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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#256: Going for Gold

We're entering into a major summer of sports. From the Euros and the Copa America, through Grand Prix and grand slams, to the Olympics and Paralympics, you can barely switch on the TV without catching something. Even those of us who aren't usually sports fans seem to be finding ourselves caught up in the fever-pitch of excitement.

And there's a reason for this: sports bring us together. Whether we're viewing for the spectacle, for tales of heroism and tragedy, or for a feeling of community, there's just something about it. This week's prompts invite you to channel the experience of athletes and fans, and to capture that atmosphere in writing. We look forward to seeing who takes gold!

This week's prompts

Set your story in the stands at a major sporting event.

Fiction – 40 stories

Write about someone who has trained all their life for one moment.

Character – 45 stories

Write a story about an underdog, or somebody making a comeback.

Character – 42 stories

Write about a moment of defeat.

Angst – 54 stories

Write a story about two sporting rivals having to work together.

Funny – 23 stories

Stories

“Double Act” by Sophie P

Submitted to Contest #256

Maldec was one of the greatest players to ever step foot on court. He’d won more competitions than he had room for in his trophy cabinet, and rumour had it that he had resorted to giving them away at children’s birthday parties.The press loved him; his grace, his style, his work ethic, and they especially loved the fact that every time they predicted he would ‘go all the way’, they happened to be right. And for as long as I had been on the tour, they had compared me to him.I hated when they did that.My strokes, they said, had a little someth...

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“Two brooms at work” by Shahnaz T.M

Submitted to Contest #256

Larry nervously tapped his foot on the ground while the boss man clicked on his computer. The boss was still speaking, words generously pouring out of his mouth, spouting instructions at a rate faster than Larry could process. But Larry's brain had frozen ever since the name Barry Mitchell had been uttered. "So that's settled then. You and Barry are going to work on the Maxim project. You've got seven days until the presentation." "But...Sir...I need to." "And you know the Maxim project, sonny. There's some meaty grub in there. So you bette...

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“Elder Lion” by Togo F

Submitted to Contest #256

Perspiration lay thick over my brow, dripping and drooling on my burly body, succumbing to the damp despair as the seconds ticked by, tilting tirelessly to the rhythm of the night. Perceptive and intuitive, I observed my opponent, a lanky animal with quickness to match, dipping, peeking , and baiting with false openings. The universe uttered its lullaby, predetermined moves, strings strung on a straw doll, unfolding before my very eyes. I could see the blood vessels beneath his moon-kissed skin, read his brain as if it were naked, perceiving...

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“It All Depends On What Team You Are On ” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #256

It was the last game of the season, and it meant the league championship for the winning team. The two teams were very competitive, especially with each other, and there were more penalties in their games against each other than any other matchup in the league. It was the last minute of the third period. George, one of the stars of the Grant Street Gophers was on a breakaway heading towards the opposition net. They were behind by one goal. He slowed down somewhat in order to plan most carefully how he was going to score...

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“The Finish Line of Life” by Julia Zhipa Philippova

Submitted to Contest #256

- Mr. Peterson, may I ask you a question? I was in a huge crowd of people who seemed to want to eat me alive. I couldn't see anything and I was trying to find a quiet place. Somewhere where no one can bother me with questions I don't want to answer. Yesterday I went to my mom's funeral. When I saw her last time, she was so excited about me going to this championship. She smiled and laughed, and I saw life in her eyes. I've been training really hard these past few years. I gave it my all in this championship to show off my skills and prove I'...

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“KEEP OFF THE GRASS” by Red Herring

Submitted to Contest #256

Lola doesn’t particularly like him- her father, that is, but says she’s learning to tolerate him. He doesn’t particularly like her either, and he learned to accept her. Accept all the traces of her mother in her, from the stout frame flinching at any conciliatory gesture of affection, to the pinched looks and angry sighs whenever he emerges from the depths of his room, sleeping off his early shift. Today is a special day for Gerald. Wimbledon is in the works – three weeks away, and he is in the final stretch of straightening out the gro...

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“Pitched In” by Nina H

Submitted to Contest #256

Brady’s mom never missed a sign-up, much to his dismay. Another soccer season loomed over his ten-year old head, as he laced up his cleats and secured two shinguards neatly into place. The enthusiasm that five-year old Brady brought to the game had fizzled, sputtered, and ultimately gone out over the years, like a sparkler at the end of the thin metal stick inching closer to tender grasping fingers. It had been a fun game back then, with giggling teammates and practice sessions filled with...

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“Umpire's call -" Kalyug" ” by Abhijit Bharadwaj

Submitted to Contest #256

“Everyone I knew was glued to the TV, or their phonesThey had been waiting for this day for over three months. I was going to be on TV during on one of the most awaited events of the year. For more than 3 hours, I would be seen with some of the biggest sports stars in the world. But nobody would be watching me. They may see me but I would be swiftly ignored like I never existed. I was used to that for a while now.After all, nobody pays attention to the Umpires (referees are called “Umpires” in cricket) during a cricket match. Everyone blames...

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“The Interview Game” by Caitlin Carpenter

Submitted to Contest #256

Authenticity is for the rich. Be the chameleon I know you are. Yes, Vanessa told him. She could do that. It was how she’d made it through the first two stages. She remembered the advice from her foster brother, who regularly dealt with these situations, but from the other side. The side holding all the cards. She’d written down his other tips on a notecard taped to the side of her bedroom mirror. As she opened a new tube of Power Pink lipstick, she re-read each point. Know your keywords, say them over and over and overDon’t bl...

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“White Privilege” by William Riling

Submitted to Contest #256

Every game felt like a symphony to eighteen-year-old Kelvin White. The chirp of athletic shoes on the parquet floor. The rhythmic drumming of a basketball pounding wood, building tension as he planned his approach to the hoop, surrounded by a cacophony of whistles, whoops and thunderous applause inside the Lower Merion High School Gymnasium outside Philadelphia where, in this orchestration, Kelvin was the conductor, leading the players down the court, directing the drive with a pass here, a pick there, finishing off with a cymbal-like crash ...

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“Summer Special Olympics 1990” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #256

We got on the bus at our Yuba City headquarters in July 1990. As assistant coach of the volleyball team, I would ride down to the University of California of Los Angeles with the twenty participants on the “C” team on a bus with comfortable seating and air conditioning. For many of the athletes, this would be their first trip to Los Angeles. The C-team was made up of special athletes who were considered “low functioning” since some of them were unable to speak and could only make sounds that served as verbal communication. ...

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“The Invisible Fan” by Dennis Haak

Submitted to Contest #256

As Gerard climbed the steps of the buzzing stands, making his way to his usual spot at the 5th row from the top, he kept looking at the score board. How on earth did he manage to miss an entire half? Never before had he misjudged the starting time of his daughter's soccer games. And now today, of all days, it had happened. He couldn’t quite put his finger on why it happened, but that didn't matter now. He was here. He quickly slipped into his seat at the 5th row. The parents around him didn’t glance his way, nor did they acknowledge his hurr...

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“On Thin Ice” by M B

Submitted to Contest #256

The roar of the crowd filled the arena as the teams took to the ice. Amber adjusted her press badge and settled into her seat high up in the stands. The meerkat wasn't there to enjoy the game: Amber had never been one for sports, especially hockey. No, she had a job to do. The tip had come in anonymously: a cryptic message hinting at a major scandal that was set to unfold during the championship match. Amber scanned the crowd, her keen eyes taking in every detail, looking for anything out of the ordinary. "Keep your eyes open, Amber," she mu...

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“Familiar Hands” by James Beach

Submitted to Contest #256

He went down to one knee and held on tight to himself to keep from slipping away. There was no noise from the crowd, only his own breathing and the high ringing in his ears. The darkness crept in at the edges of his vision. After two deep breaths he stood up, and in doing so he tasted the metal in his mouth and he knew his nose was broken. The air wasn’t getting through so he blew it out all at once to clear the blockage. It was a sharp pain and the blood spattered onto his chest and shorts, but it did not help his breathing.Judging him stea...

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“The Art of Being Boring” by Maisy Stevens

Submitted to Contest #256

Perhaps the answer is to pack your bags and move to the city. As a somewhat shy and partially introverted twenty-year-old, recieving the opportunity to complete an internship in Central London felt like a gift straight from the graceful fingertips of God, like I’d finally been looked down on with something less pitiful than disdain. I quit my tedious retail job in the middle of an industrial retail park, so barren a piece of tumbleweed was a regular, without so much as a regretful smile. My manager had begged me not to leave, but, no m...

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$250

Prize money

204

Contest entries

102

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 28, 2024 EST

Won by Melissa Van Rensburg 🏆

Title: Injury Time

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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