Michaela Brown- Journalist

I am a sports journalist. The type of stories I write can from a game recap to an overall cover of the sport and the people who play the sport. Being a journalist has taught me thats its ok to ask the uncomfortable questions, its ok to think outside the box. My work is important because it captures the part of the athlete that most people dont see or talk about.

Semester 1 Stories

 

 

 

 

Redwood's Athletic Trainer, Alex Ramos

This story is a glimpse of what the athletic trainer life is like for Alex Ramos. With the gym being redone Alex had to relocate and most of Redwoods student athletes did not know where he was located or who he was, so I took a dive at this for my first story as a journalist. This story was my very first and I think it could have been better trying to get the exact things he was saying.

This story matters because a lot of people don't know who Alex is or where he was located. I was able to tell the students of Redwood that he is more than just another body at school, he is our Athletic Trainer. This story introduced me to a new way of hearing and getting other peoples stories. A Lot of people don't understand or realize the hours and sacrifices an Athletic Trainer has to make just to care for us as student athletes.

 

Redwood Volleyball Seniors

This story is a deep dive into the life of the seniors on Redwood's Volleyball team. With this story I was able to find the statistics needed for a little explanation of the team. The students of Redwood who may not know our seniors could get to know them a little more. This was a story that was hard to get a hold of the people in it so I had to work around that hardship to get the job done to get the word out there. 

This story matters because as a senior we want to cherish every second of our senior year, so to have a story about your senior season to look back on later in life is very dear to them. It also informs the students of redwood a little bit about the volleyball team and the players on it.

The Senior Rangers of Cowhide '22

This story is the inside scoop on what goes through the boys heads before a big game. We took a dive into what the hide means to some of the players and coaches. We took a moment to talk to the seniors and ask them how they feel about it being their last cowhide.

This story matters because it let us take a moment and get into the boys heads and see whats really going on in their minds, and what the Great Cowhide means to them. This story really opened up my eyes to see what the hide means to other people.

Redwood is ready to face El Diamante this Friday

The Ranger football team has a big rivalry against Mt. Whitney, but the game against El Diamante is just as good. In this story I went behind the scenes to get a glimpse of what really goes through the boys' heads before a football game. This story stuck out to me a bit because I was on a major time crunch of getting this story out, and I got to know parts of the team that I myself didn't even think about.

This story matters because not everyone has the same preparation for a game, the coaches and the players and even the fans are all different. To have a story that captures the behind the scenes is very helpful and meaningful to the players because its not another story of a game recap or a highlight story.

A Sneak Peak into Redwood Wrestling season

At the time of this story Wrestling was starting up their preseason. We asked a few freshmen here at Redwood how they felt going into the 2022-2023 Wrestling season. With the remodeling of our gym our Ranger Wrestlers had to readjust and use Mt. Whitney or Ridgeview gym. We got some insight from Coach Watts and a few of the returners on how they felt about their upcoming season.

This story matters because we were able to get a story about a sport that is not as popular as football. We were able to get the inside scoop as to how the Ranger Wrestling team feels without a gym of their own and how they wont let it stop them this season. This story was easier than all the other stories I have written or co-written, all of the people we needed to interview had a 6th period and it was quick and painless.

Redwood Class of 2023 Signees

This story captures some of the successes that the Redwood Athletic Department has had with their athletes. A total of 6 signees as of signing day which was November 9th, with more to come by the end of the 2022/2023 school year.  These 6 signees all play baseball or softball, and are going to either D1, D2, or NAIA at the collegiate level.

This story matters because these athletes should be acknowledged for their hard work and accomplishments, both on and off the field. The students of redwood who are not teammates or friends with these athletes would not have known that even Redwood has a few Rangers going to compete in college.

Boys Varsity Soccer Kicks Union From Game Winning Lead

This story captures a recap of what went down when mens soccer played Tulare Union. I was fortunate enough to go to the game and see what happened for myself so my other writer and I can write the recap. At the game I was able to witness a super hard kick that put redwood on top 2-1. The boys were able to maintain their lead.

This story matters because not a lot of students like to go and watch the soccer games especially when its cold outside. In this story we were able to get inside the boys heads when they try and score in a game. We were also able to capture what went through the coaches heads. This one was tough because when we were trying to get an interview the boys were gone for their next game.

Redwood Soccer Seniors Have Big Goals

This story captures more than just one moment for our Redwood seniors, It captures the past 3-4 years of their high school career. It talks about their plans for the future, a blast from the past and where they are right now. 

This story matters because it was the boys senior night and not a lot of people really know what they plan to do or the work they put into the program. Writing this story, we were able to understand what senior night feels to them and how appreciative they are for the Redwood Soccer Program and their family/friends.

Sydney Almarez is Alex Ramos's Right Hand (Wo)Man!

This story captures the inside scoop on Sydney Almarez, a student ATC in need of her clinical hours helping our Athletic Trainer Alex. In this story we got to know Sydney for who she is and what her intentions are. 

This story matters because she is new to Redwood and we got to get her voice on how we do things here. This is an important story because not everyone knew what she was here for or that she was even here for that.

Reflection

Where have I been?

At the very beginning of the school year, I was not in thins class and I had no intention of taking this class. Now that I am in it I am glad that I am in it because it has taught me that I can use my voice and that I can write and be a good journalist. I will admit at first I was dreading this class because it took away my free 6th but now I am glad I have a 6th period.

Where am I now?

I am very confident in my journalism skills. I am no professional but I can stick my nose in places where it shouldn't be and be proud of it. I can ask the uncomfortable questions, I can ask the easy questions and get a story from very little information. I was able to collaborate with a fellow journalist because we have the same interests.

Where am I going?

One goal I have for my section is to get more deep dive stories, because we didn't really have many deep dive stories this semester. One personal goal I have for myself is do a couple more stories by myself/collaborate with a new writer. Another goal I have is to try and make a multimedia story, with a video or collage of pictures.