Smolar: Hello Laurinburg

Before I officially introduce myself as the new sports editor of The Laurinburg Exchange, I want to give you all a few things you should know about me before I’m out in town talking to players and coaches while providing local coverage to all of your favorite Scotland County sports.

The most important thing is I am very passionate about sports. That may seem obvious considering the position I just accepted but it is very true.

Between having been a Division I swimmer, a sister who can say the same, a dad who played hockey at Indiana and always loving to watch and follow sports, it has always played a big role in my life and run in my family. My favorite team in the pros is the Buffalo Bills while I also support Notre Dame and Army from a college perspective.

I grew up about 40 minutes from West Point in Orange County, New York and have family ties to Western New York as well as Chicago. Before doing an internship last summer with the Buffalo Bisons, the AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees, I did some sports reporting for my college’s newspaper in addition to being part of my high school’s news station.

Those experiences have provided me invaluable lessons and gave me a real taste of what this landscape is all about. I have loved and continue to love every second of it.

Working in sports has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, this being my first full-time job out of college is truly a dream come true. While I may be more introverted and quiet than most, I enjoy meeting new people and getting to talk to others who feel as passionately about sports as I do whether doing it for work or fun.

This job is going to teach me a lot and open up several new avenues as I start the next chapter of my life. I am genuinely looking forward to connecting with all the great people of Laurinburg and the surrounding areas.

The challenges of this industry are relatively easy to identify. It is very competitive, sometimes requires working strange hours and needs someone who is comfortable getting out there and talking to people they don’t know. I am ready to tackle all of them head-on and give you all the best job I can deliver.

If you have made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read about me and who is behind getting you all of your important sports news. With that being said, I will now officially introduce myself as Andrew Smolar, the new sports editor of The Laurinburg Exchange.