For the past few days, I've been busy collecting information from coaches for our annual all-district meeting which is held at The News-Herald every year.
The meeting is intense and a lot of work.
For starters,  it's my job to collect the names of the top players on all of the respective teams in our area. I also need to know their stats, how many points they average per game, how many rebounds per game and more. To top it off, I need everyone's height, year and any extra information that may be helpful.
I've lost count of how many e-mails I've sent back and forth to coaches and how many calls I've made to collect information. I will say, the coaches in our area do a great job of getting back to me. Without their information, I would not be able to push for their athletes to be recognized.
The day of the meeting, I try to be as prepared as possible because it helps the process go smoother. I list my top choices for first, second and third team in the order I feel they should be considered. I also add all of the honorable mention kids I think should be recognized.
Then we sit down with representatives from The Plain Dealer, The Elyria Chronicle and The Ashtabula Star Beacon and discuss who we think should be honored on what team.
It's a give and take really.
It's very important to not only offer your opinion, but to listen to what the other writers have to say so that we can get the most comprehensive list possible.
In the end, we have a completed list of first, second team, third teams and honorable mention selections.
It's gratifying when all of the hard work comes together like it has. It makes my job very worthwhile.

-Theresa Neuhoff Audia