SidelineSRB: YEAR SEVEN / GODINA SEDMA

SidelineSRB turns seven today. A labour of love, dedication and accomplishments. As per tradition, I’m writing a bilingual Birthday article.

J.L. SidelineSRB
Photo: J.L. of J.L.

Sajt SidelineSRB danas slavi sedmi rođendan. Napravljen kao otelotvorenje ljubavi prema sportu i pisanju, posvećenosti i ciljeva: mnogih ostvarenih i onih koji tek predstoje.

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Creating the site I didn’t have many defined expectations. I wanted to keep up with my work, build up on my writing consistency and publish good quality work. The rest came later. As I spent more time in blogging and journalism I defined my own benchmarks, my own spots on the bucket list… Things I wanted to do, tournaments I planned to cover, athletes I wished to feature, formats I liked… And slowly worked on making them happen.

Naturally, the accomplishment of one means the need to create new aims, which tends to be very streamlined. You’re done with a competition, here’s another interesting one. You’re doing a weekly football feature – make it into a podcast. 

Looking back I’m very proud of how far I’ve gone and how my work has been recognized.

In July of 2015 I didn’t know to what point it would be surprising for people and the general industry that I, a young woman creating my sports site from scratch without any help, even existed in the field. It was. In a way, it still is. However I’m happy to see that the public seems to be less surprised as the years go by. 

Creating a space for the female voice in sports journalism became one of my primary aims

Growing up I didn’t have female role models in sports journalism, for they were none to be seen. However, I’m noticing progress, which gives me optimism that the next generation of girls will be able to name theirs. I’m still often the only woman in the press room, but overall I’m seeing more familiar faces of my brilliant fellow female journalists. I’m elated that society as a whole is abandoning the stereotype stating: “Women don’t care about sport”

This really isn’t a motivational speech, nor it was intended to be one. Instead, it’s a reflection on how I stayed in the media for seven years. A wise colleague once told me that in order to do sports journalism and keep at it, you need to love it. And my god, I do. I really do.

Here’s to SidelineSRB, a labour of love and inat. Here’s to all of you, not only for supporting my work, but for finding your own love. For feeling how I do after a great day in the field.

On my reflections in Year One I told you I’d let you know on the destination of this project. After Year Seven I’m here to tell you there is no final destination. I’m enjoying the journey and my main mission is to present you with all of sport from the eyes of a woman.

Thank you for traveling with me. ❤️

Kada sam pravila sajt nisam imala niz definisanih očekivanja. Želela sam da redovno pišem, održavam platformu i objavljujem kvalitetne tekstove. Sve ostalo je došlo kasnije i potpuno prirodno. Kako sam provodila više vremena u svetu bloga i novinarstva, sama sam odredila svoje standarde i ciljeve – stavke koje želim da ispunim, turnire o kojim planiram da izveštavam, sportiste koje želim da predstavim na različitim jezicima… Odatle sam krenula i radila na njihovom ostvarivanju.

Naravno, ostvarenje jednih ciljeva podrazumeva potrebu za stvaranjem novih koji su obično logični nastavak prethodnih. Završite jedno takmičenje, eto drugog koje vas zanima. Pravite nedeljnu kolumnu o srpskom fudbalu – pretvorite je u podkast. Dok razmišljam o prethodnih sedam godina izuzetno sam ponosna svoja dostignuća i priznanja koja moj rad dobija.

Jula 2015. nisam znala do koje mere će ljudima i celokupnoj industriji biti šokantno da devojka bez ikakvih kontakata i pomoći, potpuno sama napravi sopstveni sportski sajt. Da tako nešto uopšte postoji na Balkanu. Međutim, izuzetno mi je drago da ta činjenica postaje sve manje iznenađenje.

Stvaranje prostora za žensku perspektivu u sportskom novinarstvu jedan je od mojih primarnih ciljeva

Tokom odrastanja nisam imala ženske uzore u sportskom novinarstvu jer ih ovde nije bilo. Verujem da će naredna generacija devojčica imati koga da imenuje. Neretko sam jedina žena u pres-sali, ali takođe sve češće viđam poznata lica svojih izuzetnih koleginica. Bez sumnje znam da globalni stereotip o „Ženama koje ne zanima sport” nije istinit, a društvo to sada spoznaje.

Ovo nije motivacioni govor, niti sam planirala da to bude, već je osvrt na to kako sam ostala u medijima već sedam godina. Jedan mudri kolega mi je rekao da je potrebno voleti sportsko novinarstvo da bi se njime bavio ili u mom slučaju – bavila na duže staze. U 2022. vam mogu potvrditi da je to apsolutna istina. 🙂

Stoga, danas kafom nazdravljam za SidelineSRB, plod velike ljubavi i inata.  Nazdravljam i svima vama, ne samo zato što podržavate moj rad, već za to da svako od vas nađe ono što ga usrećuje – baš kao mene uspešan dan na terenu.

U mom osvrtu na Godinu prvu, rekla sam vam da ću vas obavestiti o konačnoj destinaciji ka kojoj zajedno putujemo. Nakon Godine sedme mogu da kažem sledeće – ne postoji konačna destinacija. Uživam u svom profesionalnom putu, a moja glavna misija je predstavljanje svakog zamislivog sporta kroz ženske oči.

Hvala vam što putujete sa mnom. ❤️

Pratite SidelineSRB na Instagramu i pretplatite se na bilten.