Hometown Sports: An Ode to the Trenton Trojans

Every time someone asks me where I’m from, I tell them I’m from Detroit because people know where it is. Located about 30 minutes from the heart of the city is where I was actually born and raised — Trenton, Mich.. 

Starting in first grade, I was enrolled in Trenton Public Schools and remained there until I graduated high school in June 2022. The reason I’m where I am today is because of my involvement with athletics at Trenton. 

I wasn’t super involved in sports growing up. I spent my life from 10 on as a competitive dancer at Trenton School of Dance, where I found my love for artistry and movement. Even though I haven’t danced since my second year of college, the lessons I learned from my home studio — leadership, creativity and releasing emotions in performance — will live with me for the rest of my life. 

Before I started dancing at a higher level, I dabbled in basketball, softball, cheerleading and hockey. None of them really stuck with me, and my parents said I wanted to keep stats more than I wanted to play. 

My first introduction to sports was from my parents. Both my mom and dad played hockey growing up. Before my mom played Division I collegiate hockey for Wayne State University in Detroit, she was the first female student manager of the high school hockey team. My dad was the manager for so many athletic teams while he was in high school that he holds the record for the most varsity letters in Trenton athletics history with 11. My parents even met while my dad was refereeing one of my mom’s games. 

Before my parents was my grandfather, who passed away days before I wrote this. Growing up, he was a rower for the Ecorse Boat Club — just a couple minutes away from Trenton — and went on to row for Michigan State University. My grandfather won the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, one of the most prestigious races in rowing. He was the reason I tried out rowing the summer before my first year of high school and why I’m still drawn to the erg machine when I occasionally go to the gym. 

Eventually he turned to racquetball and became a state champion. I’m not sure when he started playing hockey, but he stopped at 60 and turned his attention to running the clock until the COVID-19 Pandemic. He would even let me help start his beer league games after my dad finished a high school hockey game, which are some of my favorite memories of us together.

I remember being at the Kennedy Recreation Center — the ice rink in Trenton — so much that I basically grew up there. My dad was a referee while my mom ran the clock. High school hockey games were a family affair.

After my dad took a slapshot to the eye and my parents got divorced, my dad stepped off the ice and continued running the clock and announcing Trenton High School hockey games. There wasn’t a hockey season we weren’t a part of. 

When I was eight, my dad was asked by the Trenton athletic department if he would announce football games, as the previous announcer was retiring. My dad accepted the job and every Friday night, still to this day, you can hear his voice throughout the city, telling everyone who scored a touchdown.

As is the case for many small towns, Friday night football games were the event to be at. I’d get there early and stay late because of my dad, and he’d even let me and my friends watch the game from the top of the press box so we could have a clear view. 

Everyone knew my dad as “the voice of Trenton” because you could hear him everywhere, and that honestly gave me some street credit walking around town. 

At the entrance to events — and still to this day — I always said, “I’m Mark’s daughter” and would get let in for free. It’s a nice touch, especially when the huge high school hockey showcase is taking place at the Kennedy Recreation Center. 

The last week in January was the annual Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League’s high school hockey showcase. The top high school programs in Michigan — and sometimes Ohio, Minnesota and New York — come to my hometown and play some of the most competitive matchups of the year. 

I went home that weekend and got to re-immerse myself into my childhood. I announced a couple games for my dad and remembered why I wanted to be where I am now. I even got my trademark showcase badge with my name on it, and under read my title — “Mark’s daughter.” 

My first job in sports was my first job ever. When I was around 14, I applied for a job at the ice rink, and it seemed like everyone wanted to sit in on my interview because they knew me and my family’s legacy. It was quite the surprise for a young girl in her first job interview. 

Obviously, I got the job and started working in the concessions stand, being an attendant at the rink, cleaning out locker rooms and running Gatorades and water bottles for the large tournaments happening. 

Every time I go home, the Director of Parks and Recreation — and my former boss — asks if I can come and work a couple shifts in the concessions stand and whip the new employees into shape. 

My career in media started around my junior year of high school. I was involved in my high school’s digital media club starting as a freshman, but I really gained attraction to the art of media when my junior year rolled around. 

When the COVID-19 Pandemic hit in the middle of my sophomore year, the Class of 2020 lost their graduation. Me, my brother — the president of the club — and the rest of the club worked tirelessly to create a virtual graduation ceremony for them, which ended up being the thing I won my first ever award for.

In my senior year, I started to build my portfolio. I talked with my school’s athletic director — who is good friends with my dad — and he granted me permission to start taking pictures on the football field every Friday. 

This is really where my love for the craft started. I enjoyed the quick turnaround of editing photos, mainly to get football players to stop messaging me about when they would be done. Each day I spent editing photos, making hype videos that were played on the scoreboard before games and producing broadcasts, the more I wanted to continue doing it in my future. 

If it wasn’t for the Trojans, I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in today. I even started my woman in sports journey following in my mom’s footsteps, and became the first woman to announce a Trenton high school hockey game. Even though I mostly did media — videos, editing and photography — and now predominantly do print journalism, I still have those skills in my back pocket whenever they’re needed. 

Sports run deep in my family. It’s because of this that I want to continue working in sports, sharing stories of athletes, being involved in interviews, games and so much more. 

As I enter my last semester of college and the future comes closer, I look back on the impact sports had on me while growing up. 

To my dad, thank you for always explaining the rules of sports to me. I would’ve never known what icing was until you told me. A lot of my favorite memories of us are watching games on the TV when I’m home, or walking out of Little Caesars Arena with you in your NHL off-ice official suit and being able to tell people, “that’s my dad.” I wouldn’t be nearly as successful today if it wasn’t for you, and I will always be proud to be your daughter. 

To Trenton, thank you for taking a chance on me. As much as I say I never want to come home, I love being from Trenton. The 17-year-old with a camera on the sidelines probably wouldn’t imagine she would be here right now. Everyone who supported me and shared the content I created holds a special place in my heart. 

From my first job in sports to now, my hometown and the people there deserve credit on how I turned out. I hope one day I can repay the city for all it gave me.