This collage of CHS spring sports teams in action shows just a hint of how many athletes are out there, and every one has a story to tell. (John Fisken photos)
So, I have an idea.
If it works, it could be a benefit to all of us.
Basically, what I want to do is start my own unofficial journalism school, give fledgling middle school and high school writers a foot in the door and add another layer of coverage here at Coupeville Sports.
Way back in olden times (late ’89/early ’90) I was doing an extra semester at Oak Harbor High School (the result of my family moving from Tumwater midway through my senior year).
Having fast-talked my way into the journalism program at OHHS, run by current Whidbey News-Times Sports Editor Jim Waller, I got my big break by accident.
Brian Zylstra, the sports guru at the WNT in those days, was going to a Christmas banquet and needed someone to write about and photograph a boys’ basketball game between Oak Harbor and Shelton.
Long story short, the kid who snapped pics didn’t make the cut, my story was printed, I was offered a second story and I’ve spent the last 26 years chafing editors and readers.
And now it’s your turn.
Yes, you.
Here’s what I’m offering: I want you, CHS and CMS students, to write for me.
In exchange, you get published, your work gets promoted, you make no money (thereby giving you a realistic feel for what journalism offers most of us) and you find out whether slappin’ words together is for you.
Plus, you retain rights to your work, so while it will debut here on Coupeville Sports, it’s your story (and/or photos) and you can use it however you like down the road.
I’m not looking for game coverage right now, though who knows what might develop later.
What I am looking for is your unique perspective, a perspective I, as a 44-year-old non-student, wouldn’t have.
Are you an athlete?
This is your chance to drop a first-person account on the world about what that really means to you, without me slicing and dicing your quotes and shaping the story.
You write, I publish.
Or skip the first-person style and write a conventional story. Up to you.
Subject matter? Also up to you.
The blog is called Coupeville Sports for a reason, but I am easy.
Unless you start droppin’ cuss words left and right (I do have a lot of middle school-aged readers), I will edit your work with the lightest of fingers (if at all).
I, and my readers, want to see through your eyes.
What do you think about when you take the field? What does your sport mean to you?
What is your greatest sports achievement or your biggest failure? What drives you?
What do you, as the athlete in the arena, wish I, as the writer on the outside, saw?
There are no (or very few) restrictions. No word counts. Go as short or as long as you like. Pick whatever topic you like.
Use whatever writing style you like. I would rather see your passion come through than worry about whether your sentences are “properly” constructed.
The more personal you’re willing to be, the better.
Of the 4,000+ articles I’ve published, a first-person account of a former Wolf basketball star facing her battle with alcohol remains one of the most powerful pieces Coupeville Sports has delivered.
Have an opinion on how the athletic code is (or is not) enforced? Vent away, as long as you’re willing to have your name on the article.
Or, want to talk about a teammate who means a lot to you, a coach who inspires you or a game you will never forget? Let it rip.
Whether you go dark or light, tell the story that only YOU can. That is what is remembered longest.
And what if you’re not a Wolf athlete? Welcome to the party, as well.
You don’t have to be playing a sport to be published.
You’re a 7th grader who’s never picked up a ball or bat in your life or a 12th grader who’s about to move on to play college ball, or somewhere in between? Equal opportunity, man.
So, how does this work? It’s simple, really simple.
Send me your stories, either to davidsvien@hotmail.com or message me on Facebook.
If you have photos, so much the better. If not, no worries.
Whether you have one story in you or a billion, let me give you a platform.
Let’s take Coupeville Sports to the next level, together.
