Yes, by “a farewell for a new beginning” I do mean that I’m leaving the Levelland & Hockley County News-Press, but on great terms and from a place of love.
You’re more than likely saying, “Dude, didn’t you just get here?” and the answer to that question is pretty much yes, as I’ve been here for 10 and a half months.
But what that answer doesn’t tell you is how invaluable that time span has been in my life as it’s taught me life lessons and revealed things to me that I wouldn’t have known otherwise.
Most importantly, it’s shown me where I need to be and what I need to be doing. Bear with me and let me lead you to where I’m at now.
It feels like it was just yesterday when I walked through the News-Press doors for the first time. I drove six hours from the OKC metro area during spring break of my senior year of college for an in-person interview.
The general manager, Kimberley Young, greeted me at the door and conducted the interview, which provided me with nothing but affirmations as Kimberley expressed a belief of living out faith in the workplace, along with values of integrity, hard work and understanding.
I was sold, so I took the job and quickly found myself residing in Levelland, Texas in July. As a born-andraised big city boy, moving to a small town was quite an adjustment.
My wife and I settled in nicely though, as we came to appreciate the small-town festivities, affordable costof living and everything in town being less than five minutes away.
Now for the actual work itself, it was my first fulltime job, and I was responsible for living, breathing, eating and sleeping West Texas sports.
I’d be lying if I said it didn’t take a second to get up to speed for producing a high volume of content, gathering contacts and building relationships, becoming proficient in layout, meeting more intense deadlines, proofing the paper, making magazines and handling customer service, but once I did, I hit my stride nicely.
Putting out a quality sports section and newspaper was hard work, but it was well worth it because the community got to reap the benefits.
To get to highlight people doing good in life was my favorite part of the job. Whether it was through feature stories, game recaps or postgame videos, nothing was more fulfilling.
Along with that, I loved seeing how sports impacted the student athletes, coaches and supporting community for the better. When used properly, sports can be such a powerful tool to not only grow and develop people but also bring them together.
Specifically, I got to see several coaches who hold similar values to me, live those out as a coach and an educator and make quite the impact while doing so.
That ultimately is what inspired the change in my life to move from a journalist to a teacher and a coach.
Up until 21 years old I played sports, and I thought I’d scratch that itch by being around it as a Sports Writer, but this season of life has made clear to me that I’m meant to be directly in it.
I understand being a coach won’t be the same as being an athlete competitively, and while it will be nice to be a part of competition to some degree, it’s truly not about that. Rather, it’s about being able to directly impact student-athletes for the better and use my life experiences to help prepare them for theirs.
And not just as a coach, but primarily as a teacher, as I’ll be using my writing and editorial experience to teach the subject of English to the next generation.
I’ll be doing so back home in the OKC metro, a move that makes sense not only based on my connections in the field but also to better provide for my wife in numerous aspects as she attends graduate school.
As I wrap up my last week in the office, I want to give out some big thanks.
Thank you to the West Texas community for embracing my family and I. I truly believe the people here are as welcoming, helpful and high character as any, making the community the strength of this place.
Thank you to the coaches, athletes and school administration for your helpfulness and willingness to contribute to providing the best coverage for the community possible.
Thank you to our owner Brett Wesner for the opportunity to work not only at the News-Press, but also my first journalism internship ever. I’m eternally grateful for your accommodations along the way.
Thank you to our editor Lynda Work for taking me under your wing and pushing me out of my comfort zone while also allowing me to maintain my own style. You taught me how to do more than I thought I could and how to be efficient about it.
And finally, thank you to our general manager Kimberley Young. We may have had disagreements over work things, but at the end of the day, we were always on the same page, and both agreed on what really mattered. You had my back, and I had yours. I’m beyond grateful for your flexibility and accommodations for my family and I. You were a wonderful boss to work for and an even better person to be around.
I will miss this place and chapter of life, but I’m eager to step into this next season.