Reporter James F. Moore Jr.: Get to know the new guy covering Fayetteville high school sports

Hey, everyone. My name is James Moore Jr., and I'm the high school sports reporter here at The Fayetteville Observer.

Some of you may be wondering, "Who's the new guy?" Well, I began my journey here at The Fayetteville Observer in October and moved here from Raleigh to live out my dreams. And so far, I've thoroughly enjoyed my time covering sports in the Cumberland County area.

I began my journalism career as a high school senior when I chose to cover sports in the Kinston area and intern for the local newspaper, The Free Press, for my senior project. During that time, I published my first piece as a special contributor, solidifying that I was on the right track to pursue my career.

I then moved along to Shaw University to hone in on my talent and acquire the skills and education needed to be where I am today. During that time, I interned in multiple media positions for Shaw Athletics, interned for Spectacular Magazine before securing a position, and then freelanced for the Triangle Tribune in Durham. Now, here I am, 10 years later doing what I love at a high level with much more to experience.

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I almost always get asked a ton of questions about what I do daily, and if it's actually "fun" to watch sports for work. Here are a few of those answers.

Q: What got you into sports?

I come from Kinston, a sports-filled town, especially in basketball. I've been around sports since before I could walk. My dad was a high school football coach and a referee for basketball and football, and an umpire in baseball throughout my childhood, drawing my interest in sports closer and closer as the years ticked.

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Unfortunately, becoming a Panthers fan also drew me to sports and endorsed my love for football (and stress every fall).

But my true love for sports came from being an athlete and playing various sports over the years like baseball, football and basketball.

Q: What is your favorite Fayetteville-area team?

From my time growing up in Kinston, one thing that we could always count on was watching high-level football competitions on Friday nights, and during basketball season with NBA-like talent at Kinston High School so, that has always been a key component that I search for when watching games.

One thing I've become accustomed to since becoming a reporter is letting go of my fandom. Because I truly believe that when you're a fan, it can be hard to be objective.

With that said, I do actually have a favorite team in the area. For football, it's easily Seventy-First High School. And for basketball, it would be between Westover or Seventy-First boys teams. The amount of D1 talent on the court at once is fascinating to see at the high school level.

Q: What's the worst part of your job?

It may sound cliche, but I can't name a bad thing about my job. Before, I could say the pay was the most unbearable because I was just a freelancer and bouncing around to any story that I could follow.

Q: What's the best part of your job?

Now, I love every aspect of my job — the freedom to create, being on the beat and connecting with a community that mostly looks like me and comes from backgrounds similar to mine. The absolute best thing about my job is the grind and the hustle. I've always been a hard worker, and being in a community where there are tons of fresh, exhilarating stories among athletes or legends is extremely inspirational to me.

Contact James Moore at jfmoore@gannett.com for any story ideas or follow him at @ogcookie_ on Twitter/X.