I’m a little new to this.
On the first Saturday of August, I dressed in my best business slacks — my favorite pair of sage green pants — and spent my first day off from my summer internship trudging up to Chapel Hill to cover my first UNC football team media availability.
Filled with nervous energy, I showed up obnoxiously early, questioned if I was at the correct entrance and called my assistant editor Emma Moon for verified directions. Then, I called last year’s sports editor, Shelby Swanson, to double-check. I may or may not have hid behind a brick wall. Turns out, I had the right door all along.
Inside, I was among a cohort of seasoned journalists holding cameras, phones and notepads, making conversation that varied from this year’s team to the weather. I could count the number of women on one hand.
I claimed my spot for the interviews and bounced from one foot to the other. A thin layer of sweat was starting to gather on my skin, and the players hadn’t even stepped up to the podium yet.
When new faces and recognizable figures walked up to speak, I battled to get my questions heard, frantically jotted down timestamps for good quotes and thoughtfully listened to their responses.
As the nerves started to fade, a combination of adrenaline, excitement and passion was stepping into their place. Confirmation, in some ways, that this is where I’m supposed to be.
Yes, I’m a little new to this kind of thing. A football press conference wasn’t in my bag until then. But the work that goes into telling stories for the Sports desk here at The Daily Tar Heel? No, that’s nothing new.
Those green pants have seen press row for women’s basketball games in Carmichael Arena, the press box inside of Karen Shelton Stadium and the bright blue seats of the Chewning Tennis Center.
