Witherspoon Reaction

As a native Illinoisian, my passion for Kansas high school athletics is a relative non-issue. And for that matter, I haven't truly loved the Illinois prep scene since I was whiplashed from the mound in the 2000 Class AA Regionals, dragging my fastball behind me like it was roadkill. Even though I was a sports correspondent for about five years during, and after, college -- followed by an 18-month stint as a sports writer -- I never truly found myself smitten with watching 18-year olds play Dr. J, prepping themselves for the fantasy that was Sportscenter's Top-10. Yes, there were great games and great plays and small fish who thought they were great players, but there's nothing quite like 17-year old arrogance to turn one away from putting that player's name in print. I'm not saying all student-athletes are like this, nor am I saying that the majority are either. I've just scene too many showboats, too many hot dogs, too many false hopes.

So, I applaud Witherspoon. Honestly. It cannot be easy catering to high school wishes, nor can it be pleasant to listen to the temper-tantrums of Mommy and Daddy Vicarious. Vype seems like a quality mag, and the website is better than a lot I saw before moving to KS. Witherspoon seemed genuine, and I can completely empathize with the struggles he seems to be going through: the writing, the editing, the scooping, and the listening (see above).

One aspect of his presentation really stood out to me. Witherspoon suggested that sports writers try writing fiction. I could not agree more. I came to Wichita after being accepted into the MFA program, where I've been peddling my stories for the last four semesters. Before that, however, I was a sports journalist, as mentioned. While I enjoyed watching sports for a living, the best part was the writing, that freedom to take whatever angle I chose and transform it into a fun read. That experience has completely transformed my fiction, and I have a strong feeling it would do the same when reversed. It's not a surprise that the one big award I won was because of a feature story I wrote about a small town wrestler trying to make it to the WWE. His story was funny, honest, and compelling, all qualities of a good fictional story. Like I tell my Business Writing students, just sit down and write freely and you're bound to discover at least one good sentence on which to build. Ok, enough preaching. For now.