When I made the switch to sports journalism one of the first things I was told was to never cheer in the press box.
That’s tough to do.
I’ve been fortunate enough to cover some high-level college and pro sporting events during my short career and some when my favorite teams were playing.
When you see your favorite teams score, it’s really difficult not to cheer in the press box.
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On Saturday, at Ball State’s Worthen Arena for the Class A and 3A state volleyball games, it was hard not to root for Trinity Lutheran and Brownstown Central.
I’m not from Jackson County and have no relation to either school, so it shouldn’t have been tough for me to keep it together.
Yet, it was.
Every time the Cougars or Braves scored a point, it was hard not to celebrate. Every time a call went against them — and there were a few that were questionable — it was tough not to scream and shout.
It’s tough not getting attached to the teams you cover when you’re in this line of work.
You may not be on the court playing or coaching, but you learn about the teams, how hard they were work and you want to see them succeed.
And, selfishly, it makes writing stories a heck of a lot easier when they win.
But winning doesn’t have to define the Trinity Lutheran or Brownstown Central volleyball teams though both did a lot of it this season.
Both finished with 30 wins or more, but both also represented Jackson County very well.
Which is a little more important.
This is the third year in a row I got to experience a volleyball state championship run with a team, but it’s the first time I got to do so with two.
The journey from Spencer to Danville to Jasper to Muncie was enhanced — especially late in the game — by having what felt like all of Jackson County there in support of their teams.
I hope to see the support continue as we transition into winter sports season and I’m expecting to see more than a handful of packed gyms for basketball season.
And maybe, just maybe, we’ll all get lucky enough to experience another state championship run.