As one who has wanted to write for a living and who also enjoys sports, I have been blessed with the opportunity to be the new sports reporter for the Suffolk News-Herald. Andrew Giermak served in this role for several years before me and has since moved on to become the sports editor for The Sanford Herald in Sanford, N.C.

I was born across the country in a central California city called Modesto, but my dad’s job with the Nestlé Beverage Co. moved me to Suffolk in 1994, when I was 11.

I have become familiar with the area schools, but only over the course of time, because through high school, I attended Mohler Academy, having been homeschooled by my mother. Though I understand that homeschooling is not for everyone, I loved it.

I was able to participate in area sports, as well. I played soccer over a span of eight years and basketball for two with the Suffolk Youth Athletic Association.

My Suffolk sports reporting actually dates back further than I originally thought. Kings Fork basketball coach Josh Worrell recently recognized my by-line in the Herald as the same one that dotted homemade write-ups of his undefeated SYAA basketball team from the late 1990s that also included my brother on the roster.

In a way, what I was doing back then is what I am hoping to inspire you to do now, because it factors directly into how we would like to build the sports page here at the Suffolk News-Herald. We want it to feature as many contributions from you as possible.

Many of you are involved in the Suffolk sports scene or at the very least have children or grandchildren participating. Even if you have no official affiliation with a team, you may still be an avid fan of local sports with something to contribute to the page, and we want to hear from you.

The kinds of things that you could send to us can vary widely and include photos, write-ups, scores, stats or story ideas — and they may be from a school team, travel team, youth or recreational sports league, or an obscure sport that does not get much coverage. This list is hardly exhaustive, so do not let it limit you.

Items sent in may appear in many ways on the sports page including as an article, a standalone photo, a box score, or even an item in this column.

This column will be a weekly space where I can talk about and report on sports-related topics that do not necessarily require a whole story, but are indeed noteworthy. Most topics will only require a sentence or two and I hope to mention many each week.

To send information, email me at sports@suffolknewsherald.com or call 934-9614.

Thank you for your readership, and I look forward to contributing — along with you — to a sports page crafted by the people of Suffolk for the people of Suffolk.