When I was in the 7th grade and still a member of the Scouts, I was doing some work for the Personal Management merit badge. As I worked on completing the typical worksheets that those familiar with scouting know all too well, one of the requirements jumped out at me, and quite frankly, it’s the only thing I really remember about that badge: “choose a career you might want to enter after high school or college graduation” and “research the limitations of your anticipated career and discuss what you have learned about qualifications such as education, skills, and experience.” Me being me, my career of choice was, of course, broadcasting. Little did I know at the time, that the couple of hours I spent working on that assignment would be the beginning of my attempt to fulfill a lifelong dream.
Summer, 2017. I just received my driver’s license and could finally stopelying on my parents and my older friends to cart me around. Armed with a 2006 Honda Accord and a passion for sports, I walked into the News of Orange County office to see if they would be willing to take me on as an intern to report on Cedar Ridge’s upcoming football season. Then-editor Adam Powell along with soon-to-be editor Charlotte Wray took a chance; I was so grateful they did. I’d finally have my first experience in the field.
After a full season of doing photography, game write-ups, and interviews, primarily covering football and basketball, a new opportunity arose. Adam departed from the NOC for another job. Charlotte was running the paper almost by herself when, in mid 2018, the man arrived that would give me that opportunity I had been looking for for quite some time. My chance to begin play by play broadcasting had arrived. That man was Jeff Hamlin.
The first interaction I ever had with Jeff was not face to face–as a matter of fact, I pitched the idea of me starting to do play by play in the summer of 2018 via email. And without ever actually seeing the guy once in my life, I was given the opportunity to start broadcasting Cedar Ridge’s JV football games that fall.
My first shot came during the 3rd week of August. One problem–a family vacation in Lake Lure had me 4 hours from Cedar Ridge’s press box. I knew what I needed to do. I left the mountains to make my long awaited broadcasting debut, to turn around and make the drive back after the final whistle. Now, that debut did not exactly go as I had planned. I was one, a nervous wreck, and two, made some poor wardrobe choices. Being a strong believer in first impressions, I wore khakis and a button down to the game. It was about 90 degrees outside, plus at least 5 more in the press box. So there I was sweating bullets, trying to decode the hieroglyphics of what is probably the worst roster that had ever been uploaded to MaxPreps for the opposing Southeast Guilford Falcons. Not to mention, I was a dreadful broadcaster at that point, and anyone who listened to me then and still listens to me now, it’s obvious that I have come a long way.
While football progressed into basketball season everything was going swimmingly, I loved what I was doing and it seemed like nothing could stop me. Until it *almost* came crashing down (pun intended.)
En route to do play by play for an Orange basketball game at Northern Guilford in Greensboro, I managed to get myself into a three car wreck, totaling the aforementioned 2006 Honda Accord. This was certainly my lowest point of the athletic year, but my parents continued to support me in my efforts, despite my atrocious driving skills. Without the support network I have had at home from my parents and my sister who let me borrow her car in the interim as a means of transportation, the amount of basketball games we covered here at HillsboroughSports would have been significantly reduced.
But from the low points of my car accident, to my personal favorite moment I had the privilege of calling during Cedar Ridge’s 11-inning thriller in the first round of the 3A softball state playoffs that was capped off by Tionna Carter’s walk off single. I have had the honor to be able to say, there was not a single moment I spent calling games in which I did not enjoy being there.
This year has been the best year of my life so far, and for that I have a lot of people to thank. My parents, Jay and Amy Campbell for continuing their support of my broadcasting dreams even when I do miss dinner seemingly every other night. To my sister, Cailin Campbell, for even though she has never listened to a full broadcast of any one game I have called, is always willing to lend her support. To two of the best teachers I have ever had in Mr. Joshua Paterni and Mr. Roger Pena for their letters of recommendation to assist me in getting into my dream college. To Adam Powell and Charlotte Wray, for taking a chance on a 16 year old kid who just wanted to write about football. To all of the listeners over the airwaves, while I haven’t had the honor of being able to meet the majority of you, just know that I appreciate each and every one of you for lending me your ear, even if it was just for one game. Last but not least, I am ever so grateful to Jeff Hamlin, without whom I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to enjoy this year with all of you, nor the opportunity to have my first job that I have truly enjoyed doing every single minute of it.
With that, I will sadly be unable to broadcast games to the capacity I did this year while I continue my studies in Broadcast and Digital Journalism at Syracuse University in the fall. I will certainly be on the airwaves on occasion if given the opportunity while I’m back home on breaks, but I will miss having two or three nights a week where I get to go talk about sports without anyone telling me they’re tired of hearing it.
So let’s not call it goodbye Hillsborough, let’s just call it a see you later. This town, this website, and these people will always have a special place in my heart, and thank you again for joining me on this journey this year. As I say at the end of every broadcast “thank you all for listening tonight, this is Curran Campbell, signing off.”