A sense of normalcy

While working on a truncated story – due to space – that will run in next week’s special section of The Brazil Times (Note: a different and much longer version will come out a week or so later), I reached out to several coaches around Clay County.

Wanting their thoughts and input on the topic, I got a hold of several of them.

And in speaking with them over the phone and through emails and text messages, it brought back a sense of normalcy to me.

A big part of the job as a reporter is creating relationships with the people you’re going to be speaking with daily.

Luckily for me, in the time I spent at the Tribune-Star and the seven months I’ve been with the Times, the coaches and administrative staff at Clay City and Northview have been nothing but kind and generous with their time as I cook up story ideas at random hours of the day and night.

And on this Thursday, when I touched base with many of them, not only were they gracious in answering the questions I had, but they also checked in on me.

From Michael Byrum, Mark Raetz and Larry Shaw asking how my family was doing to Chris Ames asking about my wife and I’s two-month-old son and talking about how he thought this might be our beloved Cincinnati Reds’ season – if there is a season – to make some noise to Zack Keyes and I discussing just how badly we need sports back in our lives, the discussions made it feel like a normal day.

A day that I miss so much.

As a sports reporter, and now editor, speaking with the coaches before and after games and practices are the fun part. Without sports this spring, there wasn’t any of that.

Sure, I’ve used the virtual world of technology to keep in touch with them for various things, but it’s not the same.

So, as I sat at my desk inside the Times’ office, I thought about the text message Keyes sent, stating, ‘Hopefully we can get back to sports real soon!!!!’

I echo his sentiments in hoping this scary virus makes its way out of town for good and things get back to normal in the next few months so we can play the fall sports seasons.