Calling all budding journalists! 

With the Ulster Ladies schools competitions drawing to a close, Gaelic Life in association with the Ulster Ladies Council and schools sponsors Pat The Baker are offering sports writers of the future the chance to help promote their schools, get their work published... and earn themselves the chance to win some tasty prizes in the process! 

The title of Gaelic Life Young Sportswriter of the Year title will be given to one lucky winner over the coming months.

All you have to do is to compile a match report on your school’s upcoming games over the next few weeks and submit it to the competition. All of the entries will be displayed on the Ulster Ladies website, with the best entries appearing in Gaelic Life each week. 

The overall winners, as well as highly commended entries, will receive a top prize of an Apple Ipod, as well as a range of Gaelic Life goodies including a Gaelic Life kit bag and jacket.  

The competition is open to any student, especially those who have an interest in journalism, with Media Studies or English students having particular relevance. The only condition is that it must relate to a ladies schools competition fixture. 

It’s easy, just compile the report, submit it, and our judging panel will run the rule over all entries. As well as appearing in Gaelic Life and on the Ulster Ladies website, entries may also appear in local press to give the entrants even more profile and recognition for their efforts. 

So get your pens and paper out, and get writing! 

So here's the ground rules...

The actual body of your match report (excluding teams lists, scorers etc) must be no more than 350 WORDS in total. Remember to keep things as concise and as interesting as possible. You want to keep the reader entertained and hold their attention. 

Send your entries to either Ulster Schools co-ordinator Mary Keegan at maryshanroe@hotmail.com, Ulster Ladies PRO Paul Swift at pswift5@eircom.net  or to Gaelic Life's Ciaran Woods at c.woods@gaeliclife.com

Here's a few helpful hints to get you on your way...

Do.....
Include the sponsor of the competition, grade of competition, and stage of competition (eg semi-final)
Include the final score
Include the half-time score
Include the venue, weather conditions 
Include the referee 
Include the teams with full names, including substitutes
Include the consequences of the game (eg now into final against team x) 
Make sure of your spelling, grammar and punctuation
Be fair and impartial

Don't.....
Use capital letters or underlining
Only put in details on one side

Here's a sample report to get you on your way. It's not a template - just a guide, so don't just copy it and change the names! We're looking for creativity, that style and substance that makes your match report stand out above the others. 

Bloggs the star as Mount Lourdes progress

Pat the Baker Ulster Under-19 A Schools semi-final 

Mount Lourdes (Fermanagh) .............. 1-10
St Ciaran's Ballygawley (Tyrone) ........ 1-09

MOUNT Lourdes progressed to the Ulster Senior Schools final for the second successive year courtesy of a one-point win in a thrilling semi-final clash at Clogher on Wednesday. A superb goal from wing-back Mary Bloggs deep in injury time put Mount Lourdes ahead for the first time in the game and the Fermanagh side held out to book their place in the Ulster decider for the second successive year. 

St Ciaran's, with Kelly O’Kelly in sparkling form up front, took an early lead courtesy of two converted free-kicks. However, Mount Lourdes drew level with two scores of their own after St Ciaran’s full-back Donna Donnelly was sin binned in the 12th minute. 

It was nip and tuck for the remainder of the first half, and as referee Pat McEneaney blew the half-time whistle at a wet and windy Clones it was St Ciaran’s who had their noses just in front 0-6 to 0-5. 

St Ciaran’s started the second half with purpose and were rewarded with an early goal, Mary O’Donnell blasting high to the roof of the Mount Lourdes net giving goalkeeper Mary Bloggs no chance. 

Neither side could make any real impact on the scoreboard in a stop-start second half, and with time running out, the Fermanagh girls looked destined to lose their grip on the title they claimed for the first time last year. 

However there was still time for Mary Bloggs to make her way upfield to score a great late goal from more than 20 metres out, sparking wild celebrations amongst the Mount Lourdes players at the final whistle. 
They now look forward to an Ulster Final meeting with St Louis’s Monaghan in two weeks time. 

Match Stats 
The Scorers...

Mount Lourdes: Mary Bloggs 1-0, Patricia Bloggs 0-5 (3 frees), Amy Bloggs 0-2, Catherine Bloggs, Claire Bloggs, Kelly Bloggs (0-1 each)
St Ciarans: (Same as above) 

The Teams....

Mount Lourdes: One Bloggs, Two Bloggs, Three Bloggs, Four Bloggs, Five Bloggs, Six Bloggs, Seven Bloggs, Eight Bloggs, Nine Bloggs, Ten Bloggs, Eleven Bloggs, Thirteen Bloggs, Fourteen Bloggs, Fifteen Bloggs. 

Subs Used: Seventeen Bloggs for Five Bloggs (Inj) (24 mins), Eighteen Bloggs for Thirteen Bloggs (48 mins) 

St Ciaran's: (Same as above) 

Referee: Pat McEneaney (Monaghan)