DEAR READER, I can promise to be candid. However, I cannot be impartial. I don’t really open up about the difficulties I face in this job that I have. Learning the ins and outs of the sport has made me appreciate the sports I am covering better but at the same time I have been bothered for quite some time now as I am still figuring out how be a mentor to my juniors who would eventually take the reins long after my time here is finished.

This problem did not really present itself much during my stint as news editor as news writing was a skill expected of the writers I work with right out of the bat. Though there was still things left to be teached, the learning curve was not too steep as it would be today when I have taken up the mantle of sports editor.

…how I can make this section interesting to both the readers as well as my juniors who are writing it?

From plotting out live coverages to being on top of updating social media this post has kept me on my toes presenting a new challenge to be faced everytime. Another challenge for me was to study at least the fundamentals of each sporting event that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) would hold this year ensuring that I get the terminologies right or at least not mess up.

Recently to pass the time of my long commute home, I have been spending quite a lot of time listening to video essays and podcasts, the topics of which concerns the X and Os of the sport.

I do get that sports is more niche than the previous section I have handled. Often times I find myself lost in translation as I feel quite inadequate as a mentor to my juniors as I mostly take the brunt of the work for myself. Even at the time of writing this, I am still racking my head questioning how I can make this section interesting to both the readers as well as my juniors who are writing it?

But I think I have found a few channels that I think are a step in the right direction making these terms digestible. A prime example of such would be the Mind the Game podcast from basketball players LeBron James and JJ Redick where they break down methodically the game of basketball making the complicated Xs and Os of the game undertandable as well as explaining the evolution of the game.

So where am I getting at? Well Dear Reader, this methodical break down of the game magnifies the skill and intelligence needed to play the game at the highest level. With this comes a greater appreciation of what it takes to compete and for us writers a deeper appreciation of the people behind the plays that we cover.