Keith Lewis has covered the sports section of the Walpole Times with witty headlines, creative nicknames, and memorable articles for the last twelve years. After recent staffing and content changes within the Walpole Times, Mr. Lewis has been downgraded from a full-time writer and editor of the Sports Section to a freelance contributor. Mr. Lewis was discouraged about this change of status because after thoroughly covering all sports in this town for twelve years, he now will no longer be the sole voice of Rebel Athletics.
Hired by the original owner of the Times, Mr. Lewis tried his multiple writing skills on many different types of stories. Over time though, he found his professional niche within the realm of high school sports. In 2003, he even earned the New England Press Association Award for Outstanding Sportswriting — an award he said felt like winning “the Stanley Cup” of his field.
After writing for twelve years about the Rebels, Mr. Lewis has developed a certain pride in his coverage. Mr. Lewis was a consistent and passionate reporter for every sport, not just the most successful teams. Fans and athletes alike grew accustomed to seeing the jet-black hair of Mr. Lewis (who is also an Elvis impersonator) as he took pictures, made small-talk with fans, and interviewed athletes on the sidelines of all sports.
He said, “Years of writing has left my mind crammed with names, dates, appointments, scores and enough information to make me a Walpole Trivial Pursuit game.” He added, “[Walpole is] a unique town, with people who know and respect qualities like sportsmanship, teamwork, dedication, as well as refusing to take the easy way out.”
In particular, he had a unique skill of taking a devastating loss for Walpole team and putting a positive spin on the article by getting quotes from players. Tirelessly, he tracked down athletes and coaches for interviews in person, over the phone, or via email. He also said he loved working with the high school, in particular, because of the “great bunch of coaches, most very helpful to the press and totally concerned about their players and their learning experiences.”
According to many people in the town, Lewis’s coverage inspired the kids through recognition in his articles. He said that in return, the kids inspired him to write more colorfully—a big reason why he loved his job. Most of the recognition had a creative twist: “There is no Shane in losing,” (Shane Blass, Boys Indoor Track), “Cullen-ary delight” (Football), “LaMortified” (Anthony LaMorte, Wrestling), and “Brookline vs. Brick Line” (Football). Lewis also came up with many nicknames that cleverly incorporated athletes’ names. “McDerminator” was a name he came up with for all-star pitcher Sean McDermott; “Dave ‘Flyin’ Wians” and “Dave the Rave” for track runners Dave Wians and Dave Connors; and “Small Frei” for the youngest swimmer (and reporter) in a family with the last name Freiberger.
As he considers the next major career step, Lewis will still be a part of the town at times because of his job as a freelance writer, and he hopes to write a book as well in his free time. Undoubtedly, the many fans of Lewis’s work will definitely buy copies of that book
