Award-winning writer Ryan Arena named sports editor
Ryan Arena, 32, brings nine years of award-winning sports writing experience into the fold.
Arena began his career as a freelance writer for the Times Picayune in 2006 and has spent the last eight years as the sports editor at L’Observateur in LaPlace.
He has been recognized multiple times at the Louisiana Press Writers Association’s annual awards convention in the categories of Best Column, Best Sports Story and Best Overall Sports Coverage.
“We pride ourselves on having fantastic local sports coverage and we feel that Ryan’s years of experience covering sports in the River Parishes will be a huge benefit to the St. Charles Parish community,” Herald-Guide Publisher Jonathan Menard said.
“Ryan is a welcome addition to the Herald-Guide with his professionalism and dedication to telling a good story,” said Managing Editor Anna Thibodeaux. “St. Charles Parish will enjoy his coverage.”
Arena is a Chalmette native and an alumnus of Loyola University-New Orleans, when he majored in mass communications-journalism and was a regular contributor to that school’s official newspaper, The Maroon.
Arena said he is ready to tackle covering a new sports home base.
“I’ve always been spoiled when it comes to having great teams, athletes and coaches to work with,” Arena said. “I’ve spent almost the entirety of my career here in the River Region, and no matter what season of the year it is, someone is winning plenty of games out here. If you’re a prep sports writer, this is the place you want to be.
“While St. Charles Parish hasn’t been my home base in the past, I’m very familiar with the great success the Destrehan and Hahnville athletic programs have had across the board and I’ve already had the pleasure of covering many of their teams. I’m really excited to join the Herald-Guide and be able to expand upon that.”
Arena relocated from Chalmette to Kenner after Hurricane Katrina destroyed his home in 2005. He still maintains his residence in Kenner, but noted his mother and father have lived in Hahnville for the past eight years.
“It’s nice to be closer to them,” Arena said. “They’re on the way home for me now, so it’s easy to stop in. My dad’s a huge sports fan — I get it from him — and he’s a great sounding board for new ideas.”
Be the first to comment