As a child, I enjoyed sports.
Well I guess I need to rephrase that: I enjoyed watching sports. Playing them, not so much. I was more interested in reading and playing video games than going to practice.
Some of my favorite childhood memories were watching basketball and football games on the TV alongside family and friends and going to the Superdome and Smoothie King Center. Supporting my home team was always something special.
I don’t know exactly what happened or when it happened, but sometime in my teenage years, I ended up losing my interest in sports. I am not proud of it, but despite entering my senior year at Loyola University New Orleans, I have yet to attend a single Wolfpack sporting event. I’ve paid attention to their successes, but I never considered myself a “real fan.”
That, however, completely changed this year. In an effort to find new hobbies to enjoy in my daily life, I quickly found myself hooked on sports, watching games almost every day and watching highlights in my free time. I also began to find myself becoming more and more of a fan of collegiate sports. I began to quickly anticipate and understand my mission as both a journalist and a sports fan: to become Sports Editor for The Maroon. Sports journalism would be a big change from what I was used to, but I knew it would give me a great chance to do something I never did in my college career. It would give me the opportunity to truly connect with our athletics community and become a “real fan.”
But, what exactly is a “real fan”?
Some might say that you have to watch every game, learn about every stat, and be able to tell someone everything about your favorite coach or player. However, the fans who know nothing about stats are just as much fans as those who attend every game. In that vein, I think everyone can be a fan in that way.
The beauty of being a sports fan is the connection you have with the game, the connection with the team, the spirit of competition, and the opportunity for learning that comes with it.
So, what I want to say to you is that you can be whatever version of fan you want to be. I also want to encourage you to be a fan of your hometown sports teams, and, most importantly, of Loyola’s teams.
My goal as a sports journalist is to give you information on the sports, athletes, and events within the Loyola community and beyond. I also hope to make a fan out of some of you who were like me. Sports are a way to connect with your university, community, and friends. If you find yourself becoming somewhat interested in what our athletics programs have to offer because of The Maroon, then I feel like I have certainly succeeded as a sports journalist. For those of you who are already a fan of the Wolf Pack, then I hope you can continue to enjoy the content we provide. I look forward to this section being a place for our community to come together through the wonderful world of sports.
Geaux Pack!
