Alex Rychwalski | There's no place like home

Jun. 15—When I first accepted a job at the Cumberland Times-News two-and-a-half years ago, I didn't plan on staying long.

Journalism is one of those majors that when you graduate — even if you went to an exemplary J-School like Maryland's Merrill College (I had a class taught by Kevin Blackistone, not to brag) — you end up taking a semi-related job in another field.

There are so few opportunities in an industry that is on its last leg.

So, when I was offered a job writing (which I love) about sports (I'm pretty fond of those, too) — and, most importantly, it wasn't in Iowa — it was a no-brainer to move out here.

I grew up in the town of Sykesville in Carroll County, about two hours and 120 miles east by car (1 hour and 40 minutes if you speed, not that I would know), and I had only ever been to Cumberland three times in my life.

Sykesville is a suburban town, one that's population boom has coincided with Baltimore's decline, a city that is a little less than 30 miles away.

The only times I ever heard Western Maryland mentioned were when my classmates talked about Frostburg State, Deep Creek Lake or Rocky Gap — or I saw the weather map on WBAL, a local Baltimore news station, that listed Oakland ("Hey mom, I thought that was in California?").

For people downstate, Frederick is considered Western Maryland. Heck, some people think Carroll County is too.

Upon arrival, my goal was to stay here for two years to garner experience that would be necessary to appeal to a larger newspaper, like my hometown paper, the Baltimore Sun.

Now, I'm not sure I'll ever leave.

I remember my first assignment, covering Allegany College men's basketball in November of 2019. Any nerves I had as a 22-year-old reporter just a few months out of college were briskly washed away by the way Chris Ruppenkamp treated me as if I were a million dollars.

Little did I know, that kindness wasn't a one-off, for him or for anyone else in this part of the world. Coaches, parents and fans alike have displayed the utmost gratitude with few exceptions.

Had I been treated like an outsider, I can guarantee I wouldn't still be living here. I'm not ashamed to say that I make less than $15 an hour because I, like everybody else in this obsolete newspaper business, aren't in it for the money (believe me, I wish I was).

I no longer feel like a temporary resident of this great city. I feel at home.

I'm also incredibly lucky that I wasn't laid off during the COVID-19 lockdown when local sports were canceled for several months. In Maryland, they weren't played for an entire year, and I have no idea how I survived.

As we've returned to normalcy, our sports department has tried to do the same, resurrecting polls and statistical leaders that were staples of yesteryear, and trying to continue to cover as many games as is humanly possible.

I'm not sure if people from Western Maryland and West Virginia realize this, but high school sports coverage in the rest of Maryland is virtually nonexistent.

As a two-year varsity baseball starter at Century High School (coincidentally coached by Fort Hill graduate Mike Marrale), I had my name in the Carroll County Times one time.

That's partially a reflection of my ability (Century won a Class 2A state championship three years after I graduated. Addition by subtraction, I suppose), but it speaks to a larger trend.

Newsrooms have been gutted beyond what many thought was possible, and professional sports and major college athletics get the bulk of the coverage.

I didn't know what I was missing out on.

When I arrived to this area, one so impassioned by local sports, it lit a fire in me. Our readers don't just hope, they expect thorough local sports coverage.

Much of that has to do with the lack of a professional sports team in this region, but there is a desire to preserve history, particularly in local sports, that isn't prevalent in any other place in the state of Maryland.

If something goes uncovered, or it takes a while to get an athlete's achievements in the paper, I feel like I'm failing the community. Because I am.

The kids deserve it, they deserve an experience that I never got. I have parents or grandparents mention from time to time that they've scrapbooked their player's clippings from our paper, and that's what makes this job worth it.

We still screw up. We aren't perfect. I, especially, am not perfect, but we're doing our best, and I hope it shows. I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there that don't like my writing, and I don't blame them (just wait until column No. 60 in August).

Whether you like it or not, I'm here to stay. Who knows how long this thing will last, but I'm going to see it through.

Alex Rychwalski is a sports reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @arychwal.