Decisions, decisions

[kingcreole]

Well, thanks to Local High making an unlikely postseason run in girls soccer, I'm faced with a situation tomorrow. the ol' SE has left the ball in my court, but has let me know I have to at least cover the regional track meet tomorrow.

So here's the deal: As I said, Local High has made an unexpected run to the regional finals in girls soccer. They couldn't even get a home game in the play-in round but won that game 1-0 and then beat the region's top seed on penalty kicks today. It's stunning they've made it this far. The team they play for the championship lost to the same team Local High just beat on PKs, and considering the other team played overtime as well, it's reasonable to think Local High has a legitimate shot at winning the regional title. Which, frankly, is unfathomable. Local High girls soccer has had one winning record in its history. Never been this far. Never been close actually.

Nearby High is hosting a regional track meet. I've been told I can do both if I want but I have to be at the track meet at some point. The only problem I could have is if the soccer game goes to overtime. If it goes all the way to PKs again, I may not make the track meet at all.

I think the soccer game is a much bigger story, especially if Local High wins. I guess photogs are shooting track, hence the reason it's imperative I be there. Soccer game is out of town but not far. About 45 minutes.

Go to soccer and risk overtime and maybe missing the track meet?

 

[OTD]

Go to the soccer game. You could always leave early if you have to, much as that would suck.

 

[imjustagirl]

What are the starting times?

 

[WriteThinking]

I would cover soccer, for sure, if that's the bigger, better story, then try to make the track meet and get what you can (or whatever you absolutely need) out of that.

Track meets usually run long -- longer than soccer games -- and have even more of a tendency to go overtime. I haven't covered whole lot of track, but don't the meets usually last a good four or five hours, at least? I've been to a couple of big ones, I know, that lasted even longer than that -- something like six or seven hours. So, I think there's a good chance it'd probably still be going on for a while after soccer, especially if there are a lot of schools involved.

But, is there any possibility of making life easier for yourself and just assigning a stringer to the track meet?

Or, of having a track coach, assistant or meet official call in with results, at least those involving the school in which you are interested, so that you could just write up results off of that?

Or, maybe, have the photogs cover the soccer game instead of the track meet, and just take whatever you get as far as track results.

Those would be my suggestions.

 

[zebracoy]

You have to be at the soccer game. If the photographers are at the track meet, worst-case scenario is that you run a photo of the meet, then refer to a round-up and the agate.

 

[shotglass]

He doesn't have the option of not going to the track meet. SE has told him that, plain and simple.

If you feel the need to go to the soccer game, go. But go there with the knowledge that at some point, no matter what happens in that game, you're going to have to drive away and make it to the track meet in time to do the job.

 

[Bruce Leroy]

Go to the soccer game because, as others have said, it's more important and I've never seen a track meet end on time. Plus, do you really need to be at the meet other than to grab a couple of quotes? It's track. Not much you have to actually witness to write the story if that's what it comes down to. Look at the final results, find multiple winners or whoever won meet MVP or whatever, and get a couple quotes. If the soccer game runs long and you're at risk of arriving at an empty stadium for the track meet, maybe you have to leave soccer early because of the SE's instructions. But you can arrange ahead of time for the soccer coach to call you and fill you in on the final few minutes.

 

[fishwrapper]

Call in sick.

 

[rgd]

If the SE wants you at the track meet, then go to the track meet. Take soccer over the phone. It's less than ideal, but it will get the job done.

 

[ArnoldBabar]

If it makes you feel better, nobody who's not related to a participant gives a friar's flying **** about either of them.

 

[kingcreole]

What are the starting times?

Soccer - 4:30
Track - 3 p.m. with track finals starting at 6:30.

Someone made the excellent suggestion of a stringer. If only the powers-that-be agreed ...

 

[Baron Scicluna]

For Tebow's sake, I hope if you attend both, that you will get paid for your time, and not just work it for free.

 

[Drip]

The only thing worse than track is field. Go to the soccer. It's a once in a lifetime event for those kids. You can always do a phoner on the track or maybe swing by there and pick up results without OT being an issue.

 

[ServeItUp]

And what's the SE doing through all this? If you're at a paper covering regional high school sports, the SE probably has to write. So... what's the SE writing about for Saturday that precludes these two regionals?

 

[shotglass]

For Tebow's sake, I hope if you attend both, that you will get paid for your time, and not just work it for free.

That's his call. Maybe he really wants to be there.

 

[mustangj17]

Soccer sucks. But the game is bigger, go there.

 

[albert77]

What are the starting times?

Soccer - 4:30
Track - 3 p.m. with track finals starting at 6:30.

Someone made the excellent suggestion of a stringer. If only the powers-that-be agreed ...

What's your problem here?

Even assuming worst-case where soccer goes to PKs, you're still going to get done in plenty of time to make it to track before the end of the meet, if finals don't start until 6:30.

As someone else said, all you really need is to get w/the meet officials, look at the results sheet, pick out a couple of the best performers for a quick interview, maybe get Nearby High's coach to make a general comment and, voila!, solid 12-14-inch track gamer.

Of course, you could move to Mississippi and be secure in the knowledge that all of your preps are done for the school year. <rim-shot>

 

[imjustagirl]

What are the starting times?

Soccer - 4:30
Track - 3 p.m. with track finals starting at 6:30.

Someone made the excellent suggestion of a stringer. If only the powers-that-be agreed ...

What's your problem here?

Even assuming worst-case where soccer goes to PKs, you're still going to get done in plenty of time to make it to track before the end of the meet, if finals don't start until 6:30.

As someone else said, all you really need is to get w/the meet officials, look at the results sheet, pick out a couple of the best performers for a quick interview, maybe get Nearby High's coach to make a general comment and, voila!, solid 12-14-inch track gamer.

Of course, you could move to Mississippi and be secure in the knowledge that all of your preps are done for the school year. <rim-shot>

WFW. Soccer games shouldn't take more than an hour and a half, maybe 100 minutes. 45 minute drive after interviews, you're looking at getting to the track meet by 7.

No problems.

 

[BigJim5190]

Soccer is the bigger deal, it sounds, so I'd be there.

However, can you contact the meet director and get the track results sent to you that night? Maybe when you get back to file your soccer gamer, you can check the e-mail or fax (coolrunning.com?) and find your results that way, then make some calls to the coaches and write the story like that. It's not ideal, but it will allow you to get both in the paper.

I don't think the track parents would mind as long as something is in the paper.

 

[topsheep]

Hire a stringer and pay him/her $50 for the soccer game.