With love, your ex-Sports Writer
When I took up the position as a hyper-local prep sports writer in September 2022, I was happy, nervous, anxious, and excited. I knew there would be challenges, but I was determined to overcome them because working in sports was what I wanted. I discovered and nurtured my passion for sports writing in college and, now, had the opportunity to share this passion with my hometown crowd of Calexico and beyond in the Imperial Valley.
In the fall, the football fields became my stomping grounds, and together as a community we held hands through the biggest games, celebrated the wins, and mourned the losses together.
Friday nights were not enough, my excitement carried me over to the girls volleyball and tennis courts until I eventually made my way to the golf course.
While I quickly encountered the usual challenges that came along with any new endeavor, the people, from coaches to athletes to you, readers, made it all worth it.
By the time the winter season rolled around, I had gained some confidence and felt ready to tackle the upcoming sports calendar.
Basketball, soccer, and wrestling were one-of-a-kind experiences, each with their unique cultures and fanbases. Even after withstanding cold, windy days and sweaty gyms, I realized I did not want to be anywhere else.
Once springtime arrived, my naivety had me looking forward to what was to come. Little did I know I was about to begin the busiest season yet.
Despite all the running around, and with the help of MANY, MANY people, we shared everything that was going on, from boys volleyball to golf to tennis and later swimming and track and field.
After spending many days under the sun, I picked up where I left off in the fall and spent my Friday Nights under bright lights, except this time it was at a ballpark.
As the sports calendar began to wind down, I was nostalgic about all the thrills the 2022-2023 school year brought. Secretly, I wanted those moments to last forever, knowing one day they would become a fond memory.
Today is that ‘ one day.’ I will be stepping down from this position as your local and homegrown Sports Writer to pursuing the next step in my career.
Over the last ten months, as a community, you allowed me to grow, fail, and learn from my mistakes, and for that, I say, ‘ Thank you for handling my heart and passion for sports with care.’
Each season, you welcomed me into your world and pushed me to get better every single day.
In September, I aimed to cover games and stories that encouraged the Imperial Valley Sports community to rally behind local athletes and coaches. I wanted to bring pride, not only to players and teams, but also to the institutions, alumni, and community which have supported them since the beginning.
While it is not up to me to deem this goal accomplished, I hope my coverage over the last ten months was a step in the right direction.
[Editor’s Note: Odett will be very sorely missed but we at the Imperial Valley Press wish her much luck in her new endeavors.]