By Joshua Kyle Beltran

The Innovator, the official publication of Far Eastern University Institute of Technology (FEU Tech), held its first-ever sports seminar, ‘INNOV Masterclass: The Playbook - Sports Writing and Photography,’ for various student publications yesterday, June 25, at the FEU Tech Innovation Center.

Leading the opening remarks, The Innovator adviser Jennifer Santander-Gucor emphasized the craftsmanship behind sports to formally kickstart the masterclass.

“Sports are more than just games. They are stories of triumph, resilience, and drawn emotions. Whether you are capturing that perfect moment with a camera, or crafting words that bring a game to life, both ways help us experience sports at a deeper level,” she said.

Guest speaker and long-time sports photographer since 2007, Paul Ryan Tan, shared his tips and tricks as he spearheaded the photojournalism session, Sports Photography Essentials.

To open the writing portion, Writing The Game, former The Innovator senior writer and associate editor and Tiebreaker Times contributor Nicole Parallag then discussed the basic processes on how to produce a well-written sports article.

The participating student-journalists put their learnings to the test as a post-session writing simulation activity was conducted toward the end of the workshop.

Concluding the event, The Innovator senior photographer and INNOV Masterclass project head Jannah Hilario instilled words of inspiration upon the attendees from different student pubs to carry on with their passion for sports journalism. 

“I hope you guys learned a lot from our speakers today… The biggest takeaway is of course, to always put your heart and passion sa lahat ng ginagawa natin (in everything we do); might it be sports, writing, or anything under the sun, I hope you guys will still continue to keep burning kung ano man ‘yung nasimulan niyo na (whatever it is you may have started),” she stated.

Participating student publications were University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Arts and Letters’ The Flame, FEU High School’s Junior Advocate, and FEU Advocate. 

Also present at the event were various photographers from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Media Bureau. 

The INNOV Masterclass: The Playbook is a two-part session focused on exploring sports photography and writing techniques aimed to sharpen the skills of aspiring sports journalists.

(Photo courtesy of Raine Zaldivar/The Innovator)