Greetings! My name is David Vantress, and I am the new sports editor of the Richmond County Daily Journal.

Although I am new to the area, I’m not new to journalism, and sports journalism in particular. I’ve done this job, off and on, since I was in high school myself.

A knee injury prematurely ended my senior season. Since I was already working at the school paper, it was decided that I would cover our games.

I was already on the sidelines, having been assigned to help chart plays and other tasks in an effort to stay involved with the team.

So, for the entire season, wearing my Castle Park High School jersey, I balanced a play chart and a reporter’s notebook.

Thus was I bitten by the sportswriting bug.

The song of the Friday night lights can be a powerful one. Over the years, I’ve left the newspaper business several times to do other things. But something always brings me back.

This is one of the best jobs out there, in my humble opinion. You get paid to watch football. What a gig!

I’ve worked for newspapers in Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and now North Carolina. This will be my first time living and working in the South, and I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities I know I’ll find here.

Over the course of many years covering sports, and high school athletics in particular, I’ve always tried to remember that the kids playing these sports are just that: Kids playing a game.

And while it’s nice to win championships and medals, for me the life lessons imparted by high school sports are much more enduring.

Years from now, most of the kids will not remember the scores of too many of these games - with a few exceptions, obviously.

Just a guess, but one of those exceptions might be the final score of last season’s North Carolina Class 4AA state championship game.

The lessons learned on the field, or court, will include things like the value of teamwork, being part of something greater than yourself. As well as how to deal with adversity: Just like in sports, life will knock you down sometimes.

Just like in sports, you get up, dust yourself off, smile, wipe away the tears, and get back in the game.

Those lessons, I feel, are more valuable than a case full of trophies.

But I know those trophies are nice too!

n Contact sports editor David Vantress at 997-311, ext. 14 or email at dvantress@yourdailyjournal.com.