A good sports story doesn’t just focus on points scored and final results. The real story goes far beyond what happened on the court or the track, to who helped their team win, and how they got there.

Jared Rubado puts the focus on the who and the why with each and every one of the individuals or teams he covers. He makes sure that the spotlight shines on all the right people and the right moments so that everyone understands just how important they are, especially when it comes to the growth of girls’ and women’s sports.

Rubado graduated from Augustana University in December 2018 with degrees in journalism and sports management. After interning at the Brainerd Dispatch with legendary Brainerd sports reporter Mike Bialka for three summers in college, Rubado knew sports reporting was the right career choice, and his first job out of college was with the Echo Press in Alexandria.

He made an impact on the local sports reporting scene right away, and won four Minnesota Newspaper Association awards with the Echo Press, including the 2021 Dave Pyle New Journalist Award.

In September 2021, Rubado was named the sports editor at the Detroit Lakes Tribune, and a few months later he took over as sports editor at both the Perham Focus and Wadena Pioneer Journal. In just two years, he won four more MNA awards for sports writing and column writing with both the Tribune and the Focus - and he also caught the attention of the Detroit Lakes community with his coverage.

During the 2021-22 school year, three Detroit Lakes High School teams competed in their respective state tournaments during the winter season - and all three were girls’ teams. The Lakers’ basketball and dance teams both put together historic runs to make it back to state for the first time in more than 20 years, and the DLHS gymnastics team earned its seventh state berth in the last nine seasons. Not only did all three girls’ teams make it to state - all three had female head coaches.

Rubado listened to the coaches when they spoke of the growing momentum in the girls’ teams at Detroit Lakes that winter. He made sure to include a quote from one of the coaches about the impact the success had not only on the teams, but on the young girls in the stands watching each of those three teams. Rubado’s recognition of their success helped set the standard for future generations of Laker athletes by giving those teams the spotlight and sharing stories of their success with the community around them.

In January 2023, Rubado made the move to the Bemidji Pioneer to take over as the paper’s sports editor, and that year he helped the Pioneer win an MNA award for the best sports section. The Detroit Lakes Tribune - which he had been in charge of for half of the awards cycle - took second in the same category that year.

When Rubado got to Bemidji, he noticed that both the Bemidji State and Bemidji High School athletic departments were led by women - and he understood the significance of having two women in charge of well-known athletic programs. Kristin McRae, the AD at Bemidji High School, acknowledged that the community is lucky to have a writer like Rubado covering their teams, and added that he is “all about equity and fairness.”

Not only does Rubado ensure that the girls and women in Bemidji get the coverage they deserve, he makes sure that they all get coverage, no matter what sport. In November 2023, Rubado featured BHS junior Chloe Kirkpatrick, a Chinese adoptee and two-time gold medalist for Team USA in sled hockey. To wrap up his first calendar year with the Bemidji Pioneer, Rubado featured BHS senior Mia Hoffman, the Bemidji Pioneer’s Sportsperson of the Year who excelled in cross country, Nordic skiing, and track and field. No sport is too big or too small for Rubado.

Rubado uses the power of words to lift up the female coaches, athletes, and administrators in his coverage area, and share their stories with the community around them. Thanks to his passion for sports equity and journalism, all athletes in Bemidji and beyond know that their story and accomplishments will be acknowledged and celebrated.