Covering sports on Mercer Island was an exhilarating experience

Sportswriter Shaun Scott says goodbye to the island.

By Shaun Scott • July 25, 2019 2:38 pm
Sound Publishing sportswriter Shaun Scott, right, interviews Dominic Woody following a game against the Interlake Saints in April of 2019. Scott will be leaving Sound Publishing after 59 months on the job. Photo courtesy of Jim Nicholson
Sound Publishing sportswriter Shaun Scott, right, interviews Dominic Woody following a game against the Interlake Saints in April of 2019. Scott will be leaving Sound Publishing after 59 months on the job. Photo courtesy of Jim Nicholson

The island is truly a sports enthusiasts’ paradise.

It is the kind of place where high school sports are celebrated. Community sporting activities are a big deal. It is the kind of area where parents proudly post their kids’ articles from the sports section on their refrigerator. When you cruise the streets of Mercer Island, you will see signs from the roadway signifying if there is a home game that particular evening for high school events. That is a rarity for most towns in the United States in 2019, but is the mode of operation on Mercer Island. Bottom line, the community support for athletics is off the charts.

When I was hired at Sound Publishing in August of 2014, I strictly wrote sports for the Issaquah Reporter and Bellevue Reporter. In the fall of 2016, Sound Publishing management added Mercer Island Reporter sports coverage to my plate.

It was a blessing in all aspects.

Change is a constant in modern day society and is on the horizon for me in the near future. My time at Sound Publishing is coming to a close. I have accepted a social media coordinator position in the Puget Sound region. My final day at the four newspapers I work for (Mercer Island Reporter, Snoqualmie Valley Record, Issaquah Reporter and Bellevue Reporter) will be on Aug. 2.

For nearly three years, I had the privilege of telling your stories. I loved coming to work every single day. The Mercer Island sports community embraced me wholeheartedly. To say I felt welcomed would be an understatement. One of my favorite aspects of writing sports on the island was conversing with members of the general public at athletic events. It was great getting to know so many community members on a personal level.

Not only was the community supportive in every way imaginable, I got the chance to cover some of the best high school athletes/teams in Washington. The 2017 Mercer Island Islanders Class 3A state girls basketball championship is something I will always remember. Four straight wins in four consecutive days at the Tacoma Dome. Following each victory, I would make the drive from the Tacoma Dome back to our Bellevue office (located in Factoria) to write up the article late in the evening. It was a lot of driving back and forth but was worth every mile traveled.

Thanks for the memories, Mercer Island!

Shaun Scott can be reached at shaun101st@hotmail.com