As the intern at the Airdrie City View this summer, I have had the opportunity to try a little bit of everything – community stories, local news and for the last couple of weeks, sports reporting.
This is thrilling for me, as I have long been a sports-news-enthusiast. To troublesome levels. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched the sports highlights channel so long that they start repeating the same sports highlights (and I watch ‘em again).
I’m a big New York Jets fan (unfortunate) and for the past couple weeks in the middle of conversations with friends, I would slip in “five days until training camp starts!” which is just the most boring thing to ever say to a person.
It’s strange, because I’ve never been talented at sports. I didn’t play sports in high school.
The only sports team I ever played on was a midget baseball team, and we were just awful. We never won anything.
At the end of the season, my family went on vacation so I didn’t participate in the playoffs. My team went on to win the championship.
I also tried out for the high school football team, apparently conceiving myself as a scrappy, small, Wes Welker-type wide receiver. One hit from a larger defensive back sent me tumbling head over toes onto the turf and I jogged pretty quickly straight back into the locker room, enlightened.
My moment of sports glory comes from when I used to coach basketball to middle school students at a recreation centre. They always requested to play one-on-ones, and playing against middle schoolers I am basically Michael Jordan. Wraparounds, pump fakes, behind the back, I did it all. I don’t want to convey to you how close these contests were, though.
I also coached soccer and basketball to preschool-aged children. The best part of this was giving very inspirational speeches before games to the kids. “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” They’d blink, not understanding what I’m saying, before running in circles or crying in corners.
So as a sports fan, it’s been great fun for me over the past little while to get acquainted with local sports teams and players around Airdrie and Rocky View County.
I’ve been shocked to see the talent in the area – Olympic medallists and world renowned gymnasts, NHL prospects and golf champions.
It says something about the high schools and talent development systems around here that even being unfamiliar with the area and the history, I haven’t had any trouble tracking down cool sports stories. It seems like every week I hear about a new national champion or top flight prospect.
And there’s really something for every interest and age group too – like the recent Alberta 55 Plus Summer Games, held in Barrhead-Westlock, AB from July 25 to 28. (See story on page 35).
Four athletes from Airdrie medalled at the event, including Ken and Cora Oliver, who received bronze medals in doubles cribbage.
Now there’s a sport I have the physical ability for.
Or there’s the Canada Summer Games, currently taking place in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Airdrie has four representatives on Team Alberta – rower Olivia McMurray, basketball player Ryan Morck, softballer Katie Hlushak and swimming coach David Loyola. (See story on page 25).
Some people just can’t get interested in sports, and I get that. But if you get invested in sports, I don’t think you can find a better reliable source of unpredictable drama and narrative.
