The 2010-11 CoSIDA Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest is now open and taking submissions. Please see the contest guidelines, new categories, entry forms and Frequently Asked Questions listed below.
The deadline for entries is February 20 (contest guidelines and a list of district coordinator follows). The early deadline will allow for all the judging to be completed and plaques/certificates to be produced so that the winners can be recognized at the CoSIDA annual workshop (June 26-29 in Marco Island, Florida).
The chair of the CoSIDA Writing Contest is Wade Steinlage (William Penn University) who can be contacted at
steinlagew@wmpenn.edu.
2011 CoSIDA Fed Stabley Sr. Writing Contest Entry Form (.pdf)
2011 CoSIDA Fed Stabley Sr. Writing Contest Entry Form (.doc)
Where to send entries: List of National Chairs/District Coordinators (.pdf)
Where to send entries: List of National Chairs/District Coordinators (.doc)
See Writing Contest "Frequently Asked Questions" below or
HERE (.pdf)
Writing Contest GUIDELINES (.pdf) --
REVISED MARCH 26, 2011
CoSIDA Fred S. Stabley Sr. Writing Contest
Based upon the chill in the air and the inches or feet of snow you might have piled up outside your office window, it is time to start thinking about article submissions to the CoSIDA Fred S. Stabley Sr. Writing Contest. 
In our profession, we are called upon to use our writing skills each and every day and we create tremendous stories that captivate our audience. It is a major aspect of our job and an aspect that we take very seriously. For all of our hard work to recognize others, aren’t we deserving of some recognition as well??
With that in mind, CoSIDA members are encouraged to submit entries for this year’s Writing Contest. The deadline for entries is February 20 (contest guidelines and a list of district coordinator follows). The early deadline will allow for all the judging to be completed and plaques/certificates to be produced so that the winners can be recognized at the CoSIDA Annual Workshop.
Categories have changed a bit and now include the following five:
1) Event Coverage
2) General Feature
3) Coach/Administrator Profile & Historical Feature
4) Athlete Profile
5) Blog/Interview
I encourage you to submit as many stories as possible with the maximum of three (3) per category. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
Best of luck!
Wade Steinlage, William Penn University
Writing Contest Chair
steinlagew@wmpenn.edu
phone: (641) 673-1025
Writing Contest Guidelines
The CoSIDA Fred S. Stabley Sr. Writing Contest is open to all members of CoSIDA and is the only contest sponsored by CoSIDA that does not discriminate because of budget, athletic competition level, or size of staff. All entries are considered to be on a level playing field. The Contest is comprised of five categories (athlete, general, coach/administrator/historical, event, and blog/interview). Members may submit up to three stories per category.
Entries
1. All dues-paying members of CoSIDA are encouraged to enter the contest. Non-members of CoSIDA who work in an athletic media relations capacity (graduate assistants, interns, student assistants and volunteers) are invited to submit stories as long as each entry is sponsored by a dues-paying member of that office.
2. Entries must come from a campus publicity office, a conference office, or a sports governing body that deals directly with college athletics. The stories must have been generated through the normal daily role of the office.
3. Entries must be postmarked no later than February 20, 2011 to be considered for the 2010-11 contest (again, members may submit up to THREE entries per category). Entries must have been written/published between May 21, 2010 and December 31, 2010.
4. An original version of the story, from the actual publication, must be submitted along with THREE photocopies of the story. The contest name must appear on the outside of the envelope. Raw manuscript (on institutional letterhead) or internet version of an article is acceptable for stories that were generated but never appeared in a printed medium.
5. Entries must be in prose form. No game notes, fact sheets, etc., may be submitted.
6. A copy of the entry form must be stapled to your original, but not to the photocopies.
7. Entries will be judged on overall writing style, correct use of English, inventiveness, written presentation and the ease with which the reader acquires the information. Story layout and design are not factored into the judging process, although typographical errors may be counted against the story in the overall judging.
Judging
All entries shall be forwarded to a district representative, who will gather a panel of three judges. The stories will be judged by category only, with certificates awarded based on the number of entries in each category (one certificate for categories with one to five entries, two certificates for categories with six to 10 entries, and three certificates for categories with more than 10 entries).
The top story in each category at the district level will be forwarded to a national panel of judges, who will select the top three stories in each of the five categories. Only the top story from each category at the national level will be moved into consideration for “National Story of the Year,” where the top three selections will receive certificates. Only one certificate will be awarded to any story that advances beyond the district judging phase, and that certificate will indicate the highest award earned by the entry.
District coordinators reserve the right to re-classify an entry if it is not submitted for the proper category. Coordinators may also request additional writings samples from an entrant.
Writing Contest Entry Blank
The entry blank is available above (in both PDF and word doc formats) as well as from a district coordinator. Be sure to use one entry blank per story, and remember to staple it to your original entry only - not the photocopies.
Writing Cont
Please review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) below. Further questions may be directed to your district coordinator or to:
Wade Steinlage, Contest Chair
William Penn University
201 Trueblood Avenue
Oskaloosa, IA 52577
(641) 673-1025
steinlagew@wmpenn.edu or
Mark Adkins, Vice Chair
Wartburg College
PO Box 1003
100 Wartburg Blvd.
Waverly, IA 50677-0903
(319) 352-8208
mark.adkins@wartburg.edu
Writing Contest Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I wrote a story after last year’s deadline. Can I submit it now?
A: Yes. Anything published between the deadline last year (May 21, 2010) and this year’s deadline (December 31, 2010) is eligible for entry.
Q: I wrote a story that only appeared on my school’s website. Can I enter that?
A: Yes. Make sure there is a date when the story was posted. Print off one copy of the story, and submit with three additional photocopies.
Q: Can I submit a story that a student wrote?
A: Yes. Graduate students, interns and student assistants can submit entries, as long as they are sponsored by a CoSIDA dues-paying member.
Q: How many entries can I submit?
A: Up to three entries per category. There are five categories (Athlete feature, general feature, coach/administrator profile, event coverage and historical feature). That means you could have a maximum of 15 total entries.
Q: When will I find out if I won, and what do I receive?
A: We plan to have all judging completed and all plaques/certificates produced so the winners can be recognized at the
CoSIDA annual Convention (June 26-29 in Marco Island, Florida)