Being that it's Throwback Thursday, I figured I'd share a significant career milestone with everyone. It's crazy to believe, but I got my first journalism job 20 years ago this month.
The year was August, 1997. I was hired as a high school sports writer at the Lewisville News by Dawn Cobb, who I credit for kick-starting my career – even though I was only a junior at the University of North Texas and didn't have much going for me at the time.
This may not seem like huge news, but it still means something to me:
1. I have managed to prosper – and at times hang on for dear life – in an industry marked by layoffs, buyouts, and shrinking newsrooms.
2. I made a career out of something that my college professors likely thought I'd never do. I remember one pulling me aside about an assignment I had turned in. He asked, "Have you ever read a newspaper?" I even fell asleep during my first assignment at the Lewisville News.
True story.
But here I am 20 years later, an award-winning writer and the proud owner of Edit This. The Lewisville News no longer exists, but I went on to work for a lot of great folks. I have covered high school sports for the Denton Record-Chronicle for the past four years.
In sticking with my love for sports writing, I have fond memories to look back on.
Take the image at the top of this blog, for example. I was 21 years old in that photo (how's that for a Throwback Thursday?!) and had just finished watching the Flower Mound Marcus High School football team win the Class 5A Division II state title.
I met John Madden that year and covered the title game at the Astrodome in Houston. All these years later, I can still recall the names of nearly every kid on that roster.
At the end of the day, you have to do what you love. No matter how successful my own writing business becomes, I think I will always dabble in sports writing – even if it's just a side thing. I wrote a column back in June that gives more reasons why I love covering high school sports – just in case you're interested in learning more.
Happy Throwback Thursday, everyone. And thanks for reading!
*STEVE GAMEL is the Owner/President of Edit This, a writing and editing services company located in Denton, TX. Steve handles anything involving the written word, and proudly doubles as a sports writer for the Denton Record-Chronicle. Give him a call today to help give your business a clear voice.