“The Grind”

It all begins around mid-August. Job #2 (radio/internet broadcasting) and Job #3 (Sports Editor at The Times) that I hold down kick into gear with the start of the school year. The fall sports season (August – November) includes a heavy dose of football at all levels along with high school volleyball, golf and cross country. Middle school football gets coverage too so I usually work four times a week during this stretch.
The winter sports season (November – February) brings on the onslaught of basketball season. Chipola trots out a men’s and women’s team the first part of November. Our county has four teams per high school when you count boys varsity & junior varsity squads along with girl’s varsity & junior varsity teams. Throw in about 8 middle school teams and that’s a whopping 26 basketball teams that deserve coverage. Toss in a wrestling program at Marianna and I usually work four times a week during November and December.
The spring sports season (February – May) includes a tough overlap of about three weeks when the basketball and baseball seasons overlap. Chipola baseball and softball throw out the first pitch in February and our county has 16 high school baseball and softball programs. The middle schools now play baseball and softball as well so there are a total of 26 programs that deserve coverage. The four track & field programs in the county deserve, and I tried to provide this year, just as much coverage as baseball and softball.
The Grind is in high gear from January through mid-May. With Chipola sports and high schools sport, and that tough overlap period, I normally work about five times per week. When the dust has settled on the school year, August – May, I have normally worked about 160 times with my newspaper and radio/internet broadcasting. And this is on top of holding down a full time job, being a husband and father.
I know some folks might not care about “The Grind” or might say that there is an easy solution to “The Grind,” just quit. Others might say I chose to accept Job #2 and Job #3, so quit complaining or at least don’t use my column to complain. If they say that they would be totally misunderstanding the point of my column.
For as tough as “The Grind” is, I still enjoy what I do with the paper and on the radio/internet. So I’m not complaining, but rather I am celebrating. My writing this column is not so much for you the reader but more so for me. Simply Put, “The Grind” is over for another school year. I can recharge my batteries for the next three months and get ready for another school year. Meantime, bring on the summer, Yesteryear and Rollin’ Down The River.
From the Front Porch: Coach said you cannot unsay a cruel word.