Running back to Saskatoon

After one year in Yorkton at Yorkton This Week, I've decided to run back to Saskatoon.

I'm leaving the paper to take part in a radio-TV course at Western Academy Broadcasting College. I don't even plan on shifting from journalism to radio or TV, but since the course is only six-months long and it will look great on my resume, I think it's the best move for my long-term career. The school has a great reputation as the likes of Darren Dreger, Darren Millard, Darren Dutchyshen and many other popular sports reporters went through there. I guess I should change my name to Darren.

Following school, I'm not sure where I'll be headed. I'd like to stay in Saskatoon because I have family and friends there or head to Regina because I have media connections there like with my buddy Rod Pedersen, the voice of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. If those two cities don't work out, I'll likely be Alberta bound with Medicine Hat as my city of choice because my friend Dave Falk lives there and works for Shaw Medicine Hat.

Yorkton This Week was my first full-time writing gig. I only held part-time jobs before coming here as I have covered the Western Hockey League for Yahoo! Sports since February 2011, and have wrote for Mckeen's Hockey and The Fourth Period magazine.

It's kind of a crazy story of how I ended up in Yorkton. After graduating from Saskatoon Business College with a business administration diploma in June of 2012, I never planned to move away from Saskatoon in the near future. I thought I'd keep writing part-time for Yahoo! and go into business. So I got a business job for a car-rental company, but three months into it I realized I didn't want to be another working schmuck; I had to follow my passion of sports writing because I hated having to force myself out of bed every morning. But I still didn't want to move away from the Bridge City right away; therefore, I decided I'd take the first sports writing job that came my way in the spring. Plans quickly changed, though. I ended up seeing the ad for YTW and decided to apply just because. I never actually planned on following through with accepting the job. But two days after I applied, my boss at the car-rental company really pissed me off. So I left the office and went to my car to call Neil Thom, the manager of YTW. I thought this guy seems alright and Yorkton is only three hours away - why not just go for it? So that's exactly what I did. I don't believe in fate, but it's crazy how a simple dispute can lead to you moving three hours away.

Yorkton was definitely a great experience for me. I not only gained valuable newspaper experience, but I also met many great people. I really enjoyed covering the Yorkton Harvest. Jeff Odgers was an excellent coach last year and they are still in good hands this year with Dan Cross behind the bench. The biggest character I met has to be Roby Sharpe. It was always fun going to the Yorkton Regional High School to talk to him - the school system needs more teachers like him. And to say he means a lot to the Yorkton Minor Football program wouldn't do him justice; he is the Yorkton Minor Football program. As for athletes, I'm always surprised how mature some youngsters are. Matt Kustra, a 16-year-old hockey goalie, and Kade Johnson, a 14-year-old golfer, are a testament to that as they are well beyond their teenager years.

As for YTW, Neil Thom is the best boss I have ever had. I'm not just saying that to suck up either. He doesn't micromanage; I'm going to miss that in a future job. As for the associate editor, Calvin Daniels, I will say I've never met anyone like him in my life and probably never will - words can't describe his personality. But what really stands out to me about Daniels is that it's unbelievable how he can write for days on end on practically any topic. As for Thom Barker, the paper is lucky to have him. Barker and Daniels are a solid 1-2 punch.