At lower levels of hockey, particularly in Junior A, it's important for reporters and coaches to develop a healthy working relationship.
The team and the media both need each other, and the sooner both sides realize that, the better.
Still, beat reporters have to remember that there are 20-some players in the locker room who usually have their own take on things.
It's easy - and I've seen this all over the Junior A ranks - for the coach's quotes to dominate a story, particularly when it's about a road trip that the reporter didn't have the benefit of watching, or a story where it's tough to track down the relevant player.
I say this knowing that some of our readers probably see the words "Cassidy said" when they go to sleep on Wednesday nights in the winter.
I try to engage players in our Bruins coverage as much as possible, but I can do better.
We ran two stories recently about prominent Bruins leaving the team - captain Josh Jelinski this week, leading scorer Dylan Smith last week.
In both cases I was unable to reach the player to give their thoughts or side of the story.
Who knows what the circumstances were, but at the end of the day it boils down to the fact that their point of view wasn't represented in print.
I wanted to get their side. I felt uncomfortable running stories with only the team's comments.
But ultimately you can only do what you can with what is available to you.
It's one of the annoying things about journalism: that one phone call that never comes can change everything.
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Here's another thing that needs to improve: soccer coverage.
Soccer, in this case, is a stand-in for every less-mainstream sport that doesn't get the exposure it should. Roller derby, lacrosse, wakeboarding, you name it.
People in my position have an obligation to promote and give these sports the coverage they deserve.
It may not be listed in the job description, but it's a responsibility not to be taken lightly.
Since I arrived at the Mercury 16 months ago, you can probably count the number of soccer items we've printed on one hand.
I haven't received much information about the goings-on of the beautiful game in this town, but that's not an excuse to stop trying.
I love soccer. Granted, my watching is mostly limited to World Cups, Euro, Champions League and Major League Soccer, but you won't find me whining about the sport because of diving.
It's called the beautiful game for a reason, diving or no diving.
Athletes like Christine Sinclair can inspire a generation of young kids, but we have to hold up our end of the bargain by giving sports poised for a breakthrough the appropriate coverage.
Josh Lewis can be reached by phone at 634-2654, by e-mail at sports@estevanmercury.ca, on Twitter at twitter.com/joshlewis306 or on his Bruins blog at estevanmercury.ca/bruinsbanter. So, uh... Joe Mack?
