Attention high school students: Are you an aspiring sports journalist?

Connie Kowal is trying to give back.

The president of the Chicago Shamrox is a 28-year veteran of the professional sports industry, having served in many capacities for the Cubs over a 13-year period, plus various stints and responsibilities in pro soccer, auto racing and arena football.

He worked as a high school teacher at Mundelein before he got his big break, which came as the result of blindly sending letters to pro sports franchises.

"I just figure, if I can make it, so can a lot of people," Kowal said.

Not without some help getting started, though. And that's what Kowal aims to do with a promotion for Saturday's game at the Sears Centre as the Shamrox host the Edmonton Rush.

Before the season started, Kowal contacted high school newspaper faculty advisers from the area and invited them to choose a deserving student who would appreciate the chance to cover a Major League Lacrosse match.

Those chosen high school reporters will get the opportunity to meet players and team officials before the game, to conduct postgame interviews and, finally, to produce stories about the game.

The five best stories as chosen by a panel will be posted on the team's Web site (www.chicagoshamrox.com).

For Kowal, giving an aspiring reporter the opportunity to see how the big leagues work is a treat.

"As a kid, I played baseball but I grew up loving all sports," Kowal said. "I would have loved to have this kind of opportunity. Of course, everybody wants to play, but very few are lucky enough to get that chance.

"But there are so many related fields in the sports industry beyond being a player. I just know that any time I can provide access to people with the inspiration to join the sports industry, I'll find a way to do that."

High school journalism advisers who still hope to get a budding writer into Saturday's game should contact Shamrox public relations director Joe Stefani at joe@chicagoshamrox.com.