As someone born and raised in Youngstown, the idea of working back home again was never top of mind. Instead, football previews, track meets and managing schedules and time off were always the focus.

That all changed with a couple quick text messages, an invitation to apply as The Vindicator/Tribune Chronicle sports editor.

There were openings and some invitations in the past, but the timing was never right. This time around was different. The sports staff was in a good place, it was the middle of the summer and there was plenty of time to weigh the pros and cons.

After thinking about it, it was settled. It was time to return home.

Ironically, it all started at the Tribune Chronicle in 2014. Former writer John Vargo passed along the name of a Joe Scalzo student with no experience. Dana Solunen was willing to give me a shot as a freelancer.

The first assignment was Harding-Hubbard baseball at Harding Park. The story was terrible and the lead was cringeworthy, but it was a start.

Eventually, Ed Puskas provided another chance at The Vindicator. Starting as a freelancer, a few years of grinding led to a part-time gig as an agate clerk, and later, a full-time sports reporter.

Over the next two years, I got to see Girard’s Mark Waid take the Mahoning Valley football scene by storm, South Range win a baseball state title, JFK and Springfield play in regional boys basketball games at Canton Memorial Fieldhouse and Champion softball dominate in state championships in Akron.

Billy Price (Austintown Fitch) and James Daniels (Harding) went through the NFL draft process, and Peyton Aldridge’s (LaBrae) dominance of Atlantic-10 basketball were all blood-pumping stories for a young reporter.

The fun came to a halt when news broke of The Vindicator closing on Aug. 30, 2019.

The nearly five years afterward were filled with different experiences — a brief stint as a business reporter, becoming part of the staff at The Star Beacon in Ashtabula and my first crack at being a sports editor at The Herald in Sharon, Pa.

Lessons were learned and those experiences provided different perspectives. They were fun in their own ways, but it was nothing like the start of this week.

There were odd feelings on Monday. It was some nerves mixed with a little uncertainty, but it was mostly excitement. I reconnected with people I didn’t have the chance to talk to in years, and the thought of seeing my byline on a Tribune or Vindy brought back some nostalgia.

It’s a chance to walk into Struthers Field House again, an opportunity to stand on the sidelines at Mollenkopf Stadium and a front row seat to more athletic achievements and entertaining rivalries.

More importantly, however, it was a return to where it all started.

Dan Hiner is the sports editor of The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, and he’ll put out a monthly column. Contact him by email at dhiner@tribtoday.com. Follow on X, formerly Twitter, @DanHiner_Sports.