Dear Louisville,
I can’t wait to meet you. My name is Jeremiah Lee Kirven, but I go by J.L. for short. And as the new high school sports reporter at The Courier Journal, I’m bound to write tons of articles over the next few weeks, months and even years. But for my first byline with the CJ, I wanted to write a letter.
A letter addressed not only to the proud people of Louisville, but also to the allies that helped me find the Gateway to the South.
I’m originally from Ohio, Columbus to be exact. My mom’s from Cleveland, and my dad’s side of the family comes from South Carolina. Growing up, the only times I visited Kentucky was when trips to Kings Island turned into visits to the Newport Aquarium.
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But in a way, I’ve felt like Louisville and I have been on a collision course, and I’m thrilled that time is now … well, soon. I’m remote for the first two weeks before I eventually settle down in Old Louisville, or perhaps the Highlands … suggestions on that, food and story ideas can be sent to jkirven@gannet.com *wink, wink, shoulder shrug*
If you’re asking yourself, “did he just put a promo in his own letter/column?” Well, the answer would be yes. Yes, I did. If you haven’t noticed yet, I like to do things a little differently. I talk about sports like I’m in the barbershop. A place that, despite my locs, I still visit sometimes — albeit not often enough. I’ll take suggestions on that as well.
My passion, however, is feature writing. It takes a community to raise a star quarterback or state championship-winning point guard and I know that the talented kids coming out of the area are more than their stats and highlights. They’re sons, daughters, students, activists, artists and the leaders of tomorrow. Those stories deserve to be told. And I hope you’ll trust me to tell them.
I may be a kid fresh out of college, but I’ll happen to let you know that I have 15 years of experience in the newspaper industry. It’s just not as traditional as you would expect.
My first job was in print. Except I didn’t write it, I delivered it … nearly every Sunday with my dad from fourth grade to my sophomore year in college. Rain, snow, late trucks, flat tires, sick, sleepy it didn’t matter. The community needed the paper.
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And over time, the smell of the newsprint became like coffee to me. Despite the twisted ankles, angry dogs and sore shoulders over the years, I wouldn’t have traded that time with my dad for anything in the world.
I learned more lessons on that paper route than I can possibly count. One of my favorites was to read the newspaper. At the end of every shift, there was an extra paper for him and soon enough for me as well. It was then when I first developed my love for storytelling and a trustworthy byline.
I still remember the first time I saw mine. It was January 17, 2017, and I was covering a high school basketball game in Nelsonville, Ohio. None of the players had multi-million-dollar contracts, sneaker deals or even star rankings.
It was one of the best games I ever saw.
“Buckeyes Outlast Liberty Union in Overtime Thriller,” my headline read. I couldn’t believe my first game went into double overtime. I’ve been hooked on preps ever since.
In the years following, I’ve helped cover high school sports in Detroit, Cincinnati and Indianapolis. And while all three of those cities had their own flavor, the passion in the players was just the same.
I know that is also true in Louisville. Year in and out, kids from this city win state championships, travel the world and represent their neighborhoods proudly. I’m going to be on that journey jotting down history along the way.
I hope one day you’ll trust my name the same way you’ve learned to trust Jason Frakes, Dominique Yates, Jon Hale, Shannon Russell and the rest of the wonderful sports staff at The CJ over the years. I plan to learn from them and from you, the readers, about the best way I can serve in this role.
I’m a young pup, but I’m hungry, and I’m eager to get after it. Football season’s around the corner, volleyball nets are up, and fall is on the way. School’s almost in session, and I have a lot of homework ahead of me.
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But over the next few weeks, I’m looking forward to getting to know as many people as I can, and I hope you’ll all be with me as I help launch the Courier Journal’s new high school sports newsletter.
Again, I’m very much looking forward to telling the stories of the area’s athletes. I can’t wait to call Louisville home. And I know one day you’ll trust the name.
Sincerely,
J.L. Kirven
Follow Courier Journal reporter J.L. Kirven on Twitter @JL_Kirven for more updates on Louisville prep sports.
