So far, so good...

Hey friends,

The other night I posted a plea for funding to help me with my coverage of local sports.

First off, thanks to those who have contributed so far, and secondly... I'd like to refine why I am asking you for help. Okay... MONEY. Let's just say that M word - hah!

I'm a working guy. I have a secure job. But times are tough and it takes all I have to take care of the wife and litter. What I am in desperate need of are upgrades in electronics to make my coverage more in the moment. More immediate than ever before.

There are other needs, of course, like travel expenses... i.e. food, gas, etc..., but I'd like to focus on the serious problematic needs first.

I've been attending sporting events in the area for several years now. And, I've been seated next to some of the biggest prep writers in the state. Where I have worked so hard at bringing my writing skills to their level, I fall short in the technology.

I have a very nice Mac OSX desktop. I love it. It's in my sports cave and I am constantly on it. However, it needs to have some RAM added. It's gotten a little slow. I also need to upgrade to a MacBook. By the time the games are completed and I rush home (sometimes an hour or two in blizzards and what not) and decipher my notes and write and submit the story - along with taking pics and downloading and formatting so my readers have lots of images to look at - it is midnight and every other sports journalist covering the game has submitted from location.

It is very disheartening for me.

There is no budget at the Wave for this. Nor is there a pay increase in the near future of a slowing industry. Media is the internet now and it is the only way to present top of the line coverage that is worthy of our product on the fields of Wasatch County.

Please help me with this and you will see a return on your investment. It is only the first step, and next step in my plan to grow the internet coverage of our sports.

Thank you again my friends. Like I said in my first letter... this is not easy for me to do. But, it is necessary. I cannot do it on my own at this point.

If you refer to a couple of posts down, you will find a PayPal button that says, "Buy Me". That is for a contribution for my services... past and future. Right now... I just need your generous donations.

If you have questions, please call  or email me at: kennywbristow@gmail.com or 818-640-4726.

Thanks so much!

Sincerely,
Kenny Bristow

C2K

Dear friends, sports fans and Wasatch supporters,

It has been a real pleasure to cover athletics in Wasatch County. From our great high school sports teams to our vast recreational sports, it’s been a busy year and it has been an honor getting to know all of you and recognize the outstanding accomplishments by our local athletes.

As the year progressed and the seasons unfolded I came to understand, even though I already had a pretty good idea, how important sports is in our community. Not just prep, but recreational and professional as well.

I have always felt, and I hope to have conveyed this through my writing, that athletic competition can be the backbone to the success of many young students. It can give them not only the foundation of skills they need to progress in life, but the opportunity to advance their educations. The lessons they learn and relationships they build along the way will mold them as adults. This is why I focus on them. 

Many times when speaking with the kids about their teams, goals, coaches, accomplishments, and their teammates, I have seen the sense of pride in their faces. They will take these experiences with them the rest of their lives.

It has been a pleasure to bring these times to the supporters of Wasatch athletics through my journalistic endeavors. I am with great hope in continuing to follow our local sports and give them to you in a fair and positive manner on the largest platforms available to us in these times.

As Wasatch high school advances into a new era this fall with the move to 4A, it is my belief that our athletes, coaches and facilities will be worthy of greater press coverage than ever before. I have no doubt that I am the person to do this.

With your help I can expand the news on Wasatch sports. In the past year, I have made several outstanding connections throughout a larger media base in our region.

As a sports writer—and fan of Wasatch athletics—I will strive to take the attention to our teams and growing list of local events to a new level.

This will take additional financial support, however, as the time I have put in has already become quiet extensive outside of my hourly duties at the Wave.

I am, in good faith, asking for contributions at this time to aid in the advancement of my sports coverage. With this financial support from our community, I will be able to broaden my game and event coverage and allow me the time to expand my feature coverage, which I believe can be the centerpiece of my work.

It is not easy for me to solicit my wares, but it has become evident to me that in order to take our coverage to the level it deserves, this is the sort of working relationship I must ask you to take on with me.

I am setting up a revenue feed right here on my blog using my Paypal account. Clicking on the button (on the HTML post just below this one) will give you the opportunity to make a donation. It can be completely anonymous and as small or large as you like, but anything received in this account will be considered a vote of support of my work and a sign to me from you, our sports community, that you want the diligence and dedication that I have hopefully displayed to continue to grow.

Of course, my work at the Wasatch Wave will continue to be sound, but your contributions will help me advance my articles even more so to a larger audience. At least this is what I am striving for. I think you know how much I care for Wasatch and the media attention our local athletics so richly deserve.

Feel free to comment here on the blog or email me at: kennywbristow@gmail.com. I am also always accessible by cell phone at: 818-640 4726 or in person to discuss any ideas or concerns.

Thank you great people of Wasatch for your support!

Kenny

Please use this button to make your contribution in the name of C2K - Contributions To Kenny. Thank You!

Angels prospect kicking butt in Salt Lake

As you probably know by now, I am doing baseball features for the Deseret News online. Mostly on prospects, as DN works to build its audience in SoCal. Since we have two of the Angel's affiliates right here on our turf--seems like a good idea to me. And... did they ever pick the right guy for the job. :)


Earlier in the month, I went to a Bees' game with the hopes of getting a feature on Kole Calhoun, who is one of the Angel's top outfield prospects. Despite having a pretty good game individually, the Bees choked up an 11 run lead on that night and Kole was in no mood to talk about his future with the Angels afterwards. Can't say I blame him.

The other night, after the Bees returned from an eight-game road trip, I went to the park early and caught up with Calhoun during batting practice. Great young man with a great a great perspective on his position with the organization. I think he's got an MLB future.

Kole Calhoun

Owlz Preview

On Monday, I got to go to Brent Brown Ballpark (one of my favorite places in Utah) for the Orem Owlz' Media Day.
It was a chance to meet new manager Bill Richardson--even though we briefly met while he was filling in for a few games as the Salt Lake Bees skipper earlier in the month, and a few of the new kids on the block.
It's always exciting at the beginning of a new season and the feel around the team's first official workout and posturing for the press was an electric one.
My previous post shows a pic of the actual Deseret News page where my article appeared, but here is the article on the website.

Orem Owlz

Look Ma! No iPad!

I've been in print for a little while. But still, the excitement from your first bi-line is pretty cool.
NOW... it's on a whole new level!

Pretty proud of this.

June 18, 2013. Section D, Page 2.

Pump ‘n Run this!

Okay. So Wasatch High School scored back in February when basketball coach Jason Long walked in for an interview for it’s vacant head coaching position.

They just didn’t know it yet.

Long, was not only qualified as a professional, he had the personality to win over the school administrators who were looking only at a blank canvas they had to paint.

Wasatch brass did the right thing. They brought in the young coach who has nothing but wide-open upside to carry on the rich tradition of Wasp boy’s basketball.

Even though the high school hoops season may have been over for a couple of weeks and off the calendar for even longer, Long asked for the keys to the gym. He was already ready and there was a lot of work to be done.

Long, as I wrote about here after his hiring, was still on the Westminster staff, but willing to get his feet wet with the future Wasp players. Due to get married and take on a family of his own in his new home, Long moved forward, dedicating his little spare time to get to know the Wasatch players of the future.

As the head coach of the 16U Pump ‘n Run Youth Basketball Team, Long is already making a name for himself in Heber City circles. He is a tireless coach who has studied under the best and has every intention of bringing his knowledge and personality to the Utah 4A high school basketball courts.

Even though I am hopelessly entrenched in the baseball season, I have my moles out there (thanks, Tyler) and want to make sure that everyone knows that in seven months from now, when we are buried in snow, that our black and gold hoopsters are on the right path.

Read about Wasatch future star forward Nate Dow and some of his teammates in these articles on the Utah Pump ‘N Run League.

Week 5 Power Rankings

2013 Teams

NY2LA Sports