TigerBlog learned a long time ago about the value of a good feature story.
He's not sure what his first one was, though he does know that back when he was covering high school sports in the newspaper business 40 years ago, he did try to integrate feature elements into routine game stories. That's how he was taught, primarily by a fellow sportswriter named Bruce Johnson.
Through the years, he's found that features are his favorite stories to write. He also learned from the late, great Harvey Yavener that everyone has a story to tell and that it's on you as the writer to get them to tell it to you before you can then tell it to everyone else.
When you spend your career at Princeton, you have no shortage of great subjects. And, as Yav always said, their stories are fabulous before you ever mention anything to do with sports.
With not much in terms of games on the Princeton Athletic calendar this month, TB has four feature stories to share with you.
One of them is up today on goprincetontigers.com, and it's the story of two people who didn't even know each other back in September. Despite the short time they've known each other, they have had a massive impact on each other's well-being.
Oh, and speaking of "short," here's something you can get away with you're barely five-feet tall:
Her season lasted exactly 60 minutes and 45 seconds, over in the first minute of the second game with a broken collarbone. Through a confluence of events that began with that injury, Schulze ended up introduced to Bryce Chase, a member of the Class of 1963 and a longtime member of the men's lacrosse program.
Chase lost his beloved wife Phyllis back in August. Schulze, needing a place to live after withdrawing from school, became the 37th different resident of the basement apartment in Bryce and Phyllis' house. Grace Schulze is a bolt of lightning and energy, and she came to Bryce at a time when he needed both in his house. She has brought something important to the house, which, without Phyllis, in Bryce's word, "sucks."
As would be the case in any situation where someone close to you has lost a longtime spouse, everyone who knows Bryce was worried about him. How would he get along? What would he be like?
There is nobody affiliated with Princeton men's lacrosse who doesn't love Bryce. They all, to a person, want to thank Schulze for everything she's done.
That's the story that's up today. There are three others brewing as well.
One is about Ellie Mitchell and Caden Pierce and their extraordinary ability to rebound. This particular feature story will be paired with a video of the two, with an appearance from Ford Family Director of Athletics John Mack.
TB wrote the story two weeks ago, and each time the basketball teams play he updates it with their latest feat. Most recently, Mitchell had 19 more against Villanova and then another 10 against Rutgers, both of which were Princeton wins. Mitchell now sits in third place all-time among Princeton women in career rebounds with 948, which leaves her 14 away from Bella Alarie for second and 151 away from Margaret Meier's 1,099, the most by a Princeton woman or man.
Speaking of Princeton basketball, TB also has a piece coming out soon about Abby Meyers and her basketball travels. Meyers has played for five different teams in the last two years, but, she says, she's "a Princeton Tiger at heart."
Then there is the fourth feature, this one on Kate Joyce. She may know Joyce as an All-American javelin thrower in women's track and field, but did you know how she came to throw the javelin in the first place? Or what her best sport was when she was younger?
Even more than that, do you know what she's doing while she's injured this year?
You'll find it all out when TB gets this story done as well.
Enjoy the four features. There will be others in the New Year.
As Yav always said, there's no shortage of subjects at Princeton.
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