Why I Write: Alex Wright

Editor’s note: Welcome to our series for this summer. Every Thursday from June through August, one of our writers will share a bit about the journey that brought them here. The goal is to provide a way for our readers to learn more about the people behind the keyboard as well as the steps they have taken in their careers so far.

What are some interesting notes about your personal life that you care to share?

I knew at a very young age, like six or seven years old, that I would not be a Hall of Fame baseball or football player. I wasn’t very good so I started thinking about how I could be involved in sports in a career path that wasn’t an athlete. It was shortly thereafter that I found that working in sports media would be the way to go. I, along with many aspiring broadcasters, was inspired by Vin Scully. I thought he had the coolest job, going to a baseball game every day, so that’s my forte in my passion for sports and wanting to pursue a career in sports media. Outside of sports, I am born and raised in Las Vegas and have seen the city grow from just UNLV and some minor league sports to the professional sports capital of the world.

Why do you like writing?

As I previously mentioned, broadcasting was the original path that I wanted to go down in my sports media journey, and that might still happen. But it wasn't until my senior year of high school that I started to think of writing as a possible career path. I spent all four years of high school involved with our school’s radio station, where I broadcasted football and basketball, and hosted sports shows. I was also interested in taking the “journalism” course, that housed our school’s online newspaper. It was during that time that I started to enjoy writing about sports (I never cared for English class, writing about books or literary devices.) That experience and joining my college newspaper was where I found enjoyment in writing and expressing my thoughts and feelings through words. My time in high school, starting out at my college newspaper, and time at MWCConnection, helped me grow my passion for writing.

Why do you follow college sports?

Well, I am a college student surrounded by college sports at UNLV. But for the longest time growing up in Las Vegas, all we had was UNLV athletics. In the past five years, Las Vegas has become a hub for professional sports with the Golden Knights, Raiders, and Aces, rumors of other big league sports coming, and significant events like the Super Bowl and Formula 1. Before professional sports came to Las Vegas, UNLV athletics was the biggest draw in town. For me, it was UNLV basketball when Lon Kruger was the coach and Runnin’ Rebel basketball was back. I will put a packed Thomas & Mack Center, when they turn off the lights, shoot off the fireworks, and sing the UNLV fight song up against any atmosphere in college athletics.

What led to writing for MWCConnection?

I was covering some UNLV men’s basketball games for the student radio station, The Rebel HD-2, and Mike direct messaged me on Twitter from the MWCConnection account, asking me if I was interested in writing about UNLV for the site. After thinking about it for a few days, I decided to take the leap of faith and join the website to cover the Rebels. This was during my first year at UNLV and I had already dipped my toes into the sports media waters covering sports for the student radio station and UNLV student newspaper, and I believed joining MWCConnection would be a good move as I started my career in sports media. And it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made.

What do you like about writing for MWCConnection?

I enjoy the freedom I have as a writer. Whether it be story ideas or how I write a basic game preview or recap, I’ve been able to have the creative freedom to figure out my style as a writer. It is a great way to get reps as a writer because I believe the best way to learn is to do. And if you want to be a writer, you have to write. With MWCConnection, you can write as much as you can and a variety of story types, previews, recaps, analysis pieces, hard/breaking news, fun and humor pieces, and so many more. If you are covering a certain team or specific sport, it’s a great way to learn beat writing. All in all, it is a great experience and I love it. I truly believe it has helped me become a better writer and the skills I’ve been able to practice here have helped me get opportunities to do this with other outlets.