Clay’s Court: An appreciation letter to Houston County and middle Georgia

With fall sports wrapping up and winter sports now in full swing, this is one of the busiest times of the year for me.

During the regular season of each period my calendar is already full almost every day except for Sunday, but during “overlap season” it gets even more hectic.

For example, if Westfield football had won last week and played in the GIAA 3A state championship on Friday (Nov. 22), it would have been at Georgia Southern University at 8 p.m.

Southern is only about two hours from Warner Robins, which is honestly not a very long drive. But, lets say the game went to about 11 p.m., and by the time I get an interview and out of the stadium to go home it’s 11:30 p.m. Two hours later it’s 1:30 a.m. and I’ve got to spend an hour or so editing pictures and writing the story, so I’d be getting to bed at about 2:30 or 3 a.m.

This by itself isn’t so bad. Working in the office from nine-ish to about noon, taking off for Southern around 5 or 5:30 p.m. and then going to bed at 3 a.m. is a long day but not unmanageable. However, that very next morning (Nov. 23) I have a basketball game at 12:30 p.m. at Central-Macon High School and another at 3:30 p.m. Then I also have to find time to pump out a preview or two depending on what football teams are still in it, as well as set up, record, edit and put out the Beyond the Broadsheet podcast.

I have to do all that on Saturday if I don’t want to work Sunday (which doesn’t always happen), and then Monday rolls around and it’s an early morning to lay out the paper with a game every day that week.

Although the Westfield scenario is hypothetical (the rest of it is real) I’ve had plenty of similar situations at the start of each season. Perry also still plays on Friday, so it’s not a night off, I just don’t have to travel two hours one way.

I don’t say all this to complain or garner pity or sympathy, this is the job I signed up for and the world I decided I want to live in.

The 2021-22 me would have killed to be in the position that I am now. He had to request nights off to attend games, pay his way to get in and do stories for free just to get some type of experience. (I do not recommend anyone coming up do this, just about every newspaper has some kind of freelance program, just not my small town one)

Now nearly a year and a half after DuBose Porter gave me (no journalism degree or full-time experience or training) a shot, I’m knee-deep in year two at the Journal.

I’ve built relationships with a lot of coaches in Houston County, some of whom are individuals I respect more than anyone else I’ve met. In every sport I get to see the established and still budding cultures in middle Georgia, and how those have an impact on these athletes every day.

I’ve covered two state championships in my time here and seen four — but it’s about more than that for these HoCo coaches. As much talk as there is about X’s and O’s, there’s just as much if not more talk about building these young men and women up to be good people.

Even during the busy times when I’m tired and stressed, watching and reporting on these quality players, and interacting with the quality coaches and programs keeps me going. I feel lucky to be in this area that doesn’t get enough recognition for its talent, and be one of those trying to change that.

This job allows for me to be creative (even though that’s hard sometimes) in my writing and photography. It allows for me to be flexible, which was much needed when I was sick for almost the entire month of October.

It allows me to pursue what I love. It allows me to keep good influences around me, and help me discover who I am as a man and as a writer.

It’s by no means perfect, journalism gives and takes. Being in the public eye is not easy, especially when people go out of their way to send you unpleasant messages on your personal Facebook, or your email, or your office phone.

But I feel the need to acknowledge all the good things this job and this area gives me. As someone who used to be extremely negative and cynical, I feel the need to focus and appreciate the positives every once and a while.

Middle Georgia has given my fiancé and I everything. Coming up here we both were looking to leave behind some bad parts of our life and build something together. She’s set to earn her master’s degree next fall in a field she discovered and fell in love with here. I’m set to finally crawl past the finish line and earn a bachelor’s degree in the summer (I have a 4.0 GPA at Middle Georgia State, but I really don’t like school).

So although things are busy, and I’m certain to have more downs in the future, I just want to say thank you. Thank you middle Georgia, thank you Houston County. Most of all, thank you to the coaches who not only make my job easier, but help me enjoy it. Thank you for who you are and what you do for these young men and women — it gives me hope for the future.