Sam Wilson
There was just one hurdle left to clear. I was in the process of accepting this position as prep sports reporter at The Star Press when then-sports editor Greg Fallon expressed a valid concern. I had never set foot in Muncie, so he was concerned about me moving to a place I had never seen, except in Internet photos.
My research had given me a keen sense that this job was the right step for me in my professional development. And I knew it was exponentially closer to my family and friends in Cincinnati than where I was working in Kansas. I decided that would be enough.
Those two things would have been enough, but Muncie has done a lot better than providing me with just enough. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my nearly four years at The Star Press, but it’s time for me to take another leap. I’ve accepted a job outside of the journalism industry in Cincinnati. Friday will be my last day at The Star Press.
So much has happened in my four years here, and it’s been an honor to cover it. My first day of work was a Thursday in November 2011, and by that very Saturday I was assisting in coverage of the state volleyball finals at Worthen Arena. I can think of few better introductions to sports in this area than seeing three Delaware County volleyball teams win state titles on the same day.
Seeing Wes-Del win the state championship again in 2014, when the freshmen from my first weekend were seniors, was a reminder of just how quickly time had passed during my tenure here.
Volleyball is certainly an integral part of the sports landscape here, and I enjoyed reporting on it, especially in the 2014 season when I was able to cover the sport with full vigor. It was a joy to cover so many talented teams at schools with such long histories of making deep runs. Seeing a Delaware County high school volleyball team win a state championship is special, because it adds to such a rich tradition.
It’s a different kind of special when you see a team break new ground with its state championship, and that’s exactly what happened with the 2014 Wapahani baseball team. As I was writing my story the day the Raiders won the first state baseball championship in Delaware County history, I could sense the historical significance of that moment as I sat in the Victory Field press box. It was easy to see from looking at the crowd, a mix of die-hard Wapahani supporters and baseball fans from Delaware County eager to see their area break through.
My time here leaves me with fond memories of covering stories beyond just the games. Getting a chance to meet Trey Ball before he began his senior year at New Castle, then covering him getting drafted seventh overall by the Boston Red Sox, was an especially exciting story from start to finish.
There were profiles stories and features, some even completely out of the sports realm, from an early 12 Days of Christmas story about a food bank for pets to Sunday centerpiece features about a principal and a Ball State student who graduated on time despite significant personal injury.
The consolidation of Central and Southside, though, stands out as likely the biggest news of my time here. From attending some of the town halls, it was amazing to see the passion people have for the schools here in Muncie, and there was a sense this move would have major historical significance for the entire community.
I enjoyed getting the chance to cover this from so many different angles, and the special section we put together commemorating Southside’s storied athletic history is one of my proudest professional achievements of my five years in the working world.
For my money, there was no high school sports atmosphere quite like a Central-Southside basketball game in Muncie Fieldhouse. I’m confident I speak for all basketball fans in this area when I say that I miss that game, though I understand why big changes are sometimes necessary in life, even if they mean losing one amazing night each January. And to be fair, there was something extra special about the last one in 2014, so we got one especially amazing January night before it was all over.
Covering these exciting stories and taking on those challenges has re-enforced the viewpoint I took in 2011 that this move was the right choice for my professional development. And geography hasn’t changed, so I was still much closer to my family than I ever would have been in Kansas. But remember, Muncie has provided me a lot more than just enough.
From the start, it was clear that everyone I met here was intent on making me feel welcome, on making sure I could feel at home here. I can’t begin to calculate how many people would ask for my backstory for how I got to Muncie (someone even asked me that just last week). While that could seem like a simple act of just making conversation, I very much appreciated that people wanted to know a little bit about me and my background. When I’ve had opportunities to talk to reporters who were candidates for jobs at our paper, I could always tell them with confidence that everyone here is very friendly.
On a more personal note, I became a cancer survivor during my time here after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in October 2012. It’s not something I shared with a lot of people here, but everyone in Muncie who learned of this was incredibly supportive, and several people would make a point to ask for updates on my health, a gesture that was much appreciated. Thankfully, I’ve always had good news to tell them, as I had my last radiation treatment in March 2013 and have received great results in every follow-up scan I’ve had since.
While I’m incredibly thankful to those who were supportive of me during my health journey, I’m also grateful to a lot of other people for a lot of other things. First and foremost, I’m thankful to The Star Press for bringing me here and giving me this opportunity. I’m thankful to the coaches, players and administrators at the various schools in East Central Indiana for letting me tell their stories. And I’m thankful to everyone here that made me feel welcome, whether I met them in a professional or other setting.
When I started to realize I would likely be making a next move in my career, and that it would likely take me to a larger city in this part of the Midwest, my sister asked me an important question. She asked if I would miss Muncie, and I surprised myself with how swift my answer was. I told her no, but this was only partially true. Knowing that I wouldn’t be moving particularly far away, I had the confidence I could pay Muncie a visit if I missed something about the city that was so welcoming to me for almost four years.
See you soon.
Until Friday night, you can contact prep sports reporter Sam Wilson at (765) 213-5807. His Twitter account @SamWilsonTSP will remain active for his successor.