Paul Schulz is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover high school sports for AZPreps365.com

For fans of Arizona high school sports, Richard Obert is a household name. As a sports reporter for more than forty years, Obert brought a wealth of experience when he recently spoke to a sports reporting class at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Although he was not sure what he wanted to do when he started college, Obert was inspired by his childhood passion.

“I was playing sports in high school,” Obert said. “[My siblings and I] were just sports fanatics.”

When he got to ASU, he decided to major in journalism. He broke into the business as a freelance reporter with the Mesa Tribune and embraced the job right away.

“Back then, they were paying me fifteen dollars a story, but I would’ve done it for free,” Obert said. “That’s how much I loved it.”

Obert graduated from ASU in December of 1981. Less than a month later, he took a job at the Arizona Republic, where he discovered his love for covering high school sports.

Richard Obert interviews a Corona del Sol basketball player in 2017. (Photo Credit: Richard Obert Facebook)

“It just became a passion,” Obert said. “I’ve been able to cultivate sources all over the years. That helps a lot to develop and find stories.”

The life of a reporter certainly isn’t easy, and Obert can attest to that. Before his career even started, the challenge to become successful in such a competitive industry was evident. Obert recounted an incident when a professor told him and his classmates that none of them would ever get a job in journalism.

“I felt like, man, my back’s up against a wall and I don’t know if I really want to do this,” Obert said. 

Despite his concerns, Obert continued to pursue journalism, and eventually it became enjoyable and didn’t feel like a normal job.

“If it’s something you really love and you have a passion for and it doesn’t feel like work, then you can basically do anything you want with the profession,” Obert said.

While some reporters focus on game analysis and recaps, Obert finds more joy in human interest stories, such as following the road to recovery of a football player who became paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident.

“Seeing that inner strength and perseverance…that was one of my favorite stories,” Obert said.

In 2021, Obert was a co-recipient of the Achievement of Excellence in Youth Sports award from the Arizona Chapter of National Football Foundation. His dedication to finding unique stories has earned him the respect of fans and colleagues alike.

In addition to high school sports, Obert also enjoys reporting on college basketball at Grand Canyon University. Here, Obert interviews former head coach Dan Majerle. (Photo Credit: Richard Obert Facebook)

“I love Richard. I shared the sidelines with him for 40 years. He’s a tireless worker and a really good man,” said longtime Arizona sportscaster Kevin McCabe. “While the print business is dying, his digital content is thriving.”

Working as a journalist in the digital age brings a new set of challenges. Twitter and other social media sites have turned sports news into a nonstop cycle, leading some journalists to get caught in a never-ending workflow.

“Sometimes you need to take a step back and regroup and compartmentalize,” Obert said. “I’m almost being like a doctor, in a way, where emergencies pop up and you kind of always have to be on call.”

As one of the leading reporters in the state, Obert is responsible for covering the best stories from more than 250 high schools. Although the time commitment and stress can be fatiguing, his love for sports motivates him to keep writing stories.

“If it’s something you really love and have a passion for and it doesn’t feel like work, you can do anything with the profession,” Obert said. “If you get thrilled to be working on a story and getting it published…you know you’re in the right place.”