I have been The Bulletin’s sports editor for over a year now. This title consists of writing athlete feature stories, attending games and staying up to date on all teams.
It was a tough adjustment at first because no one preceded me, which means I had to teach myself, but I thought it was exciting to build this part of the paper up and make it worth reading.
When I first accepted the position I was super nervous. I feared being judged because of the stereotype that women are clueless about sports. I also worried that people would think I was only doing it because I could potentially find players attractive, think women making TikToks of Joe Burrow this football season.
I am sure other women would confirm that when they make it known they are a fan of a sports team they are interrogated. Who coached in 2013? Who sunk the buzzer beater shot that won them the NCAA championship in 2018? What is the quarterback’s favorite color? Name five players. It goes on and on.
I grew up a Chiefs fan, played multiple sports- basketball being the only consistent one and I was on the sports broadcast team.
My sports IQ was high enough to handle this job because I understand the concept of each sport. I’ll admit that I don’t care to know every single fact about any sports team, but I like knowing players’ names and cheering on my team with everyone else.
I am pleased to say I haven’t experienced any unprofessionalism at Emporia State. No one in athletics has expressed to me in any way that they find me unqualified. Athletes and coaches even seemed eager to be interviewed sometimes.
At first, I didn’t know how to get a hold of players, I just DMed their Instagram and hoped they were interested enough to answer. I could find coaches’ emails through directories, but that doesn’t mean they answer a random student. It was definitely a struggle until I met Don Weast, associate athletic director and media relations.
Through Don, the coaches were happy to meet with me and accessing players became dependable. Now that I am well acquainted with some coaches, players and Don’s team- I have a reliable weekly routine. Don also taught me about press conferences and media work rooms.
I do have to recognize the mens’ basketball team for how easy they were to work with. Coaches and players alike responded fast and made time for interviews. Last year I interviewed, then senior, Brenden Van Dyke on a bus ride home over the phone. When I reached out to junior guard Levelle Zeigler on Instagram for his grade and major, he offered to give comments on the game if I needed more.
The entirety of ESU athletics have made my job incredibly easy and remained professional. Hopefully my writings and Mason Hart’s, The Bulletin photographer, photos have done them justice. Thank you ESU athletics. May we continue a successful spring semester.