Spring Break
Column: The Last Strike
Kayla Panu
Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: Sports
04/29/09 - It is now 1 a.m. as I sit here on my last night at the Cigar as sports editor. This year has definitely been a learning experience with a lot of trial and error.
I was left last year without a staff and began this year with just myself as the lone sports reporter/editor. But I got the experience to build up my staff from nothing to make it what it is today - four full-time reporters and two freelancers. And we had one crazy year in URI sports.
We passed the year with many different stories including some hectic breaking news. We lived through the hiring of a new football coach and then the resignation of that same football coach after only one season to join the Miami Dolphins. Now we have another new football coach. Wonder how long he will stay? Then there was the turnover on the women's basketball team, with a brand new coach who is excited about being in New England. There was also the controversial story of the tennis courts and the issue if they were safe enough to play on. So much so that other schools refused to play on them.
There was a lot of fun and controversy in sports this year. The men's basketball team teased us again almost going all the way but came up short, even with the Pink Out, Blue Out and White Out. The baseball team received a whole new playing field, synthetic turf, and is now in first place in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The softball team has a new coach and a very young team working its way through its slightly difficult season.
We learned that some of the sports that had been cut because of budget issues became club sports and continued to compete.
We saw another Powder Puff football game and will have our annual Oozeball Tournament this weekend.
Then there was the issue of the basketball courts in Mackal Field House melting.
We have been through lots of weather this year including a hurricane at the start of the football season and torrential rain, delaying some baseball and softball games. But it is Rhode Island, where it rains regularly and we don't see the sun for weeks on end.
But the sun is out and the temperature is rising. We still have the rest of the spring sports season to see as well as what will happen next year with all of the changes in staff and new recruits.
Will URI be a contender next year? We will just have to wait and see.
As for me I am signing off. It's time to pass on the torch and I hope it heats up.
I was left last year without a staff and began this year with just myself as the lone sports reporter/editor. But I got the experience to build up my staff from nothing to make it what it is today - four full-time reporters and two freelancers. And we had one crazy year in URI sports.
We passed the year with many different stories including some hectic breaking news. We lived through the hiring of a new football coach and then the resignation of that same football coach after only one season to join the Miami Dolphins. Now we have another new football coach. Wonder how long he will stay? Then there was the turnover on the women's basketball team, with a brand new coach who is excited about being in New England. There was also the controversial story of the tennis courts and the issue if they were safe enough to play on. So much so that other schools refused to play on them.
There was a lot of fun and controversy in sports this year. The men's basketball team teased us again almost going all the way but came up short, even with the Pink Out, Blue Out and White Out. The baseball team received a whole new playing field, synthetic turf, and is now in first place in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The softball team has a new coach and a very young team working its way through its slightly difficult season.
We learned that some of the sports that had been cut because of budget issues became club sports and continued to compete.
We saw another Powder Puff football game and will have our annual Oozeball Tournament this weekend.
Then there was the issue of the basketball courts in Mackal Field House melting.
We have been through lots of weather this year including a hurricane at the start of the football season and torrential rain, delaying some baseball and softball games. But it is Rhode Island, where it rains regularly and we don't see the sun for weeks on end.
But the sun is out and the temperature is rising. We still have the rest of the spring sports season to see as well as what will happen next year with all of the changes in staff and new recruits.
Will URI be a contender next year? We will just have to wait and see.
As for me I am signing off. It's time to pass on the torch and I hope it heats up.
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