Softball Vet Reflects on Covering Game from Sidelines
New York Times Journalism Institute
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I spent nearly 14 years of my life playing softball. The game took me
all over the country and earned me a scholarship for college.
My place of solitude has always been on the field. Taylor Turner | NYT Institute
But suddenly, like a bad pitch that slams into you in the batter’s
box, I was taken out of the game by two successive back surgeries to
remove tumors on my spine. After that, each time I stepped up to the
plate, the decision was no longer whether I should bunt or hit, but
whether I would walk in the future.
Suddenly, I found myself on the sidelines of the game I love. I
became softball’s biggest fan in the stands and began looking for ways
to combine my love for the game with my aspirations to be a video
journalist.
Jennie Finch, famed softball player, made an appearance at the NCAA Softball Super Regionals in Lafayette, La.Taylor Turner | NYT Institute
This month, I helped cover the women’s college softball Super
Regional series between the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and the
University of Arizona. It was my first opportunity to combine my two
crafts. I was faced with many challenges as a videographer attempting to
catch the game from a fan’s perspective. Video rights, technical
challenges, thirsty mosquitoes — plus an unexpected sighting of the
famed softball player Jennie Finch — kept me occupied during the
tournament.
The best part of this experience was the ability to hit a home run to
any pitch that life throws you. I walked away from the tournament with a
vision for a career in sports journalism. A career that will make
waking up in the morning that much easier and enjoyable for the rest of
my life. A career and not just a job.
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