Sports Writing

I’ve been a sports journalist for years. This season, I’m writing about the San Jose Sharks and their minor-league team SJ Barracuda for San Jose Hockey Now, the leading professional source for the Sharks news. Locker room interviews, player stories, daily news—I do it all.

My stories even got endorsed by the Sharks play-by-play announcer, #SharksVoice Randy Hahn 🙂

LATEST

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Read this story online: Barabanov Talks Lightsaber Collection, Being ‘Big Brother’ for Russian Sharks

SOME OF MY MAGAZINE AND NEWSPAPER FEATURES

PLAYING FOR RUSSIA (in Russian)

Teamed up with photographer Konstantin Salomatin (The Economist, NPR, Chicago Tribune) and went to Nizniy Tagil—a working-class city where two rising Russian soccer stars started. Talked to their first coach and watched a game at a local mining factory. Fun times. Published nationwide in Total Football, the #1 soccer magazine in Russia.

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THE MULTIFOOTBALL COUNTRY (in Russian)

Went to International Champions Cup in New Jersey and wrote about some of the best teams in the world—Chelsea, Inter Milan, A.C. Milan, and Valencia. Met, spoke, and had beer with local Chelsea fans. Lucky coincidence: Chelsea won. Published in the Total Football magazine.

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A TEAM OF HER OWN (in Russian)

At 46, volleyball legend Irina Kirillova returned to professional sports, joining her very first team. I covered this for the #1 sports newspaper in Russia, Sovetsky Sport. Their chief editor picked it as the article of the day. #HumbleBrag

HEADING TO EURO (in Russian)

Covered Team Russia’s last game in UEFA Euro U21 qualifiers. Was given a spead in Sovetsky Sport, #1 sports newspaper in Russia, and a super tight deadline. Lots of running, calls, and talking to players from top teams like Real Madrid.

THE BUMBLEBEE FLIGHT (in Russian)

Wrote about my hometown soccer team (FC Ural, or the “bumblebees”) after they returned to the top league. The feature is packed with exclusive facts and nostalgia. Published in the Total Football magazine.