Is it a good idea to . . .

[SoSueMe]

. . . meet with coaches, well-known sports administers, SIDs et al when you first arrive in a new town at a new job?

I've often sent out introductory e-mails to those folks' respective addresses, after I've culled them from websites. Usually, it's just a note to say hello, here's my e-mail address and phone number. Call if you have news, questions or problems.

But I'm wondering, is it good/better to meet with these folks in person? Or, is the e-mail idea a bad one, at that?

I remember my very first job, the local hockey coach wanted to meet me immediately (and I started in May). We went for coffee, he ended the "meeting" with a statement like "we'll get along fine. I already like you."

After a month into the season (which started in Sept.), I quickly realized he was buttering me up because I think even he knew he was in over his head as a head coach. He had talent on his team, but few wins and even less effort from the players.

I don't want to be viewed as trying to "butter up" the local sports circle.

Thoughts from out there in SportsJournalists.com-land?

 

[SF_Express]

I think the e-mails are fine, and then meet them as appropriate.

Introducing yourself to somebody you'll be covering isn't "buttering them up," and if they perceive it that way, it's their problem.

 

[RedCanuck]

Meeting someone face-to-face can't hurt, that way the first time you're at the field or rink, whatever, you don't have to ask around and you already have a small bit of a rapport at the very least with them.

Maybe they will try to butter you up, but you'll detect that.

 

[SixToe]

Why not go by and meet them face-to-face to introduce yourself in person?

Couldn't hurt. Shows you're interested in knowing who they are and you'll be the one they deal with while you're there.

An email wouldn't hurt, either, because then you might get their address to have on file. But yours also could get deleted or shuttled off to neverland by a secretary.

 

[Idaho]

It's a great idea to send the emails and try to arrange face-to-face meetings with the high profile people on your beats.

heck, when I made a new hire at my old paper and he was covering a beat, I took him with me on his first day at work and introduced them. Then I left the room to let them chat.

 

[Football_Bat]

The second time I introduced myself to a new beat was during the summer when the coaches were volunteering to build a new ambulance station.

BANG BANG BANG! "Hi coach, I'm the new reporter."

BANG BANG! "What?"

BANG BANG BANG! "The new reporter."

BANG! "Oh, hello."

BANG! BANG! "So what do think about the fall schedule?"

BANG! BANG! BANG! "Hooterville will be tougher than last year, and we've got to go there. Pixley will be our toughest non-conference opponent."

 

[ColbertNation]

I did this. The area ADs had a lunch meeting at the beginning of the school year, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to introduce myself, get their input, let them know what we were trying to do, etc...
Everybody seemed very on-board with me (very nice, friendly, even joking). I thought it was the smartest thing I'd ever done. I can count on one hand the number of phone calls they've returned to me since then. Basically, the only time I expect to hear from them now is if they need something or they're mad at me.
That said, it can never hurt to try.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

...almost never is.

 

[Babs]

Absolutely you should meet with them. It will help immensely in understanding where they are coming from later on.

 

[ADifferentOkie]

I had a professor say it was always good to meet as many people in person as you could. His logic was you're more likely to get a response when you have to call them at 3 a.m. because of breaking news (this guy was on the news side, but I think it still applies) if you are a person with a face instead of just a new to a (future) source.
I have tried to follow that and have had some success.

 

[slappy4428]

You're meeting the people on your beat. That's not buttering up, it's working. Nothing wrong with it.

 

[John]

Send them all Claxton fruit cakes.

 

[novelist_wannabe]

Meeting someone face-to-face can't hurt,

... well, yeah, unless you're uglier than Otis Nixon. In which case, the emails are doing them a favor

 

[lone star scribe]

It's always good to let your contacts put a face to the name or voice over the phone. And it's also good to let them see you when you're not there with your notebook open looking for a story.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

Just don't EVER call them "coach." That completely cedes control of that and all future interviews to these guys.

 

[FishHack76]

I think face time is very important on a beat. There's a certain amount of time that people take to start feeling comfortable. The more they see you; the more they get to know you. I think it's a good tip to also get to know the people on the edges of your beat. There the ones with the real information to share and no hesitation to share it. I've gotten countless information from say the guy who supervises the ballboys at high school football games, the school trainer, coach's stepson, personal pitching instructors, wrestling school directors, club coaches. That's more for high school sports obviously.
But like anything else, you obviously have to know who's for real and who's full of crap.

 

[Martin_Lane]

A true story on this subject:

Radio station going all-news (from "music of your life" format) hires a couple of sports staffers, who go out to introduce themselves to the NFL coach in the area.

Coach: "You're from WZZZ? You're not going to change the f-ing format, are you?"

Reporter: "Not at all, coach. We're just dropping ALL the music."

 

[Twoback]

Absolutely meet with these people. Better yet, take them out to lunch, even if it's on your own dime (i.e., your company is too cheap to understand the benefits). Getting to know the people you cover is important; allowing them to get to know you is even more important.