New sports writer takes over at East County Observer

Hi there.

I’m Ryan Kohn, your new East County Observer sports reporter. I wanted to offer a quick nuts-and-bolts history about me because, hopefully, we are going to be working together.

I was born in a small town called Olney, Md., about 40 minutes away from both Baltimore and Washington, D.C. I grew up a D.C. sports fan all the way except in baseball, where I was an Orioles fan.

Living a few minutes away from the Orioles' spring training hub is a bit of a dream come true for me, especially since being a sports fan wasn't a choice I had in my family. Once, when I was about 5, my father locked me out of the house for a few minutes because I said I didn’t like the Washington Capitals.

His methods were effective. I now love the Caps with all my heart.

A University of Missouri graduate, my writing style might be a bit more relaxed than most. A few "y’alls” might even find their way into my columns (we’ll wait and see what gets edited out). 

I'm hoping, though, you’ll enjoy what I bring to the table. I’m in this business because I love how words look, and feel, and fit together. Despite loving analytics and the strategy behind sports, I want to write about people, not statistics.

I discovered this about myself while a high school football coach was berating me.

The coach, Arnel Monroe, was in the middle of what turned out to be a winless season at Hickman High School in Columbia, Mo., and I was standing on the school’s home field after Hickman had taken yet another pummeling from a local rival.

Monroe spoke to his players as they kneeled in the huddle. I waited a few feet away for him to finish before asking for my typical post game interview. While tweeting out a few game notes, I heard Monroe shout “Hey!” but I didn’t know he was talking to me until I saw the explosions in his eyes. Monroe accused me of listening to private conversations between him and his players, that he’d noticed me doing the same thing in the past and that if I did it again, he would ban me from the stadium.

During those tense few minutes, I learned all I needed to know about Arnel Monroe. He loved his players and did whatever it took to take the heat off them during a disastrous season. His players loved him back and they never stopped telling me so.

It was also evident that the pressure he put on himself was becoming too much. Hickman lost most of its top players when a new high school opened and shook up the school's drawing area. For a school with a winning tradition, seasons like this one were unacceptable.

The following Monday, I attended Hickman's football practice, and Monroe apologized to me. He was just caught up in the moment, Monroe said, and was directing his frustration toward the wrong person. I told him there was no need to apologize for caring too much.

Monroe wasn’t a perfect man. He pleaded guilty to a DWI charge in 2014. He was suspended by Hickman halfway through the 2013 season for reasons that are still undisclosed. But he looked after his players like no other coach I’ve witnessed. He was their suit of armor. His complexity as a person fascinated me, as did his drive. I was confident he would make Hickman into a winner once again if given the chance.

He didn't get it. Monroe passed away on June 5 after suffering a heart attack. He was 49.

I want to tell the stories of people like Monroe and I hope I don’t have to write many stories as heartbreaking as his. I want to have fun with this opportunity, and I want readers to smile, or maybe even laugh, while reading my columns and features.

If any readers know of someone whose story is powerful, hilarious, bizarre or just plain interesting, I’d love nothing more than to help that person tell it. If there’s new technology being used to maintain a baseball infield, if an off-the-wall sport is invented by a family in its backyard, or if a local halftime show is going to feature a monkey riding a dog, feel free to let me know as well.

Along the same lines, please send me any sports news you feel appropriate. I can be reached by phone at 755-5357 ext. 203, by email at [email protected], or on Twitter @RyanAKohn, if social media is more your style.