Brooks: Allow me to (re)introduce myself

It’s just you and I now.

But, before I begin, I want to personally thank Craig Harris for each of the past four years that we’ve worked together full-time, and the five or six before that when I was a freelancer for the Gallatin News Examiner and the Hendersonville Star News. There have been more than our fair share of 2 a.m. chats to talk shop and compare notes, voice our opinions (whether they were the same or otherwise) and help make the product you’re reading into the best it can be.

We strongly believe we’ve done that.

But now, with Craig’s transition to Wilson County to cover that area for the Tennessean, that leaves yours truly as the only full-time sports writer in Sumner County’s largest publication. I don’t take that distinction lightly.

I’m probably more familiar to those of you in Hendersonville, since that’s where most of my coverage was in my first three-plus years in this spot. For those of you in White House, Portland and Westmoreland, some of you know me and some of you don’t. To those of you who may not be familiar – hello.

I didn’t grow up in Sumner County, but I’ve spent so much time here that it almost feels like I did. That’s not saying I know everything, because I most certainly don’t claim to know everything. But there are some things I do know, and you should know as well.

There are 10 high school programs that participate in TSSAA sports in Sumner County. Figuring out how to best bring you the best coverage in Sumner County with just one full-time writer now requires some adjustment, some soul-searching, and quite frankly, some help from you, the readers.

A little more than two years ago, there were three full-time sports writers in our fold. Now, there’s just one.

That’s a big change. It means, quite frankly, less game coverage. Most people understand that.

Times are changing. More and more of the media you are consuming comes from online sources. A lot of folks are reading this on their smartphone, and that’s primarily where my focus now turns. I will not be as involved in the print product as before, and that will take some adjustment for me as well.

What this means for you is that your coverage – be it online or in print – will have a different look and feel to it this fall and beyond.

Will we be able to have a writer at every football game this fall? Perhaps not. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be paying attention. We have paid a lot of attention to middle school football and basketball in the past. It may have to come in a bit of a different format, but I don’t intend to leave you all out.

Some of you may not like the changes. That’s okay. Change is hard. I’m only beginning the adjustment to a new dynamic, and it’s going to take some time for me, too.

I am not pledging to please everybody, because I’ve learned in my 32 years on this planet that it is simply impossible to do that. You cannot please everyone, because if you try, you end up hurting yourself.

Instead, we will have to find different ways to bring you the best content – and that’s where you come in.

I want to hear from you. If you know of a student-athlete who is doing great things in the community, let me know. If there is someone who has affected the lives of many in a positive way, let me know. If you feel that our coverage can improve, let me know. My email address is cbrooks@tennessean.com. I’m just a few keystrokes away. We may not always agree, but your feedback is invaluable. After all, it is you – the readers – who allow me to do this.

I want to give you a reason to read our product instead of anything else.

I don’t need to have a built-in tie to any one school to build relationships. I want to do that naturally, the right way, the only way I know how. That will take time.

If you’re on Twitter and you haven’t followed me (@CB_SumnerSports), do that today. In fact, do it right now. I’ll wait.

There will be some exclusive content that you can only find by following me on Twitter.

There’s going to be more video on our website as well. You may have seen a couple of videos during spring sports, and those were test runs to see how it might work moving forward. There will be more where that came from.

With Craig’s transition to covering Wilson County – and you’ll still see him from time-to-time when certain teams cross paths – that puts me in a position to deliver the best of what Sumner County has to offer.

I want to be the guy you turn to for high school sports coverage in Sumner County, and that quest begins now.

Let’s get started.

Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.