(Editor’s note: This article is part of a weekly series featuring Columbus Dispatch journalists and their work in our community.)
Working as The Columbus Dispatch’s high school sports editor wasn’t the job I envisioned when I switched my major at Miami University from business to English/journalism, but the seeds would soon be sown.
In the fall of 1995, I covered high school sports for the Palladium-Item in Richmond, Indiana, and loved it.
I saw firsthand how communities embraced their teams and how community journalism strengthened that bond.
The roots of my journalism career
I should have known at a younger age that this would be my career. My grandfather was a Cleveland sports fan, a voracious reader and someone who always kept up on current events. I wanted to be just like him. He loved to pore over the baseball box scores in The Plain Dealer and the MLB stats in The Sporting News, so I would do the same. Starting at 7 or 8 years old, I would make my own lineup cards and play out games in my basement, providing my own play-by-play. At least Cleveland always won those games.
Still, becoming a journalist wasn’t on my radar when I graduated from Shaker Heights High School and headed to Miami. Most of my friends were determined to strike it rich, and I followed along for a time. When it was time to pick a business major, I realized none of them interested me.
This career, merging sports and the news, had been in front of me all along. I changed my major and began writing for The Miami Student. Internships at the Pal-Item, Oxford Press and Cincinnati Enquirer would lead to a 10-year career at The Associated Press in Cleveland, Indianapolis and Columbus. I left the AP in 2007 and began working for ThisWeek Community News. I became a sports copy editor at ThisWeek in 2010, a job that led to my current position.
What I like best about my job
Working with high school sportswriters Dave Purpura and Frank DiRenna, figuring out how best to tell the stories of central Ohio teams and athletes. There is never a shortage of stories. Unfortunately, we don’t have time to write them all.
We started a podcast last year, and it’s been a blast. I’ve tried to make each one better in terms of the script and my delivery.
What stories stick out to me?
More than I can list here. I spent many AP shifts handling breaking news as a reporter or editor. No assignment was more fun than attending a final exam in 2000 for Ohio University professor Mel Helitzer’s humor-writing class. Students performed stand-up comedy routines, most of which were funny. That story wrote itself.
My first AP assignment was a sports card show in Cleveland where Muhammad Ali signed autographs. I’ll never forget his interactions with fans. His body may have been failing him because of Parkinson’s disease, but his mind remained sharp. I once followed Tiger Woods inside the ropes at The Memorial Tournament; the whoosh sound of his swing on his drives was unlike anything I had ever heard. I attended the first Blue Jackets game to write a story on the fans and covered LeBron James in the boys basketball state tournament.
During my time at The Dispatch, I’m especially proud of Purpura’s story on high school football powerhouse Maria Stein Marion Local, a 15-time state champion located in a western Ohio village of 1,200 people.
What’s the biggest challenge I face as a journalist?
Besides making tough coverage decisions – I hate it when we’re unable to cover something – it’s ignoring social media trolls who criticize our work or certain teams or athletes just for kicks. There is no agenda in our coverage of high school sports, other than to tell good stories.
What I do when I’m not working
I spend time with my wife and daughter and our pet bird. I watch a ton of sports, which often means being stressed out by the Guardians, Cavs or Browns, and then I try to burn off that stress by riding our exercise bike or going for walks. I wouldn’t call myself a birder – I don’t keep a list of birds I’ve seen – but I enjoy birdwatching. I’m also a Star Wars/sci-fi nerd.
Why journalism matters
When writing or editing stories, I still think about something Miami journalism professor Hugh Morgan said on the first day of my first journalism class: “BASAPASAP” – be as specific as possible as soon as possible.
I’m proud of playing a role in keeping readers informed. It’s important for people to know what’s happening in their communities.
High school sports editor Andy Resnik can be reached at aresnik@dispatch.com and at @DispatchPreps on X.
