To say that Ian O’Connor wears a lot of hats is an
understatement. He’s a best-selling author, sports columnist for ESPNNY.com,
host of a weekly radio show, as well as a devoted husband and father.
From an early age, this New Jersey
dad knew that he wanted to have a career in sports. “My childhood ambition was
to either be the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys or the shortstop for the New
York Yankees,” O’Connor reminisces.
But once he realized that his dream might be a long shot,
O’Connor decided to choose a more sensible career path. He followed the advice
of one of his professors at Marist College,
who encouraged him to combine his love for sports with his flair for writing.
Enter: sports journalism. After writing stints with both his college newspaper
and The Poughkeepsie Journal, Ian O’Connor realized that he had found
his calling.
Fortunate to have a career he loves, O’Connor believes that New
York is the best market to cover. He is fueled by the
unwavering energy of New York
sports fans. “I still haven’t found an
arena I enjoy watching basketball in more than Madison
Square Garden,”
O’Connor says.
Ian O’Connor’s latest book, The Captain: The Journey of
Derek Jeter, is an intimate portrait of one New York
sports superstars. In it, O’Connor praises Jeter for having a gracious presence
both on and off the field, avoiding scandals that have plagued athletes of a
similar caliber. However, along with that praise, O’Connor explores what he
describes as Jeter’s “human flaws,” like his sensitivity to criticism. But he
assures his audience: “I think what [readers] will find is a very proud and
dignified person who has worn the uniform with more grace than probably any other
Yankee since Lou Gehrig.”
When he’s not writing, O’Connor enjoys spending time with
his son. While he admits that it can be difficult to juggle the demands of his
professional life with those of being a husband and father, O’Connor knows that
his situation is not unique and tries to make the most of his family time. He
enjoys coaching his son’s baseball team as well as bringing him in to New
York City to watch the professionals. “Going to games
as a fan rather than a journalist is nice. It takes me back to a time when I
was a kid. I didn’t have to worry about what column to write or who to
interview. I just sat there and absorbed the game,” he says.
Along with the excitement on the field, O’Connor notes that
sports also teach life lessons like the importance of being resilient and
having respect for authority.
And while he never donned a Yankee or Cowboys uniform,
O’Connor acknowledges that much of his success can be attributed to the lessons
he learned from playing high school baseball and football. “I really do think
that sports shaped me as a young person and instilled some very important
values that I try to adhere to and honor as an adult.”
