I’ve always loved sports. As a kid, I tried everything from trampolining and gymnastics (not good choices for a tall kid) to field hockey, track, and netball (England’s version of female basketball.) I wasn’t great at any of them, but I loved being part of a team with a common goal.
I think working for NCTV17 is a lot like being part of a sports team. We have a roster of players; all with different roles from news anchor to engineer, sports reporter to salesman, production specialist to social marketer. We also have a common goal: Connecting our community by sharing your stories.
And, like any good sports team, we’re always looking to improve and take our performance to the next level.
Specifically, in the area of sports coverage, we’ve added several new elements to Naperville Sports Weekly this season. “Football Friday” is a five-minute wrap-up of all the Friday night football action with highlights and a look at the league standings and what’s ahead on the schedule for our six local teams.
“Take 5” is a light-hearted look at one male and one female athlete each week. Students answer five quick questions about themselves. For example, what’s your favorite pump-up song, where do you like to eat after the game, or who would you want by your side in a Zombie Apocalypse?
Once a month, “Off the Field” takes a more in-depth look at what an individual athlete is doing when they’re not competing in sports and how they are making the most of their high school years.
The station has also launched “Sports Story Sunday” spotlighting community-based sports played by the very young to the more senior athletes. We’ve shared stories about the 50th anniversary of Naperville’s Swim Conference, WDSRA’s participation in the Boccia Ball National Championships, a mother/daughter tennis team, the growing sport of Hurling, to name just a few.
And, while our team is hard at work on these new initiatives, we invite you to be more than just a spectator. If you have a story idea for “Sports Story Sunday” we would love to hear from you. Maybe you know about an emerging sport, an inspiring coach, or a team that’s volunteers together. Got an idea? Email it to sports@nctv17.com. While there is no guarantee we’ll be able to cover every story, as Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”