Everyone remembers their favorite birthday party.
Whether it was because of a cool gift, a fun theme or some new freedoms that came with age, there are those birthdays you can always look back on and think, “Yep, that’s when things changed for me.”
My life-changing birthday was when I turned 13. At that time, the best thing to do when hanging with friends was to fire up the Xbox or PlayStation 2, stretch out your arms and take turns shredding on Guitar Hero.
For my 13th birthday party, I decided to go big, throwing a Guitar Hero tournament. Rather than inviting a few close friends, I practically invited all of Burgettstown Middle School. The day was an absolute blast and provided me with a ton of memories that I still cherish. It also provided me with a crazy amount of birthday cash that quickly started to burn a hole in my pocket.
While I was sitting at home the next day thinking about what I was going to do with the money, a commercial grabbed my attention — an advertisement for Pitt football, with season ticket packages starting as low as $150.
I quickly made a deal with my dad, a lifelong Pitt fan. I’d pay for my half, he’d pay for his, and together, each weekend in the fall of 2008, we would head down to the arena formerly known as Heinz Field (RIP) to watch LeSean McCoy and the Panthers.
That fall, I got my first true taste of why college sports are special. I had been to plenty of football games before, but even with the Steelers having a bigger fan base — and at that time, a championship-caliber team — the traditions within the college game were just too much for me to overlook.
I remember the first time I heard fans sing “Sweet Caroline” at the end of the third quarter. I remember soaking in the craziness as I walked through the parking lot during a Backyard Brawl tailgate. I remember hearing the band play as it marched toward stadium as kickoff approached.
And I remember wanting to learn about the countless traditions other college programs had throughout the country.
There’s just a certain element of intimacy that college sports provide that you don’t see at the professional level. Maybe it comes from the players’ youthful energy, as they start their careers at the next level hoping to make a name for themselves. Maybe it comes from the fact that many of the fans in the stadium are, or once were, students at the university they’re supporting.
Regardless of what it is, I knew instantly that I wanted to be a part of it.
At the age of 13, I attended my first college football game. It was at that same age that I decided I wanted to work in sports media.
I discovered that my favorite thing about sports was the stories they create. I wanted to be the one who told those stories, and I wanted to tell them to people who are connected, invested and passionate about the teams I would be covering.
It’s been 14 years since my dad and I entered the gates of Heinz Field to watch my first college football game. Since then, I’ve worked hard to make my 13-year-old self proud.
I covered plenty of great sports stories in college as a student at the University of Mount Union. After graduating, I worked hard to gain any ounce of experience that I could, covering both news and sports, hoping to one day earn my dream opportunity.
My most recent stop was at the Beaver County Times, where over the past two years, I’ve been lucky enough to tell the stories of more than a few incredible teams and individuals. I achieved enough there to capture the attention of the place I’ve always wanted to be: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
I stuck to the plan and now I get to tell the stories of the team a younger me was paying his hard-earned money to watch every weekend. And I’ll be doing it for the best media outlet in town.
While I rooted for the Panthers as a kid, you won’t be getting biased storytelling or reporting from me. I’m here to provide the best coverage possible, which means remaining objective. It also means remaining engaged with the readers, to know what type of content they crave most.
From the football team coming off an ACC title, to the volleyball program reaching the NCAA Final Four, to the high-stakes season ahead for Jeff Capel and his men’s basketball squad, I look forward to being there for all of it, capturing the excitement, portraying the magic and delivering the information Pitt fans crave.
The first game I’ll be covering will be the renewal of a historic rivalry played in front of a national audience. Not a bad way to start things off, right? I look forward to covering the Pitt beat with all of my capabilities and energy and hope Post-Gazette readers look forward to the coverage.
Noah Hiles: nhiles@post-gazette.com and on Twitter @_NoahHiles
First Published: August 25, 2022, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: August 25, 2022, 9:45 a.m.