The Editor’s Note: Cheering on Team USA

Sagen Maddalena wants to catch a really big fish someday. A shooting medal at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo would be quite

a prize as well. (SAGEN MADDALENA)

n my long career as a sports reporter, I always tried to abide by

Ithe old adage of not rooting for the teams, players and coaches I covered.

I used to always laugh inside when I covered University of Arkansas football games and shortly before kickoff the sports information director would announce, “This is a working press box. No cheering allowed.” And though many of my colleagues who were locals – and in some cases alumni of the school and fans of the teams – were clearly “homers” in what they wrote and broadcasted, they mostly adhered to the mandates during the games.

Still, even I had a penchant for quietly hoping for good things and success for the athletes and coaches who were part of my beat. It’s only natural to root for positive karma when they’re nice people and while I dealt with some pain in the ass subjects, many were always honest, forthcoming, pleasant and even friendly to deal with – even when they were at their worst after a loss or bad performance.

That said, I’ll have no problem rooting for Sagen Maddalena, the California native who will participate in the three-position rifle competition at this month’s Tokyo Summer Olympics (page 18). I really enjoyed my chat with Maddalena, who got her start in shooting sports modestly, but then walked on to her college rifle team and continued to work tirelessly to get better.

Her story really inspired me about the importance of patience, determination and persistence. And she made me laugh too when I asked what was on her fishing bucket list.

“I just want to reel in a big one. That’s all,” she quipped. “I can tell you about the ones that got away. I’ve got two of those, but I’m not going to say them, because nobody’s going to believe (the stories).”

A gold medal would certainly be quite the trophy to reel in when she competes in Japan. And while I won’t be in a press box, I’ll be cheering for Sagen. Go Team USA! -Chris Cocoles