Sports writers: Storytelling isn’t canceled

No one suspected much of anything on the morning of March 11. There were growing concerns over the COVID-19 virus becoming more prevalent, but very few people suspected what would transpire over the next 48 hours.

What started as a “no fans allowed at sporting events” proposal, turned into a “no sporting events, period” rule in the blink of an eye.

Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 that Wednesday, March 11, night and everything came crumbling down from there. Baseball postponed the start of the 2020 season and the NBA and NHL put their seasons on indefinite pauses. The NCAA took it one step further by canceling the remainder of the 2020 spring sports seasons. Winter sports also saw the remainder of their postseason schedules canceled, including the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

The entire sports world came to a screeching halt (except for the Australian Football League, who stopped play Saturday, March 21). Sports reporters have seen their livelihood get placed on hold until further notice. Many have moved to news coverage to keep their jobs afloat, but for many, sports is their passion.

A large part of our jobs as sports reporters is covering what happens at games in a light other than a box score, but with no games, no shining star athletes, what can we do? Our jobs as sports reporters have all but disappeared for the time being. Or have they?

While there are no USD sporting events for The Volante to report on, that doesn’t mean our work is done. There are stories to tell and people to recognize. That senior on the softball team who was waiting for her moment to shine may not get that moment on the field, but it’s our job to tell her story off the field.

Not only is it our job, but that is what makes this job special. Are we disappointed there are no sports for the remainder of this semester? Absolutely. Are we going to let that stop us from telling stories? No.

For the next month and a half, we are looking to make those “feel good” stories come alive. We want every athlete and coach to know their story can still be heard, despite the circumstances. There is no doubt we have a challenge in trying to dig these stories up and shed light on them, but with the help of all of you, the readers, I know we can continue to bring the best USD sports coverage possible.

If anyone has a story idea, question, comment or suggestion please reach out to The Volante. We want to tell the stories you want to hear. No suggestion is a bad suggestion. This is where we can come together as a community and tell any story that needs sharing. You can reach us by emailing The Volante ([email protected]) or DM us on Twitter (@TheVolante, @VolanteSports). Anyone can also reach out to me via email ([email protected]) or on Twitter (@BaileyZubke).