My name is Josh VanDyke.
I have always been a person who has best articulated my thoughts and opinions through written word, rather than verbal outburst. While I do enjoy communicating and sharing my thoughts with others in social settings, I have always found myself using a keyboard or pen to most accurately portray the happenings in my mind.
I have also been surrounded by sports my entire life. Both my parents were athletes growing up, and their love of athletic competition was passed down to my DNA as well. When I was an infant, my parents brought me to a Notre Dame-Air Force football game in South Bend, Indiana, and I've been in love with sports ever since. I remember every Michigan State University football home game I have attended since the age of six. I remember the smell the fresh meat hissing on grills, the fight song being blared over numerous car stereos, footballs being tossed on every square block of grass, and the chatter of family and friends exchanging opinions in a festive environment.
I believe my passion for sports journalism was planted in those parking lots at a young age.
I have taken a unique course since that time, but my passion remains the same. I took two years worth of journalism credits at Grand Valley State University, before switching over to communications in my final two years of college to pursue a dream as a radio show host. With the current climate of the radio business, I decided to hone my talents at MLive Media Group in Grand Rapids, Michigan after graduation. While at MLive, I have learned the importance of accuracy, meeting deadlines, and persistence.
I have also brought my unique combination of writing and radio into the sports blogosphere. I was a staff writer at SBNation for more than two years, and have parlayed my understanding of newspapers and radio into a newly developed talent for blogging and podcasting, as well as using social media to promote my work. I have established professional relationships with fellow sports journalists and learned what it takes to be successful in a field that is often post-apocalyptic in nature.
After three years with MLive Media Group, I decided to challenge myself with a bigger role at the Grand Haven Tribune as the company's sports editor. It was an exciting challenging and one that I believe has made me a better writer, editor and photographer. I hope to continue to find new challenges in my professional career, and continue to grow as a writer and a person.
I have always been a person who has best articulated my thoughts and opinions through written word, rather than verbal outburst. While I do enjoy communicating and sharing my thoughts with others in social settings, I have always found myself using a keyboard or pen to most accurately portray the happenings in my mind.
I have also been surrounded by sports my entire life. Both my parents were athletes growing up, and their love of athletic competition was passed down to my DNA as well. When I was an infant, my parents brought me to a Notre Dame-Air Force football game in South Bend, Indiana, and I've been in love with sports ever since. I remember every Michigan State University football home game I have attended since the age of six. I remember the smell the fresh meat hissing on grills, the fight song being blared over numerous car stereos, footballs being tossed on every square block of grass, and the chatter of family and friends exchanging opinions in a festive environment.
I believe my passion for sports journalism was planted in those parking lots at a young age.
I have taken a unique course since that time, but my passion remains the same. I took two years worth of journalism credits at Grand Valley State University, before switching over to communications in my final two years of college to pursue a dream as a radio show host. With the current climate of the radio business, I decided to hone my talents at MLive Media Group in Grand Rapids, Michigan after graduation. While at MLive, I have learned the importance of accuracy, meeting deadlines, and persistence.
I have also brought my unique combination of writing and radio into the sports blogosphere. I was a staff writer at SBNation for more than two years, and have parlayed my understanding of newspapers and radio into a newly developed talent for blogging and podcasting, as well as using social media to promote my work. I have established professional relationships with fellow sports journalists and learned what it takes to be successful in a field that is often post-apocalyptic in nature.
After three years with MLive Media Group, I decided to challenge myself with a bigger role at the Grand Haven Tribune as the company's sports editor. It was an exciting challenging and one that I believe has made me a better writer, editor and photographer. I hope to continue to find new challenges in my professional career, and continue to grow as a writer and a person.