The way I came to love sports wasn’t uncommon at all. Yes, I idolized Michael Jordan, was brainwashed by Nike and loved the local Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.
It was one day, though, that I realized writing made lovers of the game, too.
Still to this day, I haven’t forgotten a book signing I went to for Joe Posnanski’s “The Soul of Baseball” — and the company that joined him. What surprised me at the event was how many older women showed up at Borders for the signing. Then, each woman who spoke talked about how Posnanski made them start to read the sports section of The Kansas City Star every day because of his writing.
That experience made me think about the impact sports can have on any reader. From that day, I too have tried to get new readers to the sports section through my writing. The meaning of games can be different for everyone. Still, the passion is there, no matter where you look. And in these moments, whether they seem like seconds or hours, can tell a story of how sports has impacted people.
Are they just games? Sure. This isn’t politics, a school board meeting or even local crime. But behind many of the games we watch lie stories that are compelling whether you’re a diehard fan or not.
The best part about being a sportswriter is I get to cover the games I have grown to love. My journalistic style focuses on how sports affect people.
I also give credit to Karen Black, my high school journalism teacher. Ever since I joined the school newspaper when I was an overexcited junior, she has hehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giflped me realize my dream of being a sportswriter.
Now at 24, I’m a sports reporter for The Raleigh News & Observer. In the summer of 2010, I was one of two sports interns at The Boston Globe after graduating from the University of Central Missouri. I’ve participated in the New York Times Student Journalism Institute in New Orleans and the Sports Journalism Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla.
My work has appeared in The Kansas City Star, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Quad-City Times, MLB.com and UCM’s student newspaper, The Muleskinner.
No comments:
Post a Comment