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