How this student was selected:
While our initial intention was to select a student’s name out of a hat, English instructor Denise
Dolhon was watching postgame coverage of the Marlins on Opening Day when she recognized a West Broward student in the club’s locker room. With the help of her peers, Dolhon identified the student as Scott Gelman. Since he was the only 18 year old and on hand for Opening Day coverage, we wanted to tell the story of how he got there and what he has accomplished.
Not every high school senior has the opportunity to interview professional baseball players. For Scott Gelman, however, joining the Miami Marlins in the locker room post-game is becoming part of his normal routine. As an aspiring sports journalist, this is the product of a career that got started at a very early age.
“I went to my first Marlins game in the sixth grade, and that was when I first fell in love with baseball,” Gelman said. “I always loved to write, and after really getting into baseball I wanted to find a way to combine my passions for sports and telling stories.”
Entering middle school as a determined eleven year old, Gelman absorbed the teachings his Language Arts instructor, Dr. Keith Suranna, presented. As elements of
Journalism were then introduced, he became absorbed in a field that would allow him to utilize both his knowledge of sports and love for writing.
Gelman’s love for the Marlins led him to a fan-run blog called Fish Stripes , and he eventually noticed a post from the website’s manager that stated they were looking for more writers. Eager to have an opportunity to share his content with fellow Marlins fans, he quickly took a position. However, his initial experience with the blog was not what Gelman had expected.
“At that point, it was the first time I realized that becoming a sports journalist was a possibility,” Gelman said. “My first article was not exactly what Michael Jong, the manager, was looking for, but he gave me the option to create ‘link dumps,’ in which I found links to other beat writers’ stories and summarized them. It was a chance to get my name out there, and I ended up doing that for over a year.”
As time went on, Jong decided to split his responsibilities with Gelman, who had proven his dedication to the site after two seasons of work. In addition to larger weekly pieces on the team and co-managing the website’s staff, Gelman was given a very unique opportunity for a high school senior; Fish Stripes received media credentials for the first time, and Gelman has attended both press conferences and games to cover the team live.
“We have had many others come and go from our site, but Scott has remained a constant for us,” Jong said. “He has taken off in the role of co-editor, and I can say with confidence that Fish Stripes would not be the same without his insight and dedication to his craft.”
Over the course of his high school experience, Gelman has found success through hard work, “because there is always someone ready to take your place.” He uses that notion as motivation and is thankful for the opportunities he has been given.

Standing in the locker room for the Marlins’ post game press conference, the maturing eighteen-year-old can be seen behind the many professional sports writers who have worked for years to get the opportunity they now have. Gelman understands his place, but with patients, it won’t be long before he will be in the front row asking the first question.
“I have been lucky enough to have had these opportunities,” Gelman said. “I’ve learned that you have to show everyone that you are enthusiastic about what you do, but also show that you are willing to help out in any capacity. I started working with link dumps and could have easily gotten bored and quit, but I was patient, and it really has paid off for me and my future.”