The Academics of Athletics

On May 17, ESPN’s The Undefeated website launched as “the premier platform for exploring the intersections of sports, race and culture.” Scott Brooks, a sociology professor at Missouri, built his career on studying these themes, and his presentation taught me that I should never watch an athletic event again without considering cultural phenomenons. Brooks explained how sports writers, across the board, use specific terms such as “strong” or “smart” to describe certain athletes based on preconceived notions of race or background, and these assumptions can further promote false storylines. Sports writers have an obligation to tell the right story, but finding the right story can involve thinking about athletics and success in a new, challenging thought-provoking way. “Trailblazers do more work,” Brooks said in response to a question about how to be the sports writer who breaks down barriers and pushes against stereotypes. Brooks gave me a sense of purpose, for everything from my photographs to my writing to my tweets. Understanding sports and writing about sports in a critical, intelligent way involves comprehending the influence of sports history and reading current sports with an open mind. Sociology and cultural studies, such as the article we read about community cultural wealth framework, can help sports writers describe athletes in a more accurate manner, but the main lesson I took away from Brook’s talk was simple: never stop thinking and never stop asking questions. Make no assumptions. -- Shannon Scovel

Meeting Mary Byrne (again)

In December 2014, I listened to Mary Byrne speak at a Woman in Sports Media Panel, and her passion came through during her presentation, inspiring me to continue pursuing a career in the sports writing industry. Byrne spoke with confidence and poise, and she brought that same expertise into the
classroom once again when she addressed SJI on Wednesday afternoon. Mary greeted me by name when she walked into the room on Wednesday, and I remember thinking “The senior deputy editor of ESPN knows my name!” We’ve learned the importance of observation throughout at SJI, and Mary’s ability to recall my name demonstrated that she has mastered the skills of recollection and observation. Mary is smart. She’s confident, assertive and has an understanding of journalism, management and organization that I greatly admire. She answered every question about the business behind ESPN and sports media without hesitation and awed us when she explained that she balances her everyday tasks with over 900 emails, and her job keeps her on the clock 24/7. “Call me after ten,” Mary said. “I’ll likely be driving home from work and have time to have a longer conversation with you.” True to her word, Mary responded to an email I sent to her at 12:23 a.m. Her days may be long, but she has left an impact on the sports media field that will last even longer. -- Shannon Scovel

A role model for me

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Jose de Jesus Ortiz speaks to the class this week.

There I sat, listening to Jose de Jesus Ortiz talk, and all I could feel was an immense pride and motivation. Here I had not only one of the premier Hispanic journalists in the country, but one of the best journalists in general talk to us. Listening to Ortiz carry himself so well and speak so proudly of his roots, I was full of pride in my Hispanic heritage. I could relate exactly to what he was talking about. I didn’t learn to speak English until I was four. Spanish was my first language, just as it was for Ortiz. Yet we persevered. We embraced our culture and have made it an essential part of who we are. Ortiz has reached the pinnacle of the sports journalism industry as a columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. I have not. But I strive to be like Ortiz. I will carry my Hispanic heritage with me, will bring it out onto the forefront, and will hopefully leverage it into a successful career in the business.  -- Daniel Ynfante

Bonding with my brothers

Late night conversations with the boys are like a reliever from stress. Around 10 pm the other night, I met up with Hayden Kim, Daniel Ynfante, Chris Yangas and Damian Reynolds in the lobby of our hotel. We discussed classroom days and gave each other knowledge about out internships for the summer. Who would ever think a bond could become so strong in less than five days? Everyone in the class is here for one reason--to be a better sports journalist and learn as much as we can from our professors. But one thing that can save your brain from exploding is laughter. Hanging with the boys on Tuesday night really helped me prepare for class the next day, and helped me feel right as I march on the path to the rest of my career.  -- Canaan Cadwell

Seeing the big picture

We’re nearing the end of our boot camp with the Sports Journalism Institute. By now, we’ve learned about how we all got here; we’ve spoken to a multitude of accomplished journalists; we’ve all learned what it’s like to be out of our comfort zone; we’ve bonded as a family. On Wednesday, as usual, a group of us rode to the Missouri campus with Sandy Rosenbush and Leon Carter. We were all checking our phones to make sure everything was squared away for the morning sports check.
For the most part, it was a routine start to the day. But as we neared the classroom, Sandy and Leon reminded the four of us in the car of something the entire class should always keep in mind. What makes SJI special is the family environment it provides. Unlike most programs, SJI truly is a network of supportive professionals who truly learn to care for one another. From the first day we all got selected to this prestigious program, Sandy, Leon and Greg have told us that SJI is a family; that even when we all walk out of these doors and head to our summer internships, we’ll still be there for each other. By the end of this week, Sandy and Leon will have taught 24 classes. By the end of this week, SJI will start looking forward to its 25th anniversary. What we all need to keep in mind is that SJI is a lifelong family. No matter where we go, no matter whom we end up working for, SJI will always be there. We still don’t have any idea what this program will mean to our future success. But judging by all of our speakers and everyone we’ve met throughout this experience, there is no doubt that SJI is special. It might take years after this week before we start appreciating this experience. But for now, we should all keep in mind that somewhere down the road, some time after we’ve parted ways, we’ll all realize how truly special this week was for our personal growth. -- Hayden Kim

Finding value in sports checks

At the beginning of SJI, I mostly just found sports checks to be frustrating and a bit silly. Pop quizzes made me feel like I was in school or some sort of weird summer camp. I read plenty, I thought, why do I need to prove it? But what sports checks have made me admit is that I didn't read everything I needed to read.  I can't only read the news I'm interested in. I have to read everything. That's a habit I've developed at SJI, and it's one I intend to keep as I move forward in my career. -- Aaron Reiss

Sports and race

I enjoyed Dr. Scott Brooks' Sociology of Sport class when I enrolled in it at MU in the Fall 2015 semester. But I enjoyed his talk with my SJI classmates and me as much if not more than any lecture I'd heard from him before.Hearing Professor Brooks focus specifically on the media's role in society's general perception of black athletes was fascinating. We discussed how the media likes athletes to fit into certain narratives — and how those narratives differ between athletes of different races. It was eye-opening to hear some of my classmates, who identify with many different ethnicities, admit these sorts of bias narratives can creep into their own minds. I walked away from the talk thinking about how journalists must never be lazy. They must always admit when stories seem too simple — because, as the talk reminded me, we often make them too simple. -- Aaron Reiss

Hunting for Clips

Yesterday, my peers and I were fortunate enough to have the great David Squires teach a class on writing and editing. For the most part classes on grammar and editing are really slow moving and boring. But as it seems with every speaker that we have, they say something that sticks out. Squires said we should go to work with the mentality “I’m going to get a clip.” Meaning every story we write should be written with the same importance as the next. The story you write that day should be ready to go on your portfolio when you apply for a job. I have never had that mentality going to work and that’s not to say that I go through the motions when I cover something like basketball or baseball. But I have not been cognizant of the fact that those seemingly smaller stories can get you a job. When I go to my internship and eventually back to my college, I am going to get a clip. -- Javier Cortez

I'm in the minority -- Cavs to win title

I’m probably pretty dumb for it. How do I know I’m dumb? The Warriors just came back from 3-1 deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team with two of the best five players in basketball. They’re probably the best three-point shooting team of all-time. Stephen Curry is in the midst of the best single seasons in NBA history. The Warriors have been near-perfect at home over the last two years, and they have home court advantage in this series. I’m the only person out of the 16 that were in the room this morning as Mr. Carter surveyed us who picked the Cavaliers, and that’s among people who know the NBA much better than me.

So, yeah, I might be wrong. I’m not really into predicting things. But the Warriors showed signs of waning against the Thunder. They’re certainly not invincible anymore. So, I’m siding with LeBron James, the best player I’ve ever seen play basketball, to win the Finals with a completely healthy team and plenty of rest after a dominate first 14 games of the playoffs. James and the Cavs possess the best playoff defense in the NBA who I think can keep the Warriors in check, and an offensive arsenal that is healthy and playing the best it has. This is the best Cavaliers team LeBron has ever been a part of. This is the year Cleveland finals get an NBA championship. -- Christian Hardy

We should be defined by skin

Walking this amaurotic, murky, but convenience earth that we live in; I am judged wherever I walk. No matter if it’s going to the grocery store, bank, school, or job, a set of molds towards me will most likely get be misjudged. It all correlates to one the thin layer of tissue that forms on the outside of my body. That one thing is simply my skin. Only blacks will understand what other black people go through because of how and where we were raised. Also, the way of being judged by simply having light or brown skin ties into the deviant behaviors sports athletes represent and even non-athletes is awfully unfair. I am a light skin black male and I am not living in the hood now. That doesn’t mean I am not from the hood. I was raised in Acres Homes, northwest section of Houston, but my mother made sure I wouldn’t follow same path as most kids from my neighborhood. I moved out of the hood early in middle school but my “way out,” was basketball. My track record upon now; honor roll student, blogger, school newspaper writer/editor, and had internships that turned into jobs. Just because I am from the hood doesn’t define who I am or my character. Stephen Curry has been my favorite basketball player since I was in the 7th grade. Curry’s transition now from being the underrated guy to the unanimous MVP, I couldn’t even predict. But the way he is perceived as being “light skin” shouldn’t even matter. Curry comes from a wealthy family but worked hard to where he is. Growing up in a rough area, I had to work harder just to make it out. At the end of the day, Curry and I are both “light skin.” We just come from different backgrounds. The way I am defined, shouldn’t be determined by my skin. -- Canaan Cadwell

Learning to put aside my fandom

Today, Greg Bowers sat in the front of our class and talked about ethics. He told us, “Your fandom is what got you here, and now you have to throw it away.” I’m from Oakland. Everyone here at SJI knows it and most people back at the University of Portland know it. I grew up on the Golden State Warriors. I was excited when Baron Davis signed my hat for my 11^th birthday and, yeah, I am happy to see the team back in the finals. That said, I understand why Greg Lee winked and said “homer” before assigning me to write the Warriors vs. Thunder Game 7 from OKC’s point of view. In class, Bowers explained that the original job of sportswriters back in the 1920s was to write positively about a team. That is no longer a sportswriter’s job. My fandom is partly what got me into sports journalism. But I have always been a fan of writing. I have found a career path where I can combine my two loves and am learning to balance them. I don’t particularly struggle when I have to cover Golden State, the team I love. When the Trail Blazers blew them out earlier this season, I wrote two stories on a tight deadline for the AP and when it went out on the wire, I don’t think anyone could tell I had grown up a Warriors fan. But I learned something new today about the intersection of fandom and journalism. And I also was reminded of the importance of objectivity.  -- Malika Andrews

Midnight stroll

While I was listening to some of the the guys speak last night, I decided to watch a video someone sent me earlier in the day. [background music from video] "What we gonna do? We gonna save that money!" The four guys with me were curious what I was watching. The brothers of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated were performing in a yard show at UGA (my school). In the top left of the screen was yours truly. Being so busy with SJI, I have not  had time to fully break out of my shell, so I think everyone who saw the video saw a different side of me. As I relived the moments of strolling with my fraternity brothers, the guys wanted to see me re-enact some of the moves. I did, even though the clock read midnight. Strolling does not mean "a walk in the park," at least not to predominantly black fraternities and sororities. Strolling is more than just dancing. When I hear "P! B! P-B-S!" from across the room, kiss the journalist in me goodbye for the duration of the stroll.-- Damian Reynolds

SJI opening doors

Although I still have a couple more years of college ahead, I’m already thinking about what I want to do afterward. We toured the University of Missouri journalism school this week and it went above and beyond my expectations. I’ve previously toured the University of Florida j-school, but there was something different about Mizzou. I was accepted to both universities during the application process in high school and ended up staying close to home  (in Utah) because of tuition. However, if the opportunity should present itself for me to attend grad school at either of those other places, I would give it serious consideration. And after hearing great things about Mizzou’s program, it will be something I keep in the back of my mind. This is what I love about SJI and the boot camp — it’s opening the door to so many opportunities. --  Kimberly Brenneisen

Ortiz brings inspiration

For the second day at SJI, I'm blogging about a speaker who inspired me. Jesus Ortiz is a sports columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the first Hispanic president of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Ortiz spoke about issues facing minorities on the field and in the media, including the unfairness of quoting Latino ballplayers verbatim when they speak broken English, and the challenge of finding a mentor in a media industry that is short on diversity. On the issue of verbatim quotes for those not entirely comfortable in English, Ortiz led a discussion of a recent piece in the Houston Chronicle in which Astros outfielder Carlos Gomez sounded illiterate because he did not speak English--which is not his native tongue--perfectly. Ortiz, who previously worked at the Chronicle and knows Gomez, described him as “a very bright guy and a very proud guy.” But the verbatim quotes did not portray him that way. Though I cannot adequately explain why I appreciate this man in just 200 words, I hope my post explains why he encouraged me to be a better sportswriter, and I can’t thank him enough for the motivation.-- Chris Yangas

Ethical debate

Today, Greg Bowers of The Missourian, did a presentation on sports ethics. The foundation of the presentation was set around one key concept, “Ethics is a moving target” as Mr. Bowers said. Things that would pass for quality journalism in the 1920’s would not pass in the 1970s, and today that ethical pendulum has swung again, making what was acceptable 30 years ago, inapplicable today.
But does that mean ethics are solely relative to the times? Don’t they coincide with moral values? Aren’t there ethical guidelines that remain through the years? In some ways, it feels like ethics being a moving target is a cop out or an excuse to let someone do or continue unethical work. If the ethical guidelines keep changing, and in part foster bad behavior, then aren’t we just deluding ourselves into thinking we do well intentioned things, when it’s the exact opposite? I’m not saying Mr. Bowers is wrong, or what I briefly said in the past 100 words in the sole basis for his argument, but I don’t think you can keep widening the ethical and moral spectrum. --  Javier Cortez

Solve The Problem

Matt Dulin, the community outreach director for the Missourian, said something in class that resonated with me: “We shouldn’t ask ourselves if we’re giving people what they want or what they need. We should be asking what the problem is and how do we solve it. The true value of a storyteller is finding something that isn’t thrown at you." Dulin’s presentation centered on how to reach out to audiences via social media, but his words also apply to his work as a professional. He came to Missouri two months ago from Houston, and he’s on a mission to meet 100 Columbian residents within 100 days in order to broaden his knowledge about the community. I find his idea to be not only very authentic, but it’s also a way to engage community members who feel underrepresented.
Because society is much bigger than even the needs of one person. As journalists, we have a responsibility to embrace the humanism in our profession in order to paint a bigger, better picture of the reality we share as a community. What this man is doing serves that purpose: reaching out to the voiceless who desire to be heard, not resorting to covering those who suit his own biases. And as a minority, I certainly respect that. -- Chris Yangas

The Changing Media Landscape

Digital-first. Millennial audience. Multimedia platforms. I’ve heard the new 2016 media buzzwords before, in fact, I’ve studied these terms and concepts in my journalism classes, but these ideas took a new meaning yesterday afternoon. In a skype session with Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch, I gained a fresh sense of confidence and positivity about the future of sports journalism in the technological world, and I became more certain that this is the field I need to enter. "In the time we live in, we have the most talented group of sports writers that we've ever had,” Richard said during his talk. As a future graduate of SJI, I look forward to applying my newly developed skills to my internship to cover the sports world with accuracy, intelligence and creativity. Richard also said he teaches a class addressing race, gender, sports and media relations at Columbia University with fellow standout journalism Jane McManus, and while I’m excited to start my internship, Richard simultaneously increased my interest in Columbia as a grad school possibility. To learn more from Richard would be a gift, and I would love to sit in his classroom and soak up knowledge from the reporter who has made such a name for himself in one of the nation’s leading sports magazines.-- Shannon Scovel

SJI lessons

Halfway through my SJI experience and I am having the time of my life. Can we do another week of this? The amount of information I’ve soaked in, the career advice I’ve received, and the quality time I’ve spent with my peers has been unbelievable. I came into the program expecting to learn a lot and expecting to meet like-minded individuals, but I didn’t expect this. Honestly. Leon Carter, Greg Lee and Sandra Rosenbush are three of the most intelligent, funny, and personable individuals I have ever met. I appreciate the seriousness and taking care of business attitude they’ve approached the program with, which have made the moments where they’ve joked around and told us stories that much more appreciable. One of the key pieces of advice I’ve received so far has been to make a good first impression. I hope I’ve done that with Mr. Carter, Mr. Lee and Ms. Rosenbush. -- Daniel Ynfante

The Future of the Business

There are few who understand the landscape of sports media better than Richard Deitsch. The longtime Sports Illustrated reporter spoke to the SJI class on Tuesday afternoon about the sports journalism and media industry, from his relationship with personalities like Colin Cowherd to navigating interviews with public relations representatives. As someone with a close ear on the business, it was natural for the class to ask about the future. “If I knew where sports media was going five to 10 years, I would be an entrepreneur,” Deitsch said. “Not a reporter.” But he did have a good idea. The first big takeaway from his talk was sports journalism will need to be more interactive. It will need to bring content to people, for example, through live events. The second big takeaway was niche-driven content will also play a significant role. Getting in on the ground floor of off-beat topics like e-sports could prove fruitful, as the demand is likely to increasingly reflect individual interests.
Either way, it will be an exciting evolution. “The time we live in,” he said, “we have the most talented group of sports writers we have ever had.” -- Katie Richcreek

We all have a voice, and they matter

If there is anyone that understands the value of having diverse voices, it’s The Undefeated Managing Editor Raina Kelley. A former aspiring playwright, Kelley’s duties now include finding fresh voices to tell unique stories on race and sports for ESPN’s newly launched website. This summer, all 12 of us from the SJI Class of 2016 will ship off to different publications across the country. Some of us will be at digital publications. Others will hone their print craft at newspapers. All of us will be looking to find our own voice. Kelley believes that, for us, there will be nothing more important than finding our own distinct voices. “A lot of people think voice is about I,” Kelley said. “Voice is about how you put words together.” As young aspiring sports journalists, we need to remember our voices matter. They’re what separate us from each other, and other writers. It’s what allows us to tell important stories about different people in unique narratives. Finding voice is a lifelong process. But like Kelley reminded us, every voice matters. We have the power to shape sports coverage with our words, and it’s crucial that each and every one of us gets heard. -- Hayden Kim

Trying something different

You can't go wrong trying new things in life, especially when it comes to food. At least that's what my mother told me growing up. On my third day of class at SJI, the Missouri atmosphere started to become relatively familiar. During our lunch break, my classmates and I walked through Columbia, and I found myself mesmerized by the college town scenery. Our guest speaker Candace Buckner, an SJI student in 2001 who now covers the Pacers for the Indianapolis Star, walked with us, and we were given a choice of two spots for lunch: Jimmy John's or a local spot called Seoul Taco. I was used to Jimmy Johns in Houston so I went for the novelty of Seoul Taco. I typically go for plain food but I ventured out by ordering a burrito that was very tasty thanks to a tangy sauce that added a twist to the flavor. My conclusion: My mother was right, and trying a new taste experience was a good move. I'll long look back to my meal at Seoul Taco as a reminder of my enjoyable lunch breaks with my classmates. -- Canaan Cadwell

On Deadline: Part 2/Blackout

The weather was wonderful, and so was the 120-mile drive across Missouri to Kansas City. We headed to Kauffman Stadium to cover another Royals Game. The ending to this game – not as insane as the first one – still had me up in arms; the Royals came back from a two-run deficit to steal the series sweep over the White Sox, 5-4. We had another tight deadline but better results for our game stories, according to Sandy’s feedback. Afterward, we all went out to eat. Kudos to our instructors for taking us to Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, a hallmark dining experience for tourists in Kansas City. I had burnt ends, which are the nasty, fatty ends of ribs that are prepared to be somehow delectable. The ride back was quiet. Using the time to be productive, I memorized more of the Victorian poem, “Invictus," by William Ernest Henley, that we have to know before the program ends. Our settling in the hotel capped the day off unexpectedly: the south side of Columbia blacked out entirely, shutting off the power in the hotel while I was swimming. I wasn’t worried, but the hotel should realize I could’ve swam in the outdoor pool if I wanted to. -- Chris Yangas

Charting new territory

When I got the news in December that I was accepted into the Sports Journalism Institute, immediately one of the main things I was intrigued by was the possibility of meeting like-minded individuals who could potentially be my colleagues one day. Through four days of SJI training, I have had the privilege of being spending quality time with my peers, learning from them, and hearing their stories. Growing up my whole life in the Bronx, N.Y., and going to predominantly black and Hispanic schools, I haven’t met many people from different parts of the United States. At SJI everyone comes from somewhere different. Today, I interviewed a classmate, Canaan Cadwell, for a biography I had to write on him. Cadwell comes from Houston, and like me, has not had the chance to travel or meet many people outside of his hometown. As a result, Cadwell has grown an interest for traveling, and hopes to turn his time at SJI into a learning experience. Much like me. “I want to go everywhere,” Cadwell said. “That’s the only way you’ll be a better journalist, a better person, to actually know different cultures.” -- Daniel Ynfante

Sports as a cultural unifier

“Where I’m from, sports is everything.” In an interview with my classmate Damian Reynolds, I was once again reminded of the passions that brought us all to the Sports Journalism Institute. All 12 of us came here to learn, to improve our writing skills, to become more observant journalists and to share in the glory of sports. This afternoon (Memorial Day), we strengthened our bonds while completing an interview activity that allowed us to learn more about each other through the process of writing biographies for the 2016 Bulletin. Regardless of our backgrounds, we all live for the games, the tournaments, the championships. The wins, the struggles, and the stories. Every aspect of athletics lends itself to a story, and by the end of the week, I hope to have the skills to deliver those story with the style and voice of a professional. -- Shannon Scovel

Outsiders just don't understand

Hey Canaan, you want to go to the movies tonight? What are you doing today; you want to play 2k? Are you free to hangout today? These are the questions I receive on a daily basis. This isn't even all of them. The life of a journalist is hard to explain to the college student majoring in a different field. The work we have to do that requires time withdraws from my social life. As a journalist, you make time for who you want. Our time requires interviewing people, studying people, researching, learning ideas, developing ideas, knowing all news, writing, writing, and more writing. That is a part of our 24-hour routine. Balancing out the time between being a professional and my age can be a big challenge. Friends that you grow up with, doesn't always grow with you. Being a sports journalist been in my blood since the first time I saw Stuart Scott on SportsCenter back when I was in fifth grade. Not until college was when I found out the drive that every young journalist needs to have to be as great as the famous Stu Scott. When the pieces come together, whenever that may be, and my path starts to unfold, the friends that you have in college may not matter anymore. So to you, all the outsiders of journalism all across the land, there is limited time for social life and only journalist will understand. -- Canaan Cadwell

Shaking off the rust

It’s been a while since I had to file a story immediately. I hadn’t done it since football season, when Missouri lost at Georgia, 9-6. My story had to be in before the game officially ended, so I’m used to tight deadlines. But that was almost half a year ago. Writing quick stories off of two Royals-White Sox games, both of which ended with late rallies — every sportswriter’s nightmare — was fun, even if my first story wasn’t great. (I did like my second one quite a bit, though there are certainly tweaks I would make had we done a writethru.) I’m glad we covered both games and I’m glad to be getting the practice I am before starting my internship. (Also, Kauffman Stadium was pretty cool. And eating at Arthur Bryant’s is never a bad thing.) -- Aaron Reiss

On a Deadline (and Learning)

The last game I wanted to cover for my first SJI training session was a story about a bottom-of-the-ninth comeback: Naturally, that’s exactly what my class got. We covered the Kansas City Royals play the Chicago White Sox in Kauffman Stadium, writing the game story with a 10-minute deadline.
I waited till the fifth inning to let the game develop. By then, the White Sox opened a 7-1 blowout over Kansas City. I started writing then because – hey, I can only wait so long – but the Royals waited till the ninth to stage their comeback. 8-7. I was speechless. Had the Sox won, I would’ve submitted my mediocre draft that had some direction. Instead, I resorted to writing just a lead and some clichés to complement the vague passages from my first draft for the new story. No surprise that my new story wasn't a prize winner, but I actually enjoyed the process. Covering that nightmare story may represent the first time as a student journalist when I was eager to fail. The experience left me appreciative that I’m in the Sports Journalism Institute. It’s a place to make mistakes, and the place where I belong. -- Chris Yangas

A Lesson in Humility

Words of wisdom from SJI alumn Candace Buckner: “You don’t know what you don’t know, so don’t try to be what you're not,” she said as she wrapped up her point. The Class of 2001 graduate, now the Indiana Pacers beat writer for the Indianapolis Star, spoke to the 2016 class on Monday about checking our egos at the door when we arrive at our internships. It was a timely reminder for the class as we marched through the fourth day of bootcamp. Journalism is a craft that takes time and practice to refine. And for Buckner, that process included having veterans like Sandy Rosenbush and Leon Carter “tear apart” her work. She attributed her success to the lessons she learned during her time at SJI, adding that being open to that feedback played a critical role in her ability to turn those negatives into positives. Rosenbush added to the importance of accepting feedback, paraphrasing David Squires to say at least 10 percent of criticism we might receive at any point in our career will hold some weight—even if it is given with ill-intent. -- Katie Richcreek

Shut up and listen kid

When you get an internship it’s easy to get a big head. It’s easy to think you are hot stuff and in a sense, you are, because every internship has a vetting process, and you become one of the few selected among the bunch. But as a college journalist, the line between being hot stuff and decent is thin. In my fourth day with SJI, I got a good reminder of just how low I am on the totem pole. I was not railed on by an editor or forced to tears, but I heard what I needed, specifically from two people.
“You don’t know what you don’t know.” And. “Unless you know the rules, you can’t break the rules.” The first came from a 2001 SJI alum, Candace Buckner and the second came from SJI co-Director, Greg Lee. Both quotes were small and could have been seemingly insignificant if I had my mind somewhere else, but both were two big humbling reminders. I’m not a great journalist with a wide-ranging perspective on things. I think I know that, but I am not always cognizant of that crucial fact. Which is why I relish statements like those from Candace and Greg. It’s better to know that you have a large mountain to scale than to delude yourself into thinking you only have a few more steps to take. -- Javier Cortez

Back to the Newsroom

After a couple of days of doing hands-on exercises, the group steered us back toward a more classroom experience. We skyped five alumni from the institute who are now notable professionals in the industry, including Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post, Zolan Kano-Young of The Wall Street Journal, Rhiannon Walker, Associate Editor at ESPN's The Undefeated; and Candace Buckner, Indiana Pacers beat writer for The Indianapolis Star; and Diamond Leung and Marcus Thompson, who write for the Bay Area for News Group. They all had different nuggets of wisdom to give us, my favorites coming from Leung and Thompson warned us to stay resilient against the “keyboard gangsters” who like to challenge journalists on Twitter, and Leung told us never to limit our performance to the level of our coverage level. “You want to think ‘Work hard. Game 7. You got to file more stories.’” Leung said. “No, work hard in whatever you do. I don’t think that ever happens if you play not as hard and never prepare yourself for the situation.” We ended the day covering Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals (under a tight deadline, of course). Covering basketball was a good change-up, but a no-show from Riley Curry after the game left Mr. Carter feeling some type of way. -- Chris Yangas

What I learned from The Undefeated’ Rihannon Walker

Monday morning, we had a video conference call with The Undefeated Associate Editor Rihannon Walker, a graduate from the Sports Journalism Institute Class of 2002. Going along with the other speakers we’ve had throughout the training week, Walker answered questions and dished out professional advice on how to succeed in the ever-changing industry. Overall, Walker was one of my favorite speakers we’ve had so far. But there was a moment in her session that stuck out to me; a moment that made me think in a way I haven’t before. It had to do with her view on last year’s Oscars and Chris Rock’s performance as a host. While brief, Walker expressed her distaste for Rock’s decision to bring out two Asian children for a controversial skit. Walker commended Rock for his overall approach to hosting an Oscars that centered around the controversial #OscarsSoWhite subject matter, but she also found that one particular skit to be in bad taste and hypocritical. She added a startling statistic about the scarcity of Asian Americans in Hollywood. This stood out to me. As an Asian American, it was refreshing to hear another ethnic minority – especially one with a heavy presence in sports media – provide an unbiased perspective on a moment that didn’t directly relate to Walker’s own ethnicity. Walker’s main objective at The Undefeated is to produce polarizing, engaging content on race and sports, and to see her not afraid to speak up for the Asian American community proved to me that conversations about ethnic diversity are shifting in the right direction.  As a nation, we will always have room for improvement concerning ethnic diversity. But important figures like Walker are saying and doing the right things to help propel this topic forward. -- Hayden Kim

Lights out

SJI students turned to each other to cope with the power outage at the Stoney Creek Inn in Columbia.

The lights went out as soon as I closed the bathroom door on Sunday night. The first thing I did was look for family members I had met two days before. I hopped off the plane in St. Louis at 8:45 on Friday morning, ready to go through a week-long sports journalism boot camp with 11 college students from across the country. I was scared and apprehensive as I entered a new environment with some talented journalists. Then Sunday, the power went out at our the hotel. With my phone battery at 15 percent, I turned on the flashlight and looked for my Sports Journalism Institute classmates. We all had the same idea, which was to look for each other. As I stood in the dark with my arms crossed, I looked around and thought to myself, "I'll miss this new family of mine when the week is over." -- Damian Reynolds

A Royal Afternoon

As a North Carolina native, I never experienced the rush of watching and covering a professional
baseball team launch two consecutive late game comebacks. My home state valued college basketball
over baseball and obsessed over the ACC tournament in March instead of studying early season baseball statistics. Yet, I discovered a new appreciation for The National Pastime yesterday, as 36,634 fans reacted to Kansas City’s eighth inning home run and ultimate win 5-4 over the Chicago White Sox.
My SJI class and I peered over the press box and watched the Kansas City Royals celebrate their three-game sweep of the Sox as the sun beat down on our backs. With our tight deadline nearing, we
frantically typed out the remainder of our game stories, desperately trying to incorporate all of the lessons we have learned so far in the classroom this week. After submitting a flawed game story the day before, my next Kansas City game story back with a little less criticism and one small word of praise. I clung to that word, “solid,” returned to reviewing the latest news on ESPN to prepare for my next SportsCheck. Three days in, and I was starting to improve. -- Shannon Scovel

Gaining new perspective

SJI Class participates in Missourian newsroom meeting.

Until today (Monday) I lost sight of the fact that it’s not typical for a college student to be constantly texting, joking around with and discussing word choice with a man in his 60s. As a student at Missouri, I come into the Columbia Missourian newsroom every day to talk to and hang out with my sports editor/professor, Greg Bowers. And when I’m not in the newsroom, we are often still communicating via text. Seeing my SJI classmates' interest in a concept like the Missourian — a student-staffed, faculty-run newspaper operated as part of the Missouri School of Journalism — made me remember the uniqueness of my college program. I think some of them were impressed. Others at least seemed intrigued. I’ve learned so much working at the Missourian. And while I’ve wondered many times how my college experience would be different, both socially and intellectually, if I’d worked at a traditional campus newspaper throughout college, I would never pick another school. And now I'm enjoying sharing Columbia and MU with students from around the country this week. -- Aaron Reiss

A role model from SJI

When I report for duty in the Moda Center back in Portland, I sit three seats over from where Candace Buckner used to sit when she worked at the Columbian. We had spoken on the phone a few times, but had never met in person until today.  Candace is one of the few black women covering the NBA and I too, hope to cover the NBA some day. Talking to Candace today was refreshing because when I would look around back in the Blazers locker room, there isn’t anyone that looks likes me. Today, she told the women in the class that she knows her work can stand up against “any regular man.” She said she just makes sure she is strong and confident.

 In our first day of class at the Sports Journalism Institute, Mr. Carter asked us to look around the room. He told us that no newsroom that we will ever work in will look as diverse as ours that day and that we are here to meet like-minded people that look like us because out there, in the real world, in real newsrooms, and even in our college newsrooms, it’s a challenge to do so. It was encouraging to hear from a black woman who has been successful covering professional basketball. -- Malika Andrews

Getting comfortable

Javier Cortez (center) along with his SJI classmates at Kaufman Stadium, home of the Royals.

After two days at SJI boot camp, I looked around at my peers--and felt weird. The main reason was simple: They are not all white.

I come from El Paso, which is predominantly Latino. Most of my peers, elders, and younger El Pasoans are Mexican-Americans, Mexican nationals, or immigrants. So when I leave the city and travel, the demographics become inverted. I become the minority and I am usually surrounded by white people.

Even when I visit my father’s side of the family in Dallas and stay with my cousins, aunts, and uncles, I am the only brown person. Technically that side of the family is Mexican-American, but most of them don't look Latino. And because all four of my father’s siblings married Caucasians, their children don't look like me. So when we walk around together, we draw stares. People are constantly looking at me when I am with them and I can't help but wonder what they are thinking as they stare me down. I sometimes think it could be: "What is that brown boy doing with those white folks?”

Now, as a visitor in Columbia, Missouri, I finally feel comfortable rather than out of place. I feel represented. All I have to do is look around at my classmates. --Javier Cortez
   

Learning to love deadline pressure

I didn’t think watching a Royals game would be so stressful. The team was down 7-1 in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday and I was nearly done with my summary. But that’s the thing with sports, it’s ever changing and you should come to expect the unexpected — and in this case the unexpected happened much to my dismay, joy, and of course, surprise. The Royals eventually completed the comeback and won the game. It must have been something of fairytale for Brett Eibner, who was brought up to the majors two days earlier and was the hero, but for me it was a reality check. This is what sports journalists have to do on a regular basis. They need to put the pieces together in a timely manner and must be ready in a split-second to change the focus of their story. However, this is also what makes sports so enthralling. It’s dramatic and it gets most everyone involved. These are the types of games a reporter should want to cover, and yes, they are the games I want to cover. --Kim Brenneisen

A needed deadline lesson

In three years writing for my school paper, I had never experienced as much pressure as I did today. Writing stories on deadline is something I’ve been accustomed to, but my deadlines have never been as tight as they were for writing the game story on the White Sox and Royals game. Things seemed to be going pretty smoothly for most of the game, and I was very satisfied with my game story until the Royals pulled off a miraculous six-run comeback and scored seven in the ninth to win. The Royals won the game but destroyed my soul. Most of my game story had to be deleted, and I had to rearrange it so that it would still make sense. It was a valuable lesson I learned today, and one that I greatly appreciate. This is something that can, and frankly, will happen in the future. There will be several times where my game story will be torn to pieces because of a comeback, and today taught me how to handle an unfortunate situation and not crumble. -- Daniel Ynfante

Scrapping my first baseball recap

I had never covered Major League Baseball. That held true until my second day at the Sports Journalism Institute boot camp. The Kansas City Royals were hosting the Chicago White Sox. The series was 1-0 in favor of the Royals. We huddled around a TV at the campus newspaper Missourian newsroom. The purpose was to get prepared for covering Sunday’s game. There were 11 of us. Some of us had extensive experience with baseball; others were just learning how to keep score. All of us were about to partake in an exercise that took our understanding of a newspaper deadline to its limits. Through nine and a half innings, we had all written out a basic game recap and were waiting to send them in. With the White Sox up 7-1, we were patiently waiting for the uneventful game to end. Then, in the span of 15 minutes, life lessons were dished out like pop quizzes to each and every one of us.

That morning, we had a video conference call with MLB.com Astros beat writer Alyson Footer. She broke down the basics of the game and provided some insight into what it takes to be successful in this field. What stuck out to all of us though, was her warning about being prepared to write recaps within three minutes of the game ending; her foreshadowing of knowing that at any moment, you might have to scrap an entire recap based on last minute events. That’s exactly what happened. The Royals scored seven straight runs, and Eric Hosmer hit a walk-off single, sending out a rippling effect of deleted paragraphs and changed narratives. We might not have been pleased with the result, but we all learned.  -- Hayden Kim

Thank you Grady

The White Sox and Royals gamer put me in a similar situation from my first day in the Grady Sports Media program at the University of Georgia (UGA). "We're going to watch the last few minutes of the Georgia-Georgia Tech football game from last year," my sports media professor told the class. "You're going to write a deadline gamer that's due at the end of class. Oh, here's a box score and some quotes." Today, we watched the White Sox and Royals game at the Sports Journalism Institute to practice a deadline gamer. We're going to the Royals game tomorrow instead of watching the game on TV. The pressure is real. The White Sox led 7-1 going into the 9th inning. They ended up losing 8-7 thanks to Brett Eibner's walk-off single. I had most of my story written, assuming there would be no way the Royals could come back and win. I had three minutes after the last pitch to submit my mostly-written story. After I pressed "submit," I laughed and told my sports media professors from UGA what happened. "Nothing you're not used to," my professor replied. Thank you, Grady Sports, for preparing me earlier for the pressure. -- Damian Reynolds

Royal(s) expectations

The SJI Class of 2016 covering White Sox at Royals.

There are 162 regular season Major League Baseball games for every team, every year. That's nearly twice as many as any other major American sport. If you don’t follow the MLB, the games can seem meaningless, and even if you do, sometimes they can lose their luster day after day. But the Kansas City Royals, one way or another, always seem to keep it interesting, and reward the fans who stick around. In the last two days, the middle of a four-game series against the White Sox, the Royals have come back from a four-run and a six-run deficits late in games. On Saturday afternoon, minutes after losing their World Series MVP catcher Salvador Perez to injury, the Royals completed the largest ninth-inning comeback in Royals history with hit after hit until the White Sox were down and out. The comeback is the latest in what has become an expectation for some Royals fans. After all, there was a reason the Kauffman Stadium stands remained full as the team headed into the ninth inning with a six-run deficit on Saturday: at this point, they know exactly what the Royals can do.

They learned it when the Royals scored seven runs in the last two innings to beat the Astros in game four of the American League Divisional Series in 2015. And again in the American League Championship when they scored six runs in the seventh and eighth to win 6-3. Then again in the World Series, as they scored in the ninth inning to go to extra innings before walking off in the 14th inning. Late-game comebacks have become a regularity for the Royals, and a part of their identity. When it’s the Royals, even when they’re down six runs with two outs to go, it’s never really over. Somehow, they’ve made regular season baseball easy to enjoy in Kansas City. -- Christian Hardy

Analytical debate

About a week after its launch, The Undefeated, ESPN’s new site on the intersection between sports, race, and culture, published a piece from renowned columnist Michael Wilbon titled, “Mission Impossible: African-American & analytics.” The column’s sub-title — “Why blacks are not feeling the sports metrics movement” — gets closer to the topic of the column itself. 

The column stirred up the Twittersphere and prompted negative responses from Deadspin, Sporting News, The Guardian, and SBNation, to name a few sites. But it seems, by creating a discussion and defying the outside media’s expectations, The Undefeated has done exactly what it set out to do with the column. At least, that’s the way Rhiannon Walker, an associate editor at The Undefeated, put it when she met with the class. 

“I think they expected people to disagree with it,” said Walker, who said the column was opinion, and not to be taken as fact. “The point of The Undefeated is to challenge the public, and it did that.”

Many people may have aired their concerns with Wilbon’s column over the last week since its publication, but The Undefeated, as Walker put it, as remained at ease about it. If nothing else, The Undefeated will have opened an important dialogue and discussion about race and sports that have before been difficult for people to talk about, and maybe that’s exactly the role it’s supposed to serve. -- Christian Hardy

In the midst of darkness

As if the multitude of trees, open grass fields, and country scenery wasn’t enough to prove to me that I was no longer in New York but in Missouri, tonight’s blackout at the hotel was the icing on the cake. Columbia, Mo., is not the City That Never Sleeps, in fact, the lights literally went out, leaving very few options other than to go to sleep. I went from being pampered with free food and having unlimited access while covering a Kansas City Royals game earlier in the day, to having no electricity at my hotel at night. This is not New York. As the power went out, I thought to myself, is this really happening? I had experienced blackouts before. My parents are from the Dominican Republic and I have visited the country nine times. Blackouts are a recurring occurrence in the DR, but they’re expected. After the long day I had had in Missouri, to then get back to the hotel and experience a blackout was strange. I couldn’t help but think, what are the odds of this happening in New York? Slim to none. -- Daniel Ynfante

A little adversity

I know one thing that could stop your life. I mean, it could certainly stop mine; it would at least slow your life down. That thing is simple, and something you probably don’t think about too often: power. It’s easy to forget about it; that is, until it’s out at 10 p.m. on Sunday and you can’t see a thing in your hotel room. I don’t want to make this sound more dramatic than it is. We went through a power outage for two hours — we didn’t go without water for two days or without a new Frank Ocean album for almost four years (oh, wait). But, have a little sympathy: it’s hard to function without power. Let’s start with the fact that the wi-fi is out, so, in most cases, especially for journalists, you can’t work. You can’t shower, and even if you want to use the the restroom, you have to turn on your flashlight on your iPhone. You can’t turn on the TV. You can’t prepare for sports check without using data on your phone. Oh yeah, and that little device you use for everything, especially when the power goes out? You can’t charge it. You could go to bed, but if the power isn’t on, your phone might die, and your alarm might not go off. Look, there are a whole lot of things in this world worse than the power going out. A whole lot. But maybe the power of, well, power gets forgotten a lot. And you only remember how much you rely on it until it goes dark and the hotel staff is lighting candles in the lobby like it’s 1770. -- Christian Hardy

Royal Flush

I finally went to my first professional baseball game, and I sat in the press box. On Sunday, I covered the Kansas City Royals/Chicago White Sox game with the Sports Journalism Institute. I watched the Royals come from behind for the third straight game. I wanted to cheer in the name of sports. But then I remembered sports journalism commandment number one: No cheering in the press box. I don't watch baseball on television often, but I enjoy attending them. Underneath all my excitement I had to separate fandom and journalism.  While it was my first professional baseball game, I knew I had a job to do. I was constantly keeping track of at-bats and keeping score, which kept me engaged in the game. I don't think I would have been as deeply engaged if i didn't have to work the press box. I wouldn't mind covering more baseball games, especially if they're all as magical as the first one I saw live. -- Damian Reynolds

Not waiting an opportunity

My adrenaline kicked in on Saturday. The previous day I had been up for nearly 20 hours, the majority of which were spent traveling, yet I was fine. Then Sunday rolled around and we spent about five long hours in the car driving to and from the Royals game. The game itself was a great experience and I felt like I was rolling. I love attending new stadiums because each one is unique and has its own flair. However, the days have been long, but at the same time, I have nothing to complain about. We’re receiving valuable information and learning experiences that I won’t find elsewhere. I want to become a better writer, a better sports reporter, and this is the place to do so. My energy may be lagging, but I’ll keep going no matter what. I have an incredible opportunity this week, something plenty of students across the country strive for, and I don’t plan on wasting my time. I’m meeting a lot of professionals in the field, people who I will reach out to in the near future to help me with my own career. -- Kim Brenneisen

SJI Hawks

Dressed in black jumpsuits with maple leaf patches on their shoulders, the Canadian SkyHawk team filled the breakfast area in the Stoney Creek Hotel at 7:30 a.m. on the first morning on my SJI training. I casually ate with my peers while attempting to study for our daily Sports Checks, but the SkyHawks team continued to pop up in our conversation. We read about the men who jumped out of planes in the Columbia Missourian, recited lines of Invictus for an upcoming quiz and tested each other on the facts of the team as we piled in the cars on the way to the Missouri Journalism School. Upon further research, I learned that the SkyHawks plan to perform five times this Memorial Day weekend, and each individual serves as a member of the Canadian military. In an interview with The Missourian, Capt. Andrew Spencer, a member of the SkyHawks, described his experience on the team as an opportunity to represent something larger than himself. "I feel like we're standing on the shoulders of giants and with every jump we're representing 45 years of dedication,” Thompson said in his interview. Although we have yet to be asked a question about the SkyHawks during our training, I’ve learned over the past 48 hours that students in SJI must be prepared for anything. --Shannon Scovel

Trying to find a way out of Dallas

My first flight left the ground in Ontario, California at 1:05 in the morning. Two and a half hours later I landed at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, where I was supposed to catch my connection to St. Louis less than 90 minutes later. At first, the delay looked like it would only be 30 minutes. There was a maintenance issue with the scheduled plane, but the airline quickly located a substitute. I boarded. I settled in. I put my phone on airplane mode and I tucked it away. The plane even pulled away from the gate. But then it returned. Another maintenance problem led to the flight cancellation and suddenly that 90 minutes turned into six hours. It turns out the flood of travelers trying to get to their Memorial Day weekend destinations coupled with the actual flood of rain pouring down on Texas had thrown a wrench into more than one SJIer’s travel schedule. The circumstances had even grounded one in Houston for another 24 hours. It was a shaky start to the week, but as Leon Carter would say (with booming emphasis), our class could use that sort of adversity. --  Katie Richcreek

First Day Adversity

May 27th 5:55 am -- On a rainy early Houston morning at United Continental Airport, there I stood waiting at my gate to fly to St. Louis Missouri for my life-changing experience for Sports Journalism Institute (SJI) in Columbia, Missouri. This was Memorial Day weekend in Houston where severe thunderstorms plowed through all parts of the city causing plenty delays in flights, including mine.

Although it was not the end of the world, I was stuck at the airport for eight-nine hours to only end up in Houston. My first flight cancelled due to operations, I did not make the standby list for next flight, and the rain only increase throughout the process.

May 28th 5:00 a.m. -- Back at the same airport, the weather was clear with no sight of rain from the record breaking rainfall day within 24 hours in the city of Houston. My flight was on time at 6:00 a.m. going to Atlanta  and then leaving from Atlanta at 9:50 a.m. to finally reach my destination in St. Louis. I was the last person to arrive at Columbia. I arrived to the University of Missouri to meet with my intern class and I was thrown into covering the Kansas City Royals vs White Sox baseball game.

The score was 7-1 in the top of the ninth where Chicago had a comfortable lead. My story was wrapped up to turn into Greg Lee but that was when the magic happened. The Royals scored seven straight runs to defeat the White Sox 8-7 in the bottom of the ninth. The class had five minutes to turn the story in. The hassle and intensity from the moment I entered the airport the first morning to my first class session at SJI was a mind blowing experience. -- Canaan Cadwell