Simmons Says farewell to WCSA

Goodbyes are never easy.

When I started the Warren County Sports Authority, I truly didn’t know what to expect. I knew I loved covering the Pioneers, the Broncos and all our county programs, but I didn’t know if anybody would reach into their billfold and commit their hard-earned money to read my coverage. I hoped they would, but deep down you never know until the first post goes live.

All I can say is I’m truly blown away by the people who have given me a chance. The gratitude I have to all my readers and all the businesses who have been along for the ride the last 25 months is immense. It makes my eyes water thinking of all of you – the people who have made “There’s the Sports Authority,” a common term at Nunley Stadium, Charlie Dalton Gym and so many more places across this glorious county.

Thank you so much!

To all those who have contributed to the site (for no money – just a love of the game), I can’t say thank you enough. Your talent and drive amaze me – It’s no wonder you’re already doing big things and are only scratching the surface of your potential.

To Ansley and Trev – I love y’all like family. You’ve went above and beyond countless times to make this site and the WCSA social network into something that people flock to constantly. I may have bestowed the moniker, “The WC Sports Authority,” on myself years ago (when I hadn’t even earned it – yet), but you’re the face of what we’ve done.

To Geoff – you’re the carbon copy I’ve been looking for in this coverage game for a decade. I always said I needed to duplicate myself to be everywhere every night and here you came along – same name and all (even if my spelling is better) – and made it possible.

To my family, many of which who bought subscriptions to my site before I ever even published a story, I want to say thank you and I love you. Mom, you were No. 1 – my first customer. You’re the last person I talked to before I started writing this too, it felt like the proper beginning and ending. Dad, I wouldn’t be writing sports if you didn’t show me why they were so great so long ago. From those backyard games to showing me the pageantry of Neyland Stadium (thereby getting that orange blood coursing through my veins), my love for sports is only secondary to my love for you and my family.

John and Emily – your support is incredible and you stepped in seamlessly some 30 years ago and have always been there for me. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without y’all helping me shoulder the load behind the scenes (or even providing transportation – one day I’ll return your vehicles to you, hopefully in similar or better condition). I love you both!

With that in mind, I’m here saying this will be my final post on the WC Sports Authority site. It has come time to bestow the WCSA title on some young and hungry people ready to resume the mantle. They remind me of me when I took this challenge on the first time in 2010, only they’re immensely more prepared for what comes next.

I said at the start this is goodbye, but it’s not even really that. It’s certainly not retirement either, no matter what the license plate says on the red truck you see at every sports venue in the area. This county isn’t getting rid of me that easy – and I apologize to the coaches who got this far and were popping champagne bottles and high-fiving.

This is the end of my journey with the WCSA, but not the end of my coverage of Warren County sports. I’ll just say that you’ll see me soon.

Jeffery Simmons, former WCSA editor-in-chief