My initiation into the sports writing world was not glamorous – it was fielding Friday night calls from stringers and helping build the high school sports agate page for a suburban Chicago daily newspaper. I value that experience as much as any I’ve had in my career, though, because it was then that I learned the importance of accuracy and speed while working under the tightest of deadlines. While I sometimes miss the excitement that comes with being courtside/in the stands/in the press box while covering high school, college, and professional sporting events, my focus now is writing player, coach, and team executive features.