Jarrod’s Corner by Jarrod Peterson

Wednesday is my last day at the Albert Lea Tribune.

On Thursday, I’ll have the U-Haul loaded up and will be headed west with my dad to the state of Washington. I accepted a job as the sports editor of a newspaper in the state a few weeks back.

I’m incredibly excited for this opportunity. I feel it’ll be a good step in my career.

But, I’m sure it would not have happened if I didn’t get to work at the Tribune for the last 14 months.

I have learned a lot during my time in Albert Lea.

I have always had a deep passion for sports, but I think my passion went deeper once I arrived in Albert Lea. There is a wealth of sports here, including sports such as hockey and swimming, which I hadn’t covered before I got here.

I had a lot of fun covering Albert Lea athletics and sports in the surrounding coverage areas. Whether it was Friday night football, a section baseball game or basketball game, or a wrestling match at the state tournament, I enjoyed every minute.

From writing game recaps to featuring athletes to doing stories and assignments outside of sports, I feel like the Tribune helped me improve my writing from the moment I started here.

There has been a lot of change going on for Albert Lea sports, especially since I arrived. In nearly every sport, a new coach has been introduced, which can make it difficult for athletes to adjust.

However, with the coaches who have been put in place — particularly the younger coaches — I think it will benefit Albert Lea athletics in the long run, if those coaches stick around long enough. This group of coaches seem to relate to the players well and have the players excited for the upcoming sports season. I intend to keep an eye on Albert Lea sports from afar, and I hope the turnaround continues for all the programs. I think the brightest days are ahead.

I would like to thank my bosses Crystal Miller and Sarah Stultz for giving me the opportunity of becoming the sports editor in April 2016. I would also like to thank all my other coworkers.

I had a fun time, and I’ll miss covering sports in this town and area.

However, it’s time for the next step now.

The new sports editor for the Albert Lea Tribune will be Tyler Julson, effective Thursday. He can be reached at tyler.julson@albertleatribune.com or 507-379-3434.