Spring Training #GrapefruitGators
I didn’t know what to expect when I first arrived in Ft. Myers, Florida, to watch the Boston Red Sox face the Minnesota Twins. For some reason, I was nervous but excited to watch the game. Almost every MLB I went to had been with my dad or brother, but they weren’t there this time. I had the whole experience to myself. And I had the entire week to myself. I knew I couldn’t let it go to waste.
And I feel that I didn’t. I went to four different ballparks to catch six different games. What a week it was. I was able to talk to MLB players in the clubhouse, interact with journalism professionals and even shoot short clips and created a small highlight reel for a game that I went to. I would do it all over again.
One of the main things that I learned is that MLB players are ordinary people. I was scared at first, but they were very open to talking to the media. Very nice and outgoing. They’re just like us, but they have an advanced baseball mindset that allows them to perform at the highest level in the world. It’s really fun to pick their brain about it.
Some things I felt I did well throughout the experience were live tweeting and writing the game story. Despite not getting credentials for the Twins game, I decided to live tweet and I adjusted the best I could. I got tons of videos to try and give my Twitter feed a sense of what it was like to be a fan at the ballpark that day, and I really enjoyed that.
Moreover, writing the game story was amazing with clubhouse access. I was able to get quotes from the players after the game, and even talk to the manager of the Marlins. I had all the tools to write a solid game story, and I feel I executed it.
One thing I wish I did differently was put myself out into the environment more. I feel I could’ve interacted with more journalists during my time in the press box at the Marlins game. It’s something that I will do the next time I get an opportunity in a press box.
If there were something I would change about this experience, I would avoid making a student coverage plan because a lot of us had to shift because of limited access to credentials during the week. If we all went down for the week and didn’t abide by the plan, I feel students would be less stressed and they would be more open to adjusting throughout the week. Obviously, I had a plan going into the week, but it changed constantly because of limited access to teams.
I will never forget this experience. Spending Spring Break covering MLB teams is something most college students won’t get to do. We were blessed to have this opportunity, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Covering baseball is something I will pursue in the future, and I hope this was just the start.
