Phew.

That is about all I can say about my first month as overseer of The Pilot's sports desk.

It has been a whirwind turn that has landed me back in sports -- the area where I got my start years ago.

I hit the ground running, sometimes even skinning the old knees, but we keep after it. There is really no other option. Sports in the Sandhills doesn't take a breather. Whether it is Sandhills Community College's new teams, or the U.S. Kids Golf Championship, the balls keep rolling here.

Combine that with the fact that any change is always scary and you have a recipe for some sleepless nights.

I can also say my move from news to sports has been that and more.

It has been as fun as playing your first round of golf on Pinehurst No. 2; as exciting as watching your child play a first t-ball game.

There's pressure too. I am taking over for a legend. A guy who arguably knows more people and more about sports in this area than anyone.

On top of that he was good at his job. A real tough act to follow.

But thankfully he is still in the building. I can still lean on him for advice, or a phone number. I can bounce a crazy idea off him and see if it sticks.

And speaking of crazy ideas, we are throwing around a lot of them these days. Some will stick, some will fall flat, but what we hope to do is come up with ways to provide you with better coverage of all the local sports and athletes.

Hunter Chase and those before him started a solid foundation. Now it is time to build on that.

The first new thing we are doing is The Amateur, a tabloid-sized insert that will be published Sunday.

The section offers an overview of the U.S. Amatuer Championship, which will be held at Pinehurst Resort Aug. 18-24. Three-hundred and twelve of the world's best amateur golfers will take their best drives, chips and putts at Pinehurst Nos. 2 and 4.

And thanks to Hunter -- working in his new capacity as online guru -- and a host of talented golf writers and photographers, we will provide daily coverage of the Championship on our Web site, www.thepilot.com.

That daily coverage will be complemented by thorough, in-depth coverage in the pages of The Pilot print editions.

On the horizon is our first attempt at a fall sports and football preview. Another tabloid stand-alone section, the preview will feature stories and schedules for football, cross country, tennis, soccer and volleyball teams that will compete this fall.

We hope that the section provides a good jumping-off point for our coverage of the fall season. Our goal is to provide fair and complete coverage of all the sports at each school. And yes, for those of you wanting to know, that does include cheerleading.

We also have a few other things in the works that I will tell you more about in future columns.

In an effort to get this accomplished, we are always looking for talented writers and photographers who are interested in contributing. If you are interested, drop me an e-mail or give me a call.

Heck, contact me with your ideas -- crazy or not.

You never know, they may be ones that stick.

Contact Tom Embrey at 693-2477 or by e-mail at tembrey@thepilot.com.