More Than the Play

One of Saleeby’s earliest lessons came at a high school baseball game. The star pitcher struck out the final batter. The stands erupted. But what stuck with him wasn’t the pitch—it was the hug between the pitcher and his father, who had just come home from military service.

That single image carried more weight than the win. It was a story about family, sacrifice, and reunion. Sports were just the backdrop.

Shaping a Segment

Later in his career, Saleeby took a risk during a Yankees playoff series. Instead of cutting highlights, he built the segment around stadium sound. Vendors yelling. Cleats hitting dirt. The buzz of the crowd. It felt raw and alive. The piece stood out because it wasn’t polished like every other recap.

The takeaway: pay attention to what others miss. Sometimes the best story hides in the small details.

Risk and Failure

Trying Something New

Safe reporting can be boring. Saleeby admits he once avoided risk, sticking to safe formats to avoid mistakes. That changed after he pitched a feature on a local wrestling show. He thought it could be a breakout story. The piece flopped. Ratings were low.

But the lessons stuck. He learned how to pace stories differently and how to think about audience expectations. Sharing that failure with colleagues showed them it’s okay to swing and miss.

Building Confidence

Confidence in storytelling doesn’t come from always being right. It comes from trying, failing, and trying again. That’s how ideas grow. That’s how unique voices emerge.

The Power of Sound and Rhythm

Borrowing from Music

Saleeby often talks about how music inspires him. At a live show, he pays attention to how a band controls energy—quiet moments, then a big drop, then a chorus that everyone sings. He applies that same rhythm to editing. A slow build, a quick cut, then a payoff.

That technique makes his work stand out. It makes fans feel the moment, not just see it.

Why it Matters

Sports are emotional. Rhythm and sound help capture those emotions. A cheer, a whistle, or even silence can say more than words. Journalists who learn to use these tools can create experiences that fans remember.

The Data Side of Storytelling

What Fans Want

Surveys show fans aren’t just casual viewers. Nearly 70% of fans follow sports media on multiple platforms. But engagement spikes when stories go deeper than highlights. Features that focus on athletes’ personal journeys average 40% more time spent by readers than standard recaps.

This means fans reward human-centered content with attention. That attention drives loyalty.

What Journalists Can Do

• Track what stories fans share most.
• Look at comments and reactions. Are fans connecting with the people in the story or just the score?
• Use these insights to push for more human-interest pieces.

Actionable Solutions for Journalists

Ask Better Questions

Don’t ask “How do you feel about the win?” Ask “What did you see in the locker room before the game that told you this team was ready?” Specific questions spark specific answers.

Focus on Details

Watch for small moments—an athlete tying a worn-out pair of shoes, a coach whispering to a player after a mistake, a family cheering from the stands. These details create stronger narratives.

Embrace Experimentation

Try building a segment around sound. Use rhythm in editing. Test out formats that feel risky. Even if they fail, they build skill and originality.

Share Failures

When something doesn’t work, talk about it. Show teammates and young reporters that mistakes are part of the process. This creates a culture where experimentation is safe.

Why It Matters

Human-centered journalism is not a trend. It’s what fans are asking for. Numbers prove it. When stories highlight people, engagement rises. When they don’t, fans scroll past.

The lesson is simple: scores fade, stories stay.

Final Thoughts

Rick Saleeby has shown through his career that listening, paying attention, and taking risks lead to better stories. Sports are about people. The scoreboard is just one line of the story.

Every journalist, whether at a national network or a local paper, has the chance to bring fans closer to those people. The tools are simple: listen, notice, ask, and risk.

That’s the art of human-centered sports journalism. And it starts with looking beyond the scoreboard.

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