Sitting courtside at the Barclays Center on March 12, 2020, I watched as events unfolded in real time akin to a slow-burning movie, these of course would place me right in the epicenter of the pandemic with a complete lack of information and zero idea what would be ahead.
There were no fans, just parents, bands and us lowly media members.
Enter Sandman roared through a largely empty Barclays Center as phones and computers were barraged with updates. Coaches were on phones courtsides mere minutes before the most important games of what was about to be a largely lost season. There was confusion and an uncertain anxiousness in the air.
One thing was becoming incredibly certain though. The Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship and any college basketball was about to come to a close.
Sports were far from the most important thing at that moment.
I thought about if I would even be able to get home, how safe everything was and finally got to thinking about my career and what if anything was ahead.
It is hard to fathom that Wednesday’s Duquesne Men’s Soccer game will be my 500th different event I have covered at the school, and it is a journey which has experienced many personal highs and lows.
Without question writing saved my life. It is my escape, it is part of my happiness, my why, my passion and something I aspire to do for as long as possible.
To travel across the country to provide coverage, meet several new faces who become familiar ones and ultimately friends and/or sources has been such a thrill.
While this moment is a first-person moment, it really is a collective we because it is a team effort.
The student-athletes have been amazing to me, frankly, made my job fairly routine. In today’s media landscape, reporters are being granted less and less access, but on this beat that has not been an issue.
Anytime I needed something, they were there and that has gone the other way too.
To share moments, both positive and negative in nature from such close proximity, someone such as myself is often the last person a student-athlete wants to see but often instead of having to seek them out, on occasion they come up to me and discuss what they saw. Sometimes on record but most times off.
The relationships I have built with these student-athletes over the years has been very unique. Seeing them grow as athletes but much more importantly as people has been a privilege.
It always means something whether home or road a student-athlete says hello or smiles when they see me. It is a sign of respect both ways and that work allows for me to obtain dialogue and quotes that maybe otherwise would not be a possibility.
In the same respect the coaches at Duquesne are also very accommodating and understanding of what I do and my job. Talking after a tough loss is never easy at any level, but unfailingly each coach has.
Some of these relationships go far beyond surface level and though I do not let it affect my reporting, some are good friends and always there when needed even when their collegiate days end.
While sports information directors arrive and can quite frequently change. Dave Saba has been a fixture at Duquesne. He puts up with this idiot sprinting soccer sidelines, looking like a highlighter, asking way more questions than he probably should and coordinates a lot.
What Dave does unfortunately is often a thankless job but his consistently wanting to take care of us media does not go unnoticed. The trust and respect he shows me carry extra weight. During soccer season sometimes it feels like we are a team, helping each other out and during basketball season he allows me to vote in the conference preseason polls and teams, while also trusting that anytime I ask for something that I will see it through.
In addition to Dave, I have built friendships with several of the SIDs including Ryan Gavatorta, Liam Halferty, Ryan Long and Andrew Woodley. In addition, I wanted to give nods to the late George Nieman, Alex Pepke who is in his first year as an SID with Duquesne and Mike Scerbo whose encouragement, kindness and love for Panera Bread have been instrumental towards my coverage.
A special thank you to Paul Hightower for his humor and frankly for not locking me out 499 times.
All of the Atlantic 10 SIDs have been incredibly helpful over the years whenever there was something I needed. Their knowledge and passion for their job are always evident.
Additionally, I would be remiss not to give a huge nod to Drew Dickerson who oversees communications for the Atlantic 10 and a few years ago was allegedly responsible for all of the Baby Shark chants at Nationals Park.
In all seriousness though, Drew and his team have given me opportunities to assist them with content which has allowed me to build relationships with several coaches which have gone a long way and shaped my reporting.
A huge thank you to the parents many of whom have approached with compliments, and some have stated that they read my coverage so that they be kept up to date from a far. Being a parent can be frustrating from wanting their son/daughter to do well to the inevitable frustration over playing time to brutal losses and for many they are international which makes finding coverage on their son or daughter difficult. I appreciate you trusting me to properly tell the story.
I have had several editors, but as I enter year five with PSN I have been overwhelmed with truly feeling like part of a team, something I previously never felt.
There are so many talented writers in the Pittsburgh Sports Now family which of course extends to several brother and sister sites.
Without Alan Saunders I am not the writer I am. Alan’s tireless work ethic motivates me to find that extra angle or provide some nugget others may not consider. His attention to detail and relentless pursuit of a story are very admirable qualities that I believe are contagious on this end as well.
To have met Mike Vukovcan, Joe Steigerwald and Mike Asti throughout this venture has been fantastic, as has both of their support to just let me be myself.
I also want to thank my friends Dom Errico and Dave DeNoma.
Dom was extremely supportive of my coverage and we were fast friends and leaned on each other to get through tough times both personal and professional. Though he passed away last year, his memory never will, and I am grateful for the lessons he taught me.
Dave gave me confidence in both myself and my abilities as a photographer, to find that lens and other unseen angle . While by no means is my content the most amazing, but it has been something that has helped several student-athletes have mementos they will hopefully always cherish.
I am saving my most important thank you for last and it is for you, the readership. Without you, none of this is possible. Your trust in me does not go unnoticed and while my analysis pieces are not going to go up right away that is because i want to make sure you get my best and content that is both informative and unique. Whether you are a new reader or have been with me I appreciate your support throughout this process.
While things were certainly uncertain a couple of years ago, that is far from the case now. Duquesne has been my beat and knock-on wood that will not change anytime soon.
