Sam Fortier joins as high school sports reporter and backup Washington Nationals writer

Announcement from Sports Editor Matt Vita, Deputy Sports Editor Matt Rennie, NBA and MLB Editor Glenn Yoder and NFL Editor Jeff Dooley:

We’re very excited to announce that Sam Fortier will be joining The Post to cover high school sports and serve as our backup Washington Nationals writer.

Sam was an intern in Sports last summer, and he proved himself to be a diligent and creative reporter with an eye for a good story and the writing ability to bring it to life. He covered the Orioles, Nationals, Mystics and D.C. United, attended Capitals rookie camp and Redskins training camp. He also wrote a number of noteworthy features, including a revealing look into concerns that professional athletes are spending too much time playing video games, cutting into their sleep and playbook study. When Robert Griffin III, the former Redskins quarterback, made his debut at the Baltimore Ravens’ training camp, Sam attended Griffin’s news conference, then secured a one-on-one interview during which Griffin revealed he had considered trying to make the U.S. Olympic track and field team as his NFL career faltered.

Since September, Sam has covered the Los Angeles Chargers for The Athletic and further demonstrated his ability to find unique angles into stories and write them with clear, energetic prose.

Sam’s a native of New Hampshire, and grew up lobstering with his family on Bailey Island in Maine. He graduated last year from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse with a B.A. in Magazine Journalism. He has also freelanced for The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Ringer, and interned at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Esquire and WEEI in Boston.

Sam returns to The Post on April 1. We can’t wait to have him back in the newsroom.