Back to the Sports Business

   When I left the Bedford Gazette's sports editor post late in 2016, I wrote in my farewell column in the paper that local sports were in my blood for good, and I knew I wouldn't ever go very far from them.
    And here we are a year and a half later, and you'll soon be seeing my name back in the pages of the Gazette, as I have decided to return full-time to the sports desk. I will not be the sports editor, as that title still holds with Codi Weyant, who replaced me in that role when I departed. That's exactly the way it should be, and frankly was one of my stipulations upon a potential return. Codi and I had a great working relationship in the five-plus years before, and she's done a great job as the editor.
   I didn't return to step on anyone's toes. Aside from my faith and family, this industry has brought me my greatest passion, and I am delighted to get back to hanging out on the fields of play around Bedford County and beyond. Plain and simple, that's why I'm here writing this tonight.
   Do I regret leaving on December 16, 2016?
   Absolutely not.
   I wanted to challenge myself and step outside of my comfort zone, and I'm so glad that I did. It was only a year and a half, but I learned a lot about myself in that time, things that I believe I can use in a return to journalism.
   It was also great to be able to take my son, who is now four years old, to some games and just sit and watch. He's becoming a fan of certain sports himself, and he and I cherished those moments and will surely do so in the future as well. And to see it from the perspective of not having to hold a pen and paper and take down a lot of information was also quite valuable in my opinion.
   As for this blog, I began it several years ago with the hope of adding more content across all sports to what I was already doing at the Gazette. That happened but just for a short while as it eventually boiled down to mainly the wrestling season. That was in part because of my duties at the paper as sports editor, so without that responsibility now, it may lead to more opportunities online here to focus on other things. And I already have some ideas, but I'll have to see how it plays out with the work that pays my bills. As much as I would still rather have a print copy of a newspaper in my hand, the digital age of information keeps going and keeps growing, so my hope is to bring you more on that end.
   Again, I'm glad to be back, and thankful to Bedford Gazette publisher Joe Beegle for affording me the opportunity. Let the games begin!