I joined The Massachusetts Daily Collegian’s sports section as a sophomore not knowing exactly what path I was going to take for my career. I just added sports journalism to my academic plan in August with the intention of pursuing broadcast journalism.
I had big dreams and plans of pursuing football sideline reporting but was quickly reminded that I was an English and sports journalism double major for a reason: I loved writing (and hated public speaking).
Football was the whole reason I started, but I needed to wait a year to get a spot on the beat. It was only a few weeks before an email regarding winter beat coverage was sent out. At the time, I would’ve been pleased with any of the four sports regardless of how I ranked them and I knew I’d likely be in a shadow position rather than a “full-time” beat reporter.
Three years later, I couldn’t be more thankful of my timeliness to respond to that email.
The Mullins Center was where I developed into a reporter, and I have no idea what I would’ve done without hockey. I remember my first midweek media with players and head coach Greg Carvel, credentialed game, hockey story and question I ever asked Carvel.
I treasured every home game I went to, every media I attended even if it took me a bit to feel confident asking questions and every story I had the opportunity to write. I was also blessed with an incredible group of beat reporters: Colin McCarthy, Kayla Gregoire, Matt Skillings, and WMUA’s Scottie Marro.
They were the first part of the Collegian that felt like home before I started visiting the office everyday. With them, reporting never felt like work and it soon became my favorite part of the week. I was never “sacrificing” my Friday and Saturday nights.
Colin, you showed me exactly how to be a reporter and you pushed me to write as much as possible. I read every article you wrote and listened to every edit you gave me. Everything you said was valuable.
When I told Lulu Kesin I knew what I was doing, you were wary. You told me you were a little surprised at how accurate that statement was after you edited my first story. That moment I thought, “Maybe I could do this as a career” – like I said, everything you said was valuable.
Walking into the sports section every Monday became less and less nerve-wracking not only because of the hockey beat but because Lulu at the front of the office. Seeing a kind, empathetic woman run the sports section was incredibly comforting. I can’t say with confidence that I’d still be in the Collegian if you weren’t my first head sports editor.
Just like Colin, I read every article you published and still do to this day. Feature writing is a passion I very recently discovered. Whenever I published one, you were the first person I texted asking to read it. I valued you as my head sports editor in 2022-23, but I put you at the top of my list of my favorite reporters and feature writers.
You are also one of the first people I go to for advice.
Hockey is where I developed as a reporter, yes, but football is where I grew as a person.
It wasn’t easy walking into the press box every Saturday. I realized very quickly that I was the only woman. I felt like the odd one out, like no one there expected me to actually know what I was talking about. For the first time ever I doubted my own knowledge, sat quietly in press conferences and watched Johnny Depin and Mike Maynard edit every one of my stories in-person to see what I did wrong. Football turned from the sport that pushed me to pursue this career to the sport that pushed me away.
I could tell no one truly understood. There was always a disconnect when I tried to talk about it and the only way I could put it into words was “I feel like I’m ‘the girl.’”
Lulu, you were one of the two people I spoke to that made me feel seen and that made me feel like I wasn’t overreacting. But I knew that you believed in me as a person and as a reporter. Just knowing that helped me continue and made me remember why I started sports journalism in the first place.
Scottie, you were the second person. Our first conversation we ever had was in the Collegian office and we talked about the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers. Talking about football was so natural with you and never once did I think you were quizzing or judging me. When I told you a year later about my insecurities on the football beat, you listened and said you never once doubted me as a football reporter.
In the meantime, I had my home on the hockey beat with so many new opportunities from writing columns and features or even just going to more away games. I was thankful for all of it and I couldn’t have done the past three years without Kayla and Matt.
Matt, we joined the hockey beat together and sat next to each other in press row for two years. I watched you go from a classic, knowledgeable hockey beat reporter to an aspiring columnist. You are a confident, talented reporter and I’m excited to watch you continue to grow even if it’s not in press row.
For the last series of the 2023-24 season, Kayla and I took the five-hour trip to Orono, Maine. It was eye-opening for me as a reporter. I found myself opening postgame media with Carvel, lining up questions with Kayla, and realized that if there’s ever a time in the future where I’m the sole reporter, I can do it.
Kayla, you were my first friend I made in the Collegian. I remember walking up to you and Colin in the journalism hub, asking about the section with you guys before I joined. I remember my first midweek media with players when I stood behind you, Colin, and Matt and you opened the circle for me to step in. Now, I share my funny game day notes with you, play “which line’s starting tonight” and continue the cymbal reenactments we did with Colin.
But that Maine trip we saw each other step up as reporters. It was important to me that two women were leading the pack in media, and we did. I can only hope we showed Caroline Burge and Devin Lippman that they can do the same.
My two features I wrote in senior year also boosted my confidence. I had plans for both of them and called dibs on them in May.
I spent the winter enveloped in covering hockey, writing my feature on the Musa brothers, and planning my feature on Lucas Mercuri. Writing 3,000-plus words came naturally and I loved how it blended my passion for sports and creative writing in one. Both stories turned out exactly how I envisioned in the previous spring from start to finish.
My decision to stay on the football beat was because I wanted to ensure there was at least one woman in there. But I didn’t realize how much my press box seat mattered. The amount of people that reacted to my post at the end of the football season (and hockey) shocked me. Actually, it almost brought me to tears – and if you’re in the sports section, you know I’m not one to cry.
Johnny, Mike and Dean Wendel, you were so understanding when it came to Saturday’s at McGuirk. You guys spoke up when you knew I was uncomfortable or nervous. You three created a beat that’s comparable with hockey – that’s not an easy task. When I walk into the office now, you are some of the first people I look for.
So despite your initial beliefs when you met me, Johnny and Mike, I don’t hate you. Johnny, you’re such a caring and compassionate person that I genuinely don’t think anyone can hate you. You bring a light everywhere you go that is incomparable to anyone else. Mike, it took us three years and three beats for you to realize I don’t hate you, but I guess it’s better late than never. You are an amazing, caring friend and extremely talented writer with a bright future ahead.
Dean, I can’t think of anyone better to be the current head sports editor. When I asked last year, you told me you didn’t know if you wanted to apply. I said you’d be a great fit and that you should absolutely apply. What I didn’t tell you was that it offended me for you that you were unsure of yourself. You’re a role model reporter for the underclassmen and I know that because they listen to you the way I listened to Lulu.
I didn’t connect with everyone that walked through the door on Monday nights, but those I did have impacted me well beyond what they think.
Devin, you’ve grown so much as a person throughout the season and you have so much ahead of you. You are persistent, hardworking, and so strong. Rachel Toth, you are one of the realest people I’ve met and the mutual support we have for one another is something I’ll always value.
Caroline, I see so much of myself in you and I’m so appreciative of you asking me for advice about anything and everything. My sister is three years older than me, so my college life lessons never had ears to land on until you joined the hockey beat. You’re my honorary little sister, and I can’t wait to hear about your next three years at UMass.
That brings me to Dom Proietti. This is the last piece of the column I have left to write. I saved you for last for two reasons: I’m still thinking of the words to describe the impact of our friendship and I need to keep an eye on the word count.
I feel like I’ve known you my whole college career, maybe even before that, and we’ve only been friends for a year. You’re one of those people that just gets it. I’m not an easy person to read and you’ve gotten the closest out of anyone maybe I’ve met in my whole life. You are such a caring and empathetic overthinker but trust me when I say this: you don’t need anyone or anything but yourself. I’ll never stop bickering with you because I see potential in you that you haven’t even considered. I have so much love for you and I couldn’t ask for a better friend. I’ll cap it off there.
Summer before senior year, I opened a fortune cookie that read “Your passion for sports will lead to personal growth and self-discovery,” and that couldn’t be more true.
The office and the press box will be a little quieter now without my nails clacking on my keyboard, there will be a little more room without a 64oz water bottle marking my spot, the hockey beat playlist won’t be 80 percent rap, the sports section won’t receive emails with funny subject lines, and the editors will be thankful that their most stubborn Oxford comma defender is graduating (it just makes sense, I’m sorry AP style).
I hope I leave behind a lot of tough love (and a trend for fun beat group chat names). I care so deeply about the sports section and all the friends I made in the Collegian along the way. I hold the people I care about to the same standards I hold myself: I expect them to reach their fullest potential with everything they do.
Most importantly, I hope the women in the sports section know their presence is important. I know your seat in the press box matters because mine did, it just took me a little longer to realize that.
Sydney Ciano was a collegian staff writer. She can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter/X @SydneyCiano.
