(Editor’s note: This article is part of a weekly series highlighting Columbus Dispatch journalists and their work in our community.)
Dave Purpura covers high school sports for The Columbus Dispatch, monitoring the performance of teams and players at more than 100 schools in central Ohio.
A graduate of Independent High School and the University of Toledo, Purpura’s 24-year career includes several awards from organizations such as the Associated Press Association of Ohio and the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association. He also writes The Dispatch’s weekly high school sports newsletter, available online only to subscribers.
Below, he answers some questions about his work.
Why I became a journalist
I have always loved writing and speaking, and my initial career goals focused on the latter. I’ve wanted to be a sportscaster since I was 5 or 6 years old. When my family watched Cincinnati Reds games, I always listened to the game on my transistor radio and paid as much attention to Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall in the broadcast booth as I did to the players on the field. I was the sports director for the University of Toledo’s student radio station for two years in the late 1990s, and as graduation approached, my contributions to the student newspaper were recognized. Newspapers called me faster than radio stations, and lo and behold, I’ve been writing for almost 25 years.
I still get paid to speak from time to time as I host the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards every June.
What I like most about my job
Diversity and a chance to tell fun stories. Unique pieces have long been a favorite of mine. When covering high school sports, if you’re ready for the end of one season, the next season is just around the corner. I’m grateful to have met so many interesting people in my quarter-century of high school sports reporting, and that pipeline won’t dry up anytime soon.
‘Proud to be a son’: Carder Angelotte plays for Jerome boys lacrosse in honor of mother
Stories I worked on that had a lasting impact on me.
This was fun and personal at the same time.
Photojournalist Barbara Perenic and I had the opportunity to travel to tiny Maria Stein, Ohio, home of Ohio high school football powerhouse Marion Local, in September 2023. The Flyers enter the season with 48 straight wins and 14 state championships since 2000 and look poised to take No. 15. What makes this so remarkable is that almost 90% of the boys at the school play football. This is not a program for young people.
Why so personal? Some of my best childhood memories come from visiting my grandparents who lived nearby in St. Mary’s. St. Mary’s is one of several towns in the area with a strong soccer pedigree of its own, and on that beautiful Friday afternoon I realized that I had traveled the same road many times on my way to and from Maria Stein. there is. An evening when I was young, when my grandfather and I drove the car just to do something.
Several of the last names on the Marion Local roster were familiar to me, even though I didn’t know any of the players personally. Work ethics and a sense of tradition are strong everywhere, but they were especially acute for me that night. It’s not something you always get to experience even if you work locally.
Dave Purpura’s deep dive: From the rural farm town of Maria Stein, football giant Marion to the local town that towers over Ohio
Notable people I have met or interviewed as a journalist
Archie Griffin, Jim Lachey, Paul Keels, Joe Nuxhall, and Jim Tressel immediately come to mind. As an unabashed Buckeye fan (they are my hometown team, after all), those definitely led to some “pinch” moments.
As for the “when did I know them” moment, it might be the quarterback I covered at Stratford High School in Houston early in my 26-month stay in the Lone Star State. After the big game, I introduced myself to the signal caller and told him I had just moved from Ohio, and before I could ask him any questions, he happily told me that his father was from Cleveland and asked me I asked him about his career path. Perhaps he sensed my homesickness. Perhaps it was a truly selfless character.
his name is? Andrew Luck, future No. 1 NFL draft pick.
The biggest challenge I face as a journalist
This is simple: no messages are returned. They’re the worst, and at the end of the day, deserving athletes don’t get proper coverage unless other players go to bat in their place. With over 100 high schools in our coverage area, the reality is that coaches and athletic directors also serve as public relations officers. I’ve lost count of how many great ADs and coaches I’ve had the privilege of interviewing over the past 24 years. I hope they teach others a lesson too.
And one more thing: I don’t have the opportunity to write all the stories I want to write.
Things I like to do when I’m not at work
Spend time with family and friends. At least when they make time, given that many of us are at an age when we’re going through our hectic teenage years, it’s easy to do things like go for a walk or play golf (not as often as I’d like). Not so much as a result)) Watching sports. Lots of sports. I’m also interested in the weather, and storms always catch my eye. Probably my number one bucket list item is to visit all of the current Major League Baseball parks. I’ve been stuck at a dozen for too long.
Favorite event or Columbus area tradition
I think Ohio State football is a tradition in the Columbus area, so that’s my choice. If you’re lucky enough to get a ticket, you can go to the game, but it’s a shared experience that goes beyond the game itself. My wife and I attend the Dublin Irish Festival, Columbus and Pickerington Oktoberfest, and the Columbus Italian Festival every year. The combination of food, drink, music and people keeps us coming back again and again.
Why is journalism important?
Because it gives me and my colleagues the opportunity to share your story. The subject is an expert. I am simply adding appropriate words to their stories. If someone chooses me and is excited about the outcome, that would be a great honor. I have never considered myself an activist or change agent. I love telling stories, and if something good comes out of it, that’s great.
dpurpura@dispatch.com
@dp_dispatch
