Sun continuing homegrown sports tradition

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/03/2015 (3836 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There are so many things that draw us into the world of sports.

Sports can inspire us; they can unite us. Watch carefully enough with an open mind and the seemingly random events that take place on a sheet of ice or a field can even teach us a few things too.

We’re wowed by professionals at the top of their game, making astounding feats look easy, and our hearts are warmed by watching our kids, with smiles on their faces, playing purely for the joy of it.

Or maybe we just want to kick back and relax for a couple of hours and take our minds off the rest of the world.

My introduction to sports fandom came largely during long summer days and cold, Christmas-holiday nights while visiting my grandparents. When I think back now, I’m amazed at how formative on my life those moments were: Going to Dauphin Kings games as a young kid, playing nine holes of golf in Gilbert Plains, or even watching TV in the basement, quietly secluded from the rest of the family hubbub upstairs while my grandfather leaned back in his recliner, periodically drifting off but never so soundly that he wouldn’t immediately snap to attention if someone tried to turn off the game (it’s a viewing style I’ve co-opted myself and continue to employ to this day).

Here at the Brandon Sun sports department, it’s our role to share your passion for sport, no matter how it came to be, and for a pastime that is meant to be all about fun, we take the responsibility very seriously.

The past week has been one of great change in our department as James Shewaga left the Sun after 24 years and I was entrusted with protecting and building the legacy of top-notch sports coverage that has been one of the defining features of our publication. To be sure, I have learned a great deal from the sports editors who have guided me at the Sun, Mike Jones and James, as well as Bruce Luebke, who took me under his wing in my early days in Brandon at CKLQ Radio, and all the fine reporters I have worked with along the way.

I will continue to learn as we strive to document the accomplishments and struggles of our local athletes in the most compelling and informative ways possible. I am thankful to still be able to rely on Chris Jaster, who has brought tremendous commitment and versatility to the Sun in his time here, and the Sun has been fortunate to welcome back Perry Bergson, a longtime copy editor in his first stint here with a love of sports and a knack for storytelling that has only improved during his time away from the Wheat City.

As talented as the group is that surrounds me, we will still very much rely on your help. I welcome your feedback on the work we have done and what you would like to see in the pages of the Sun and online. By no means do I subscribe to the stream of thought that something must be done because “we’ve always done it this way,” so please hit me with your ideas.

One thing that will not change is our commitment to highlighting our local athletes, first and foremost. I believe the reason most of you are reading this copy of the Sun today, be it the print or digital version, is that you want to know what is happening to the people in your life and in the community around you. That will always be our No.1 priority.

Your stories are our stories. Let’s hear them.

» rhenders@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @HendoRob