Those opportunities allowed me to develop my writing and journalistic skills early on and in a real-life environment.  Furthermore, I had a blast sharing my work and my thoughts with my community and the state.  It was fantastic receiving feedback and having my work initiate conversation.

Last year I rejoined NevadaPrep and started this blog.  It was wonderful to travel around and discuss the “sights and sounds” of high school sports, though I felt I was doing too much of the talking.  Nevertheless, the positive feedback I received motivated me to keep it going, just in a different way.

In cooperation with NevadaPrep, I’ve built The Nevada High School Report (The Report).

The Report attempts to do for today’s students what Alamo and NevadaPrep did for me.  It provides a community where high schoolers can share their work to a real-life audience.  They can register with the site (which is simple and free) and post text, images, audio and video about their schools.  Students can report on athletic and academic events, profile unique individuals, and give their opinions on issues important them.

Students can be unique.  Someone who likes radio could create a weekly podcast.  A student who likes cinematography could put together a short film.  An artist could create a cartoon satirizing current events.  An aspiring sports reporter could give the lowdown on last weekend’s games.  Students can work alone, with groups, and even with students from other schools.  And all students, parents and teachers are free to comment on published work.

Put simply, The Report wants to help students hone their journalistic and artistic skills, put their talents on display and, in the process, bring Nevada’s communities together.

I want this site to be an asset to the educational community.  Advertising/sponsorships will fund operations.  Revenue not used for operational expenses will go to a scholarship fund.  At the end of each school year, scholarships and grants will be given to participating students and schools.  My long-term goal is to have well over half (preferably 70 to 80 percent) of revenue going to the scholarship fund.

You students who want to put your talents to practical use, join The Report!  And I hope educators will see the value in this and encourage their students to participate.  It is an environment where students can build on their skills, know what it’s like to have an audience, and start some good conversations throughout Nevada.

I’m living proof that such an environment will work to their benefit.

So Long

Second, this is going to be it for me with the traveling around covering games.

I am on track to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism this summer. In the fall, I’ll start a graduate program in secondary education. The goal is to be certified to teach high school English and journalism by fall of ’09. At that point, we’ll decide what career path to take, which really all depends on what opportunities are out there. I’ve learned – gratefully at this early stage – not to put all your hopes in one basket. Future circumstances are often not what you envision they’ll be.

That’s not really a bad thing. NevadaPrep and this blog are a fine example of that.

I e-mailed Herb Hall last June and offered the new NevadaPrep owner my help. I expected he’d ask me to write a column or two and maybe cover playoff games in Southern Nevada. Instead, he enlisted me to write season previews for the Southern 1A, 2A and 3A football and volleyball teams and cover a game each weekend during the fall sports season.

At that time, I was being considered for an internship with the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s city desk. Instead, I found a unique opportunity to travel around the state of Nevada and reacquaint myself with the world of high school sports. I gained that elusive attribute called experience, and I did so working in rural Nevada – an environment that I’ve grown to love since I entered its wide-open spaces almost ten years ago.

I also gained experience in the ever-expanding world of online journalism thanks to Charlotte-Anne Lucas and her “Forms of Journal Writing” class. When I signed up for it, I didn’t know what the class would do, other than give me three more credits toward the cap and gown. To my delight, Charlotte-Anne facilitated (and is continuing to facilitate) a journalistic laboratory where we can figure out the technology that is changing the way the world gives and receives information.

My work with NevadaPrep also allowed me to fulfill other class assignments and earn internship credit. In other words – I milked it for all it was worth! It even led to a front-page feature in the Las Vegas Sun. That article, by the way, stemmed from Charlotte-Anne’s quick-to-talk-up-her-students trait.

So Thanks

I tell you all that not to brag about what a sweet gig I landed, though it was pretty sweet. I say it so I can publicly thank Herb for the opportunity to be involved with NevadaPrep and for Charlotte-Anne, Mary Hausch and others at the UNLV whose classes made it possible for me to put as much time into this as I did.

Most importantly, thanks to the readers – you supporters of Nevada’s high schools. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the additional coverage. And hopefully you realize the possibilities Internet technology brings to share information about your schools and communities.

So Do It

I’m not taking the blog down.  You’re welcome to scroll though and check out the stuff I did.  You’re also welcome to submit your own stories, picutres and video.

Whatever game I went to, I noticed a lot of people with cameras and camcorders catching the footage of Nevada, high school sports.  I’m putting this on Nevada communities now.  You can continue what I started here by sharing.  Otherwise this thing will just collect cyber-dust. 

Simply e-mail me your stories – elderbrowley@yahoo.com - or write them in the comments section.

You can post pictures on Flickr.  I created a Flickr group solely dedicated to pictures of Nevada high school sports.  Join the group and add whatever pictures you have.

You can upload video on YouTube.  Just let me know it’s there so I can put the footage on the blog.

If you have other ideas on making this blog better, just let me know.

Updates, game coverage and postgame thoughts and videos are coming your way.

See you there!

Update: My Commentary

When I played high school basketball I remember seeing my name in the “big” paper after a regional tournament.

The clip was two, maybe three sentences long.  It gave the score and said I had 17 points.

A week later after a state tournament game I read a column by Chuck Hildebrand about our team.  It was at least 1,000 words, and though I only scored 3 points that game, my name was still mentioned for handling the ball well against tough defensive pressure.

I enjoyed reading about my 3-point performance on NevadaPrep much more than the two sentences on my 17-point game.

NevadaPrep has run circles around the “big” papers with its coverage of high school sports for the past decade.  Hundreds, if not thousands, of athletes, their families, and communities have enjoyed seeing detailed stories about their teams.

Herb Hall has continued that tradition, taking the baton and running those circles around the competition.  To try and shame him for figuring out how to make this service financially stable, so it can continue, is ridiculous.

Chris Gabel does make a valid point that accepting a donation from a school and then reporting on that school looks improper, though I guarantee it wouldn’t change the way Hall or I would report on games.  But it’s outrageous to suggest that Hall is out to suck money from schools and communities for his own financial gain.

In a perfect world, local businesses would step up and sponsor NevadaPrep’s efforts – not schools or individuals.  That’s what Hall is after.  Just like the RGJ has ads on its pages from Nevada businesses, NevadaPrep is seeking for the same.  That’s how you pay the bills in the media world.

The fact that schools and individuals have sent money NevadaPrep’s way is a testament to how valuable the site is for Nevada communities.  The fact that NevadaPrep has for so long given unparalleled coverage to Nevada schools, without enough financial support, is a testament to the operators’ commitment to Nevada communities.

I have been contacting businesses around Southern Nevada in search of advertisers.  Here’s a basic flyer, and here’s a list of ad space available on NevadaPrep.

All Nevada businesses should consider supporting a publication that gives their local schools 1,000 words of detailed coverage. 

Unless they’re satisfied with the uninterested and uninteresting, two-sentence clips…

• I was impressed with how the Faith Lutheran girls fought back, fought back, and then fought back against an impressive Virgin Valley team.  Their leading scorer, Meghann Smith, took a shot to the forehead but changed her bloody jersey at halftime and didn’t miss a beat in the second half.  Their point guard went down with an ankle sprain, but limped back on the court and battled in the fourth quarter.  Two starters fouled out, but the Crusaders still managed to pull within three before the Bulldogs pulled away. 

• The residents of Mesquite should be very pleased to have the Morris family in town.  Freshmen Rachel Morris had 11 blocks and two key ones at the end of the game for the Lady Bulldogs.  MesquiteLocal reported after the game she’s 35 away from the Southern 3A record of 147.  We also hear her older brother, junior Anthony Morris, is doing pretty darn well controlling the paint for the Virgin Valley boys.  He has 95 blocked shots so far, according to MaxPreps.com.

• But Morris and his Bulldogs were no match for a finely tuned Faith Lutheran team.  The Crusaders have a very skilled, very athletic and very balanced group.  They also have a coach who isn’t easily pleased.  Instead of praising a blowout win, coach Bret Walter pointed toward things he feels the team must work on moving forward, such as not becoming complacent, even with a 20-point lead.

• That’s a lesson for all of you who are trying to improve your games.  Never be satisfied.  Always look for things that you can work on, because there always are.

Other Tidbits

• Faith Lutheran has an excellent pep band.

• A large group of Virgin Valley faithful made the hour trip to the game.  Green shirts in attendance rivaled the amount of home-team supporters.

• Virgin Valley head coach Kirk Brotherson has coached in Mesquite since 1970.  Mesquite has grown a lot since then.  However, Mesquite “the city” still feels like Mesquite “the dusty little town” in some ways.  “I think I have seven kids that I coached their parents,” Brotherson said.  “Even though Mesquite’s grown a ton, it’s still the same people getting the job done.”

• Bulldog guard Courtney Spawn has got game.  She had 20 points on Friday, which is close to her average.  She does a lot of her damage with the three but also has the handles to get buckets in the paint or get to the foul line.

• Crusader forward Diontea Wright also has game.  The senior can jump out of the gym.  He put down a baseline alleyoop slam on the Bulldogs.  He’s got nice range on his jumper as well.  He also plays smart and stays within the system.  

I have video footage from last weekend’s Virgin Valley at Faith Lutheran games.  I’ll post that tomorrow, as well as some observations.

There are other topics I will touch on as well.  Just to preview, I’ll talk about my mug being on the front page of the Las Vegas Sunthis week.  I’ll also touch on efforts being made to find sponsors for NevadaPrep.  But for right now, I better hit the sack, so I can be somewhat rested for the job that actually pays the bills!

elderbrowley@yahoo.com

Back to NevadaPrep

Footage from the Virgin Valley at Faith Lutheran contests will come later this week, along with some observations.

elderbrowley@yahoo.com

Back to NevadaPrep

Girls haftime VV 16 FL 14

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