Five years later, it’s good to finally be here

Posted 11/28/14

It’ll be five years ago this June that I covered my first game for Beacon Communications. It was after my freshman year at Assumption College. I played baseball there, but as a realist, I knew that …

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Five years later, it’s good to finally be here

Posted

It’ll be five years ago this June that I covered my first game for Beacon Communications. It was after my freshman year at Assumption College. I played baseball there, but as a realist, I knew that I wasn’t going to play professional sports. However, I did know that I wanted to be around sports in some aspect in my future career.

I grew up in the area and when I came home following my first year away at college, I came up with the idea that I could be a sportswriter. Obviously, easier said than done considering the limited number of availabilities in the field.

Nevertheless, I decided to send an email to the sports editor here at the time, William Geoghegan. I didn’t receive an email back right away, which was a little discouraging, but understandable. But after a week or so, I heard back and he was completely open to the idea of giving me a shot.

Five years later, I’m here.

My first game was a Warwick Connie Mack baseball game on a Saturday morning towards the end of June. I showed up with a notepad and a pen, not really sure what to expect.

After the game, I’m sure my interview questions weren’t very good and it took me way too long to write an article that I’d probably laugh at if I read it today.

Yet, despite my undoubtedly horrible first article, Geoghegan kept giving me games for some reason, which I’ll be forever grateful for.

I continued to freelance during the summers between college years and for a full year after college.

My plan was to come out of college and get a full-time sports writing gig, but they are few and far between.

In that year after college while I continued to freelance for the Beacon, I also freelanced for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Mass., as well as working part-time as the Assistant Sports Information Coordinator at the Community College of Rhode Island.

The combination of those three proved to be beneficial for me, as I was able to gain a great deal of experience, while making connections and building relationships in the profession that I wanted to pursue.

For some kids coming out of college, the most important thing is just to make money right away, but I was okay with taking some lumps and paying my dues.

Those Thursday, Friday and Saturday night drives to some random school in Central Massachusetts to cover football for the Telegram wasn’t ideal, but I hoped it would pay off.

I now feel that I’m rich with experience for my age.

When Geoghegan announced that he would be leaving just a month ago for the South County Independent, I was hoping that I would maybe have the opportunity to fill the vacated spot in the sports department.

Luckily for me, everything worked out as I hoped it would and here I am, the new assistant sports editor at Beacon Communications.

I grew up reading the Beacon, living in Warwick my whole life besides my four years of college.

I have also read both Geoghegan and the current sports editor, Kevin Pomeroy, quite a bit over the past five years and I without question have big shoes to fill in entering this department.

I always dreamed that this would be a possibility, but I wasn’t sure that it would come together at this point in my career.

I’m definitely excited for the challenge and the opportunity that I’ve been presented with. I look forward to connecting with everyone in the Warwick, Cranston and Johnston sports communities, whether it be at the high school, community college or youth level.

Matt Metcalf is the assistant sports editor at the Johnston Sun Rise. He can be reached at 732-3100 and mattm@rhodybeat.com.

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