Column: It’s time to say: ‘Virgen out’
Three years ago, it felt necessary to work a second job as a cashier at Kean coffee in Newport Beach. I was grateful for my four-month stint at Kean, but I wanted to devote more time to my first job as sports editor of the Daily Pilot.
During my time at Kean, I did my best to equate my passion for community sports to pouring coffee and ringing up orders. After all, I was there at Kean to serve. I was at the Daily Pilot to deliver the best in community sports.
My time ended at Kean in October of 2014 to dedicate myself to what was back then the best newspaper in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach. Now my time has ended at the Daily Pilot to seek what I believe are greater opportunities.
I was grateful to find a few stories while working at the coffee shop, including a hot tip that former Olympic gold medalist Aaron Peirsol was to become a Newport Beach lifeguard. That information came from his mother, Wella, who enjoyed the coffee there, as it is the closest thing to Costa Rica’s finest, and that’s where she now lives.
It was difficult to balance time and preserve energy from morning to night while working two jobs. Yet it was great to be visible in the community and hear what was going on.
When I drink coffee from Kean I usually think back to those days with fondness. I never thought that pouring coffee would be included on my career path. Yet it maintained my desire to achieve my goals and reach my dreams.
The future remains great at the Daily Pilot, but safe to say, it is an end of era. Friday is the final day at the Pilot for Barry Faulkner and me. Faulkner has put in 31 years. For the past 11 years, I have been the sports editor. And before that I worked for sports editors Roger Carlson and Rich Dunn.
It’s coincidental, yet somehow fitting that we are both leaving at the same time. We have been fortunate to see some amazing feats and tell meaningful stories. I encourage you to read his farewell column as well.
As sports editor of the Daily Pilot, I will always remember the advice that Carlson gave me upon my hiring: “You’ll be as great as your staff. That’s why you always make sure they are doing great work.”
Fortunately, I have always had a great staff at the Daily Pilot, including the last crew I had: Faulkner, David Carrillo Peñaloza, Matt Szabo and Andrew Turner.
My time at the Pilot was fulfilling and rewarding, as sports editor, and before that as a sports reporter, covering a variety of areas, including youth, high school, college and pro. One time I was at a lawn bowling tournament. More recently I was at Kobe Bryant’s final game as a Los Angeles Laker.
All of it was relevant, even if it was irrelevant, as in Mr. Irrelevant and Irrelevant Week, my favorite topics while at the Pilot.
There were many highlights and, thankfully, several friendships made.
Some of the great stories include CdM football, its transformation upon then-coach Scott Meyer’s arrival and its remarkable run that included a state championship and three CIF Southern Section Southern Division titles in four years.
Peirsol’s humility and laid-back persona was refreshing. I met him in 2000 when he was in high school at Newport Harbor, winning medals at the Olympics and bringing a CIF title to the Sailors.
He just wanted to be a part of the high school sports atmosphere, a great place to be in this area. I felt the same way.
For me that included great rivalries: the Battle of the Bay (Newport Harbor vs. Corona del Mar) and the Battle for the Bell (Estancia vs. Costa Mesa).
I have been accused of playing favorites during my time at the Pilot, but that is far from the truth. I enjoyed them all, even now when we have included Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach area schools.
I have had the pleasure of interacting with at least one great athlete from each school: Sharon Day (Costa Mesa), Jake Knapp (Estancia), Courtney Conlogue (Sage Hill), Chase Garbers (CdM) and Peirsol (Newport Harbor).
What I will miss the most about the job as sports editor are the stories and being looked at as a community member, a person who provided value to the area through telling (or editing) stories about our athletes. Thankfully those stories will remain archived and to some cherished through scrapbooks, posters and chapters retold.
Twitter: @SteveVirgen
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