Ever since I was a kid, I've wanted to be a sportswriter, and the Marin Independent Journal gave me my chance to moonlight as one. Three nights a week, I followed my day-shift at Crawdaddy with a trip over the Golden Gate Bridge and a night spent working the Sports Desk at Marin's daily paper. I covered everything from Little League to the pros.
After a promotion at Crawdaddy, I had to leave the IJ, but I had an amazing time there and fulfilled a lifelong dream of covering pro sports.
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My first time covering a big league game was certainly quite eventful. I got called "kid" by all the grizzled writers, ate about six free hot dogs in the press box, saw Nomar Garciaparra's junk, and was called an unrepeatable epithet by a popular A's player. In short, it was a childhood dream come true.
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My inner soccer nerd stretched his legs when I got to spend a day with the College of Marin soccer team. It may not be Manchester United (or my beloved Tottenham Hotspur), but it was a big, green field with a round ball and goals on both ends. Good enough for me.
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One of the best things about working at the IJ was telling the stories of people like this. He was one of the most eccentric people I ever interviewed.
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I spent an afternoon with an 80 year-old who was preparing to run one of the most grueling races in Northern California. He was a fascinating man with an incredible story.
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Over a stretch of two weeks, I spent about ten days covering non-stop Little League. The beautiful weather, "snack shack" nachos, and friendly Marin parents turned a bummer assignment into one of my favorites. I also got to interview literal children, which is an always unpredictable exercise.
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I waded through a sea of die-hard NASCAR fans to get a glimpse into what makes the fanbase so rabid.