Powerful messages for women

February 9, 2020

What a week it was. Sports headlines should have been dominated by preparations for the Super Bowl, but instead, the biggest show on earth was overshadowed by the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others in a California helicopter crash. In the days that followed, Bryant, his fellow parents, their daughters, coach and pilot were remember with tributes from Los Angeles to Philadelphia to Italy. But it was an old clip from an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel show that provided a special, girl-power smile for many. Kobe was talking about people telling him he should ...

Zero tolerance policy needed in pro sports

January 21, 2020

I grew up with a hard-core, old-school coach. My Dad preached the values of athletics to us from a very young age. While participating in sports, we were to learn skills, but also values; good habits, but also important lessons; and the biggest lesson of all was sportsmanship. We were to respect our teammates and coaches, our opponents, the officials and the rules of the game. No matter what. So the latest allegations and fallout of two more professional sports cheating scandals are not just disappointing. They literally hurt. The NFL is investigating the New England Patriots for ...

Goodman Shaffer: Hikes inspire celebration of state parks

January 7, 2020

Another new year (and an exciting new decade) is under way. For many of us, 2020 began with a hike at a Pennsylvania State Park. The First Day Hike initiative has become a tradition in our region and around the nation, one that’s growing every year. By the numbers: since 2012, all 50 states have cooperatively sponsored First Day Hikes. This year, 39 Pennsylvania parks hosted events, topping the 2019 total of more than 7,755 miles hiked by nearly 3,000 human participants (plus more than 130 dogs). Local events have been supported by “Friends” chapters of the Pennsylvania ...

A holiday ode to winter sports

December 17, 2019

This year’s poem celebrates the Winter Sports Season ‘Twas some time before Christmas and all through the region, The athletes were stirring… here comes a new season. With singlets and uniforms doled out with care, The hope of a championship floats through the air. The coaching staff, nestled all snug in their office, You better believe, they for sure are the bosses. Drawing up line-ups and game-plans and more, Ensuring their team can find all ways to score. The days growing shorter, the nights seem so long, We’ll head to the gym where the heat will be on. While the ...

Saturday hunts change Thanksgiving

December 3, 2019

Pennsylvania’s firearm deer season is underway, though with a significant change from recent decades. Hunters took to the woods the Saturday after Thanksgiving rather than Monday, for the first time since 1963. The change was implemented to increase the number of hunters enjoying the season, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission officials after the decision was made this past spring. Saturday offers fewer work and school conflicts, so logically, an extra Saturday means more hunters, and more successful hunts. It also means re-arranging the holiday weekend. For many, ...

Sports gives much thanks for service

November 19, 2019

A pastor friend recently provided opening remarks at a business meeting I attended, using the opportunity to remind us the month of November should be spent in giving thanks. The traditional holiday of turkey and football first came to mind: the heat of the oven warming the kitchen; the television blaring the gridiron games of the day; family playing a pick-up game of football in the backyard. However, the pastor, a former Air Force mechanic and military chaplain, began his thanks with the November observance of Veteran’s Day, and showing gratitude to those who have served in the ...