Part 1 of 4

The Importance of Developing Connections

Journalism is a people business, Goessling said. That means it’s as much about who you know as what you know.

A good mentor will go a long way in the world of reporting. Having had an interest in sports reporting from a young age, Goessling says a mentorship program in high school helped him make his first connections in the industry.

“Go find a professional that will take the time to talk to you about what they do. And they’re more then willing to do that for you than you think because we’ve all been in that spot,” he said.

Mentors don’t have to have a specific job title or specialty to offer important insight, especially in the sports world. Young says she’s learned some of her most valuable lessons from people who aren’t writers.

“One of my best mentors has been someone who works on the sidelines in TV and he doesn’t do writing hardly at all,” she said.

“But I learned so much from him just about being in the sports field and what knowing it takes to be in that area.”

Those relationships prove to be equally as important when it comes to working with sources, Young added.

Building a network of sources, whether it be coaches, players, family or friends, is how Young says she’s found some of her best stories and gotten a better idea of different dynamics both on and off the field.

“For me it’s just really all about relationship building,” she said. “So if I get to know some of the players that are on the team, it’s important for me to hopefully get to know their families… and get that whole picture of who these people are.”

Having a web will also make it easier to track down new sources that will make a story stand out from the rest.

“I tend to start with trying to figure out who would know this person or be able to speak to what I want to know about them. And then how do I get in touch with them?” Goessling said.