How on earth did I get here?

This is one of my favorite pictures since starting The Sports Court.

How on earth did a kid who was only 13 at the time (15 now) somehow get a picture with the Giants 4 Lombardi's?

The answer? Lots of hours and knocking doors down.

I started The Sports Court by doing interviews with people playing in the third division of American soccer, the lower leagues of England, and I worked all the way up from that to interviewing one of the NFL's best players, Saquon Barkley.

To many people are focused on interviewing Saquon Barkley right off the bat, you have to realize that like everything in life, you have to do some dirty work (even though I loved doing that work!).

People sometimes call me lucky that I've been able to interview Saquon, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Howard, the ND Leprechaun, and more.

I don't like to call myself lucky, because I've received far more no's than I have yes's. But the biggest thing I did was not stop working until I finally got that yes.

Prime example: Rose Bowl 2021. My dream school, Notre Dame, versus the favored Alabama. I apply for media credentials, I got a no. Twenty - not lying - hours later - probably more, I feel twenty is an underestimate, of phone calls, emails, LinkedIn networking, I received the credentials.

This is not the story of some kid whose family knows a lot of people. This isn't the story of a kid who is noticed by thousands of people and propels to stardom. This is a story of a kid who worked his way to the top through hours of networking, reaching out, and a never give up until receiving a yes attitude.

Moral of the story? Be persistent. The harder you work, the luckier you get.