Frank StranzlLast year at this time I was still getting acquainted with the simple things San Luis Obispo had to offer. I didn’t know where Bishop’s Peak was, I had no idea what street Woodstock’s was on and I couldn’t tell you about Cal Poly athletics.
How many teams compete for Cal Poly? What schools do we compete against? Are we any good? Simple questions with simple answers that I did not know for the life of me. And I thought of myself as a sports writer.
Using my excellent sleuth-like reporting skills I figured out that we have 20 teams competing at the Division I level. We compete in the Big West Conference against various California schools (except in football, wrestling and golf). And our teams are mostly pretty good.
After giving myself a pat on the back, it was time to get to work. I was on a mission. I wanted to be the sports editor for the Mustang Daily.
And voila, dream come true, right?
Well, I am the sports editor now and I have a set of new goals. First and foremost is to accurately and actively report about sports on and around campus.
We are experimenting with several new ideas. On Mondays we are running “The Sports Bar,” a recap of the weekend’s events. Every other Thursday comes “Outdoor Adventures,” a section that will feature non-traditional sports around San Luis Obispo.
Fridays will feature a pair of new ideas: “Mustang Diaries,” personalized articles written by athletes and coaches, and a club sports feature. Each Friday we will give you a look at what the club sports on campus are doing. Did you know the women’s field hockey team won a national championship last year?
Even though club sports won’t receive as much ink as the Div. I teams on campus, they will be covered.
Also trademark to each Friday will be, as you have already seen, the “Central Coast Surf Report.” Admittedly, I know nothing about surfing. If you asked me what the direction of the wave is, I would promptly and matter of factly tell you it is flowing from the ocean into the shore. So I recruited a couple surfers from the journalism department to help out.
That said, please be a critic. Write us to express your angst and let us know what you like. After all, a newspaper informs the public.
Beginning this week, we will also run a special four-page pullout to preview Saturday football games. Included in this special section will be statistical leaders, players to watch, depth charts, analysis and more. The Mustang Daily will also hand out copies of this section before home games.
Though we will be adapting as the year goes on – modifying current themes, adding new ones, and so on – this is the template you will see this year.
Now that you know about my aspirations for the sports section, let me give you a little background about myself.
I transferred to Cal Poly from Santa Rosa Junior College last year, making this my second year here. As previously stated, I’m a journalism major and see myself working in sports after I graduate.
Sports are my passion. I was one of those kids who grew up playing sports year-round. From fall ball to basketball in the winter, and back to baseball in the spring, I was constantly active.
My favorite sport will always be basketball, but my 5’8″ 150 pound frame isn’t exactly well-suited for the game (and let’s be honest, I can’t shoot, my dribbling skills are suspect, and my drop step could use some work).
Basketball aside, it’s all about track and field. There’s something about the sport that draws my attention. There are no excuses in track. Either you’re trained or you’re untrained. You’re in better shape than your opponent or you’re not.
It’s my passion for sports combined with my ability to write that has led me to this position. If I had my way, the entire paper would be sports.
I’ll settle for the space I’m given and will do my best to keep the sports section sexy.