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Joe Gisondi, a journalism professor at Eastern Illinois University, shatters some myths about coverage of high school sports – and some middle school sports, too, during his virtual presentation Tuesday at the Illinois Press Association/Foundation virtual convention.
By CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN For Illinois Press Association
SPRINGFIELD – Joe Gisondi was “here” at the virtual Illinois Press Association/Foundation convention to dispel myths about what no longer works in covering prep sports.
Right off the top of his Tuesday afternoon session, he said reports of the death of the daily “gamer” are greatly exaggerated.
“I’ve heard from experts that high school sports game stories are dead, but I can tell you from our website last year that they’re one of our biggest reads,” said Gisondi, a journalism professor at Eastern Illinois University and author of the “Field Guide To Writing Sports.” “Some of the big games? They go crazy, and the numbers show it.”
About a year ago, Gisondi started up ColesCountySports.com, a website dedicated to local sports coverage in East Central Illinois.
Here are some misperceptions he singled out:
Gisondi said just this past weekend, a cross country meet drew more than 1,000 views. Not bad for a media outlet that has about 2,000 followers on Facebook.
Not to mention a sport that many perceive as lesser than football.
“We treat all the other sports like they’re football,” Gisondi said. “The fans of those sports really jump in and love the coverage.”
He said no state competition is more epic than the wrestling championship, with its light production and walk-ins leading up to title bouts.
“If you think people in wrestling don’t care, go to the state wrestling meet. It’s crazy-good,” Gisondi said. “We hit wrestling hard, because it typically doesn’t get the coverage. It’s so action-packed, and those parents are in it.”
Gisondi said he’s not above covering middle school sports, and that no one should be.
“If they think that’s beneath them, they should probably try to find a new career,” he said of sports reporters and editors. “I would pick and choose some of those opportunities, because there’s a big audience there. Parents and grandparents in the community absolutely love it.”
He said Lakeland Community College wasn’t getting coverage, either, despite some of its programs being ranked nationally.
“We were out there covering them, out there taking video,” he said. “People loved it, just like with cross country.”
A team’s caliber does not dictate its fans’ passion. In fact, family members of kids in struggling programs are often starved for coverage and scrapbook material.
“It doesn’t matter if a team is losing,” he said. “You cover them and tell great stories.”
For example, a local girls hoops team was losing, often by 30 or 40 points, every time it took the floor.
“One reason was because their all-state player tore an ACL and couldn’t play until the postseason. They had four or five freshman out there.”
So when they hung with a powerhouse of an opponent and lost by single digits, Gisondi wrote a story he and the community were truly proud of.
“My focus was on the coach being proud of these freshmen for playing the game of their life,” he said. “It was infectious. It was a hit.”
After a frigid cross country meet last fall, Gisondi found two Mattoon runners who he’d noticed over the course of the season were good friends.
So after the meet, he asked them to both hop on a video interview.
“They were playing off each other,” he said. “Moms thought it was adorable, and friends thought it was great. And I was able to get quotes at the same time.”
The video then gets embedded online, and the quotes can get pulled for the print story.
“It’s serving two purposes,” Gisondi said. “These kids feel a lot more comfortable in that setting.”
That might be true, but what you can’t fit on B1 will certainly fit online.
“Write as long as you want for online,” Gisondi said. “Nowadays, the second-day lead is in the same reporting cycle, that same night.”
Go ahead and change the lede. Given it a new spin.
“Then the reader realizes both of these products have value,” Gisondi said.
He also said to go ahead and write multiple stories. And post those photo galleries, too. It will all get viewed.
They do if stories about their teams are promoted on there. And those stories are pushed on Facebook because that’s where the parents and grandparents are.
About a month after launching, ColesCountySports.com had about 1,000 followers on Facebook, and that number has since doubled.
One year later, the site’s Twitter account is still sitting under 200 followers.
The treasure trove for the athletes themselves is Instagram where, due in part to Gisondi asking the neighbor boy, a local goalkeeper, for help, the site racked up 350 followers in 2 days.
“It happened so fast, and it’s still growing,” Gisondi said.
Maybe not if you’ve never written about them, let alone spoken to them, Gisondi said.
But if you’re familiar, don’t just follow them. Tag the bejesus out of them.
“I do,” Gisondi said. “Every time you tag them, you’re going to be able to get a larger audience.”
He said he’s eager to follow athletes who’ve gone on to college and ask them to take video of a walk around campus that Gisondi can use to keep the local crowd plugged in to their local athlete’s college story.
Gisondi said there’s no tougher event to cover than covering a prep football game. And whereas maybe an NBA or college reporter could write off their tweets, they’re provided the safety net of a full box score.
He said tweets can be helpful as notes, but the tried-and-true best practice of covering prep football is keeping an accurate box score and running log of the action.
When he arrives at a game, Gisondi alerts both coaches that he’s there and asks that they not leave without chatting with him afterward.
“I’ll also let the home coach know I’m going to talk to the visiting coach first,” Gisondi said. “I don’t want them getting on the bus and leaving.”
He talks to the coaches and players from outside the coverage area to get insights on how the local kids did, through the lens of the opposition.
The old-school mentality that the local paper knows more than the readers, and that it shouldn’t use submitted photos doesn’t hold water anymore, Gisondi said.
“We were a lot more dismissive of our audience, because we knew newspapers,” he said. “We can’t do that now. I’m building relationships with athletes, coaches, parents. What that does is makes people care about you, and your product.”
During the session, Sandy Kucharski, Woodstock Independent associate editor, asked whether Gisondi accepts photos sent by the community.
In fact, he asks for them.
He just finished a story on the best boys cross country athletes over the past decade, part of a series for all the local sports. He asked coaches for pictures of athletes who competed years before ColesCountySports.com launched last fall.
And they delivered.
He’s even chummed it up with the father of a local boys’ soccer coach, who takes photos from the sidelines. He delivered, too.
But even if they’re cellphone photos – all of Gisondi’s photos are taken on a phone, actually – they’re fair game online, where resolution isn’t a factor.
In that spirit, Gisondi urged audience members that photo galleries are traffic gold mines.
“People are going to look at them,” he said. “Your audience is very selfish. The same goes for me as a parent. They want to see their kids’ names in the story and to see their picture in a photo gallery.”
Gisondi said that’s a stance taken frequently by editors of weekly newspapers who don’t want to post stories online before they appear in print. It’s a stance, Gisondi said, that’s easily debunked.
“Write the story now and get it up there,” he said. “You’re not giving away content. You’re building a connection.”
Holding out on your audience doesn’t make sense.
“Even if they can’t get it at that moment, at least get it to them later that day,” Gisondi said. “You’re giving them content they can’t get anywhere else.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 7, 2026 Media Contact Information: Aunt Millie's Bakeries Melissa Koeneman, director of marketing (260) 417-2581 mkoeneman@auntmillies.com
John F. Popp, President of Aunt Millie’s Bakeries
FORT WAYNE, Indiana — Aunt Millie’s Bakeries is deeply saddened to announce the passing of its President John F. Popp, who died on Friday, July 31, at the age of 94. A third-generation member of the family business, John’s leadership, optimism, faith, and unwavering commitment to people helped shape the company and its culture for more than four decades. John Franke Popp was born March 2, 1932, to Lucile and Les Sr. Popp. He grew up with his older brother, Les Jr., on Forest Park Boulevard in Fort Wayne and graduated from Northside High School in 1950. He went on to attend the University of Michigan, graduating in 1954, and entered the U.S. Army that same year. He served as a second lieutenant before returning home following his military service. John was offered an opportunity to begin a career as an analyst with T. Rowe Price, but his path ultimately led him back to Fort Wayne and the family bakery. At his mother’s urging, he returned home to join the business — a decision that would shape not only his own life, but the future of generations of the Popp family and Aunt Millie’s employees. Long before his career in baking, John developed a love for Lake Wawasee and water skiing, eventually becoming the Indiana state slalom water ski champion. It was at the lake that he met Esther Rolene, the love of his life. They married on June 19, 1960, and spent the next decades building a life together, raising two sons and creating countless memories with family and friends. Even with the demands of running a growing company, John made time for what mattered most, including cheering his sons on from the sidelines at their baseball and football games.
John F. Popp and his wife, Esther Rolene Popp
In 1967, John stepped away from the family bakery to pursue a career in real estate, where he developed the subdivisions of Devil’s Hollow, Manitou, Lakewood, West Hamilton Estates, White Loon, and Winding Brook. In 1980, he returned to Perfection Bakeries, where he helped guide the company through a period of significant growth and expansion. The company that would become known as Aunt Millie’s grew under his leadership into one of the largest family-owned baking companies in the United States. John viewed the people around him as an important part of that success. He loved being part of the team and was known for his optimism, encouragement, and genuine care for employees. His leadership was not simply about growing a business; it was about building an organization where people could grow, contribute, and feel that they were part of something bigger than themselves. A third-generation leader of the family-owned bakery founded in 1901, John was deeply committed to protecting and building upon the legacy established by his grandfather, John B. Franke. His influence also reached beyond Aunt Millie’s. He was a passionate advocate for independent bakeries across the country, working with industry organizations to strengthen and protect family-owned businesses. He believed in the importance of education and workforce development and encouraged lifelong learning within the company while supporting the next generation of leaders in the baking industry. In recognition of his contributions to the baking industry, John was inducted into the Baking Hall of Fame by the American Society of Bakers and Engineers in 2021. He also served the state of Indiana after being appointed by Governor Mike Pence to serve on the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. While John’s professional accomplishments were many, those closest to him knew that his faith and family were at the center of his life. He cherished Bible Study Fellowship and worshiped at The Chapel and Wawasee Lakeside Chapel. He was quietly generous and found joy in serving others through organizations including the Euell Wilson Center, Women’s Care Center, and Ratio Christi. John enjoyed spring breaks in Florida, trips to Maine, his ’61 Corvette, and working on projects at the lake. He appreciated the simple pleasures of life, but most of all, he loved his family. His greatest legacy will not be measured solely by the company he helped build, but by the family he loved, the people he encouraged, the lives he touched, and the values he carried with him throughout his life. “John Popp believed that success was built on people,” said Rick Brown, Chief Customer Officer. “He cared deeply about our employees, our customers, our communities, and the generations of families who have made Aunt Millie’s a trusted name. His leadership was defined by humility, kindness, and an unwavering commitment to doing what was right.” John’s passing leaves a tremendous loss for the Popp family, the Aunt Millie’s family, and the many people and organizations whose lives he touched. While the company mourns his loss, Aunt Millie’s leadership team remains committed to carrying forward the mission, values, and legacy John championed throughout his life. Daily operations will continue uninterrupted as the company moves forward under its established leadership plan. The Popp family extends its heartfelt appreciation for the many expressions of sympathy and support received during this difficult time. Memorial service information will be shared at a later date. About Aunt Millie’s Bakeries Founded in 1901 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Aunt Millie’s Bakeries is one of the largest family-owned bakeries in the Midwest, serving customers across six states with fresh bread, buns, rolls, bagels, and other baked goods. For more than a century, the company has remained committed to quality, innovation, and serving the communities it calls home.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 21, 2026 Media Contact Information: Michael Korman, highway commissioner North Township Road District (847) 728-7055 mike.korman@northfieldtownship.com
Northfield Township Road District’s Phase II project placed in Group 1, the top tier, of MWRD’s 2026 Stormwater Partnership Program; construction could begin as early as 2027
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