Twenty years ago, when I was an aspiring young reporter in university, I knew what I was going to be.
I was going to be a sports writer. And not just a sports writer. I was going to be a great sports writer.
You know Rick Reilly? The great columnist and writer for Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine who was paid heaps of money for his prose before he retired? That was going to be me.
Then I moved to Estevan to be a one-man newsroom for Estevan Lifestyles Publications. I retained the keen interest for covering sports, but I realized I had a passion for such beats as city hall, police and culture, and I loved writing the human interest stories. (Feel free to question my sanity for enjoying city council meetings).
And so in 2015, I abandoned my plans for a career as a sports writer. By that point, I knew that my only ticket to driving a fancy car would involve the words Lotto Max. Few people make big bucks as print reporters or columnists.
Sure, I got to handle a few sports stories here and there, including the sensational baseball gold medal game at the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games. But those opportunities were rare.
People who knew me in university were stunned to find out that I had abandoned my aspirations of covering hockey and football in favour of covering city council. But I always maintained a keen interest in local sports.
So when the Mercury's talented sports reporter, Jamie Harkins, decided to accept a new challenge in Lloydminster, I knew I'd be back on the sports beat, right in time for minor hockey playoffs, the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins playoffs, and the end of curling and school basketball seasons.
Once again, feel free to question my sanity for deciding to assume the responsibilities of the sports beat.
To a certain extent, reporting sports is like riding a bike; you never forget. After all, the principles of good reporting extend to sports. Make sure you get the facts right. Capture what happened in the game within the space allotted. Keep your eyes and ears open for the compelling human interest stories.
When it comes to community newspapers, local stories trump all. People want to read about the athletes they know, and they want to see photos of people they know.
In the case of minor hockey, many of the players have been playing for years, although they compete at different levels. The players who thrived at the peewee and bantam levels a few years ago often thrive when they’re midget-aged. But you also get some who are great as midgets who weren’t on the radar at lower levels of hockey and other sports.
Relationships are critical. It's important to build up those positive working relationships with the people you're interviewing and dealing with on a weekly basis.
And sports are supposed to be fun. Yes, you have a winner and a loser, and in the playoffs, only one team can win a championship. But fun needs to be the top priority, especially at the minor sports level. You can't just dismiss this attitude by saying "winning is fun."
(For the most part, local minor hockey coaches do a good job of keeping fun as their top priority. They ensure the playing time is divided equally among the players).
Covering sports locally is a lot of fun, thanks to the people involved and their love of sport.
So I’m back on the bike. Hopefully I don't proverbially crash it into a lamp post in the next few weeks.
