From the Field to the Pressbox
\tWhen he was on the field, sweat and grass stains were the foundation of junior Kyle Stout’s pastime. Now, Stout has traded the soccer ball for the laptop, and the roars of the audience have now been traded for the clack of keys. While being in charge of the Quaker Shaker sports column, he debates and argues with friends on the side, formulating opinions and creating stances on the ever- growing world of sports. All this may seem like a care-free activity but Stout is racing toward a career in sports journalism at impressive speed.
\t“I chose to write about sports because that’s been my main passion and hobby since around three years old,” explained Stout. “I’ve always watched/played sports so it’s the one thing that I know almost everything about. I would always write down stats and scores of games when I was younger, so I kind of just stuck with it.”
\tBeing brought up in a household with heavy sports media exposure is bound to have some significance on a person’s life. For Stout, his love for sports began to evolve in more ways than one. Joining the travel soccer team and adopting a friend group that had discussion of teams and players as the foundation for conversation, Stout incorporated this interest into multiple aspects of his life. He and his friends have discussed wanting to put their opinions on sports media in the spotlight. Talk of running a podcast began amongst Stout and his friends. He shared his interests and expressed how he wanted to “talk about sports and try and make a platform that I can talk about whatever I want.”
\tWriting for the school newsmagazine doesn’t seem like something that would pique Stout’s interest but in actuality, the class is a perfect set up for his career path later down the road. Sports journalism has been an interest of his for some time and when he initially learned about the Quaker Shaker, it all made sense. “I just figured that since I really like talking about sports and I wanted to write about it as well, I figured it would be good,” said Stout. This was a smart decision, since Stout has had plenty of experience with writing about different sports in the year he has been on the newsmag staff. This year, he’s planning on expanding his journalism experience by writing a Quaker Shaker sports column.
\tHe pulls from his own experiences in sports which enables him to put himself in the shoes of the people he writes about. “Having played sports helps me become better as a sports writer because I’ll have the same perspective the players have; not on a pro level, but I will sort of know what is happening better,” said Stout. “It also helps me make my writing more creative, because when a person writes about something they have done, they just write from the mind.”
\tStout weighed in on the differences between being an athlete and being a fan -- and how he understands the importance of experiencing both roles. “Being a player, you just compete no matter who is on the field and what circumstance it is; you just run whatever play your coaches tell you,” explained Stout. “Being a spectator, you get to see every aspect of the game. Also, I feel like there is more stress watching a game because you can’t control what your team does, but in a game you can control what happens, and you kind of just play freely.”
\tAs a sports enthusiast having been both a player and a fan, Stout has his preferences for what he watches and what he participates in. “My favorite sport to play is probably basketball. I play soccer and I like it, but I’ve always watched basketball and played it, and I grew up around basketball,” he said. “My favorite sport to watch is probably football, more specifically college football. The reason is because it is the most exciting to watch in my opinion and games only happen once a week, so there is a sort of build up to each game. Also, the atmosphere of football, college football specifically, is insane. Sellout crowds, student sections, bands playing, rivalry games, etc.”
\tWhen it comes to his own college plans, Stout has already weighed his available options. “My dream school is Kentucky, but more realistically for journalism, IU or Ball State. Maybe IUPUI,” Stout explained. This plan is a solid one, given that the colleges he’s picked go hand-in-hand with having a strong program for his intended major.
\tStout said he’s looking to create a legacy he can look back on. “I hope that I remember that I enjoyed it,” he said of his fledgling career in sports writing. “That I worked hard.”