What is Coop Sports News?
Hi, my name is Greg. Some of you know me from the various newspapers I used to work for during the past decade. Some of you know me from acting jobs or the nonprofit film commission, Film COOP, where I am the board president and acting executive director/film commissioner. Some of you know me as a crazy soccer dad.
It feels increasingly like people know me for my sports coverage. Recently, in my most likely last newspaper stint, I got nothing but applause outside the office for my work and nothing but grief for it inside the office. I could never reconcile the two camps and hence I am a recovering newspaper person.
Why subscribe to Coop Sports News?
Still, the sports coverage was always my favorite part of the work. However, I was always limited in my coverage of sports, by managements, by work hours, by the production cycle, by the need to be at some meeting.
It seems like my sports coverage was a favorite part of my work for community members, too. I know there have been dozens of comments, on social media or in private messages, about how people hope I can continue my coverage of local sports. Of course, with this transition happening during the middle of the Cooperstown boys soccer program going on their run — my son is a reserve and I have been blessed to help coach a lot of kids in this group — I still want to chronicle it. You may have seen me do that on Facebook, in a spur of the moment decision to not let the bastards keep me down … or from doing from I love to do.
So, since I doubt it will be for newspapers, I decided maybe I could do something different. While a lot of my focus in the next year is going to be with the film commission and various television and film projects, I will still have to replace some or all of the income from my newspaper jobs. I think the Substack account covering CCS sports is the way everyone gets what they want and my family still gets what it needs.
There will be free content on the site and on social media, including basic scores and nightly digests, or what the papers used to call roundups. However, subscribers get full access to the newsletter and website, including notifications of new posts and exclusive content, such as full-game reports and features.
2021-2022, the pilot season
I have no idea what 2022 holds for me, but I can predict enough to believe I am available to cover CCS sports through the end of the 2021-2022 school year. So, I am offering subscriptions for $10 per month or $75 for the remaining eight-month school year. I cannot promise I can be at every game and there will be times I am away or busy (Thanksgiving, spring break, Christmas Carol weekend, pilot filming weekend), but my intention is to cover as many home games, meets and matches as I can and make sure the big events and accomplishments are heralded properly.
I have reached out to the CCS Sports Booster Club to see if they would sponsor this service and intend to offer them a 10% cut of any subscriber fees.
Finally, thank you all for your support for me and my family during a time of tragedy and turmoil.
See you at the games. Best wishes, Greg Klein, Otsego, New York.
