Elias Cohen

One hectic day at the rec center turned into a chapter about what it actually means to cover an athlete.

I showed up to spend time with Ashton Graves. Somewhere between pickup games, trash talk, missed shots, and a whole lot of chaos, I stopped feeling like I was there to document him. I was playing alongside him, learning his rhythms, and becoming part of the day myself.

It made me rethink the distance between a journalist and their subject. Sometimes, the story comes from being close enough to participate, not just watch.
“I Made the Team” is about Ashton, but it’s also about finding your place in someone else’s world.

A new chapter in the Emerging Champions One Year Edition.