Ferndale Student Editor Part of Red Wings' Journalist Day

A student from Ferndale High School was one of 60 high school reporters from across the state who attended the Detroit Red Wings’ annual High School Journalist Day on Thursday.

Held in the Olympia Club at Joe Louis Arena, student participants from sophomores to seniors had the opportunity to see what a day in the life of a sports journalist is all about.

Rachel Dery, editor-in-chief of FHS's student newspaper The Eagle, was among the participants who got the chance to speak with national sports editors, tour the Joe Louis Arena press box, watch the Red Wings practice and participate in two mock press conferences.

Dery said the event was "extremely informative on the ins and outs of the sports journalism industry."

"The best part was being able to experience the atmosphere of a press conference where people are clamoring to get their turn and you have to get your spot," Dery said. "I think its great for students to have this opportunity and realize whether or not this is the right field for them."

After the event, the students were encouraged to write an article or put together a broadcast piece using the information they collected. The top three resulting media pieces will be selected by the Wings public relations department and the grand prize winner will get to spend a 2012-13 Red Wings practice, lunch and home game shadowing USA Today hockey reporter Kevin Allen.

The second place writer or broadcaster will win two tickets to a 2012-13 home game and the third place winner will receive a puck or photo signed by his or her favorite player.

In the press conference, the young journalists took aim at some of the more recognizable faces of the Detroit Red Wings and fired at will.

One by one, they stood up and asked Wings general manager Ken Holland, head coach Mike Babcock and current Red Wings players Dan Cleary, Todd Bertuzzi, and Valtteri Filppula questions on topics ranging from their recent record-breaking home game winning streak to whether or not they think the Wings are the greatest franchise in professional sports.

Babcock asked the students if they knew what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives and said he wasn’t surprised when few students had an answer.

“I don’t even know what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Babcock said.

After the press conference, Bertuzzi offered tips for young reporters trying to break into sports journalism.

“It’s about respect and honesty,” Bertuzzi said. “I think when you get into journalism and you get the needling and poking at you to try to get an answer that wouldn’t make sense or put someone in a bad way is something that gets annoying to athletes, and if that continues then you’re going to end up getting shut down and you’re going to lose opportunities to speak to that individual.”

Trenton Patch Editor Nate Stemen contributed to this report.