Becoming a Sportswriter

The clock strikes nine o’clock on a Thursday evening. The office is silent, save for the buzz of the LED lights and the occasional squeak of an office chair wheel. Then, Ding. An email. Ding, ding. More emails. Messages, tweets, and calls flood in all at once. Dozens of score reports crowd the inbox, and the pages pile higher and higher, threatening to topple over. Amidst the chaos, one lone thought crosses my mind: what did I get myself into? 

I was hesitant when I first heard about the job opening as a part-time sportswriter at the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan. Several whispers of doubt crossed my mind: What if I mess up? What if I say the wrong thing? I don’t know enough about sports! Despite my doubts, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and took the job.

I was extremely nervous to start. I knew absolutely nothing about sports or journalism and felt like I was being thrown into the deep end. Despite hesitancy, I changed my perspective to view it as a learning opportunity. I reminded myself not to be too critical of little mistakes and that I would learn with practice. Luckily, my boss, James Cimburek, has thirty-two years of experience and offered some words of wisdom to help me get started in the journalism field.

Cimburek, the sports editor at the Press & Dakotan, said, “Don’t worry so much about being first, but make sure it’s right.” I kept this in mind when reporting on stories to guarantee that the details were as accurate as possible.

My first on-site reporting job was a volleyball match at Yankton High School. I had been to a volleyball game or two in high school but had never written an article about it. Part of being a reporter is taking notes on key aspects of the game, so that is what I did. The fast pace of the gameplay made it hard to keep up; it felt like every time I got caught up on my notes, I missed another three plays. Regardless, I kept track of kills, digs, blocks, and other big moments in the match to the best of my ability. The chaos of the game was overwhelming, and I felt lost.

Despite these challenges, I did my best to take notes on as much of the action as possible. After the game, I completed my first interview with a coach. The interview lasted all of ninety seconds, and it seemed like neither of us wanted to be there, but I was proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone to talk to a coach.

After the interview, I rushed back to the office, opened my laptop, and… nothing. I had no idea where to start. I had a deadline to meet, though, so I started writing the first things I thought of, like key plays, important moments, and details of the match. Within an hour, I had my very first article published with my name on it. I was so proud of my accomplishment. I was glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone because it paid off in the end.

A lot has changed since I covered my first game. I have grown more comfortable interviewing coaches and players, and I am confident about what to take notes on when I cover games. Not only am I learning more about how to write stories, but I am also learning how to interview coaches and players. Plus, I now know far more about high school sports in South Dakota than I ever thought I would. 

“With this job there’s so much variety… one day you’re covering division one football, the next day you’re covering little kids’ soccer,” said Cimburek.

It is amazing to see how much sports coverage matters to the local community. I pass by coaches’ offices and see sports articles prominently displayed on bulletin boards, or athletes reposting their action photos on social media. In the moment, it might not feel like a big deal to me, but it means a lot to the athletes and coaches to know that someone is there to report on games. I am excited to continue my reporting journey in Yankton and across the state, and who knows where it will take me!

About Reese McIltrot

Reese McIltrot is a sophomore at Mount Marty University, currently pursuing a degree in English Writing. She plays on Mount Marty’s softball team and is a writing tutor on campus. She is from Broomfield, Colorado, and in her free time she enjoys reading, crocheting, and spending time with family.