Reflecting on special memories and milestones from my youth

May 8, 2018

My niece finished her college softball career this week, marking the milestone with a post on Facebook that said how much she’d miss the sport she had played for sixteen years. I thought I’d read that wrong ... she’s 21, but started playing organized athletics at the age of five. It made me think … what a difference a generation makes. When I started playing organized softball, I was in fourth grade. Our “uniforms” were blue jeans and plain pink t-shirts (no team logos or numbers, but our mascot was a ladybug), and we wore sneakers, not cleats. We had a great ...

It’s time to ride bicycles

May 1, 2018

May is National Bike Month! It’s finally starting to feel like spring, and that means shedding some layers, breaking out the sunglasses and dusting off the bicycle. As cyclists trade their indoor trainers for outdoor trails and roads, we’re already seeing packs of cyclists enjoying the scenic central Pennsylvania highways and byways this spring; and you can expect to see even more as the season rolls along. Statista reports the recreational sport of cycling in the U.S. is growing by leaps and bounds over the last decade, with just over 47 million bike riders reported in 2008 ...

A Masters trip to remember

April 24, 2018

There are certain bucket-list sporting events that transcend mere athletics. They are spectacles, cultural sensations, feasts for the senses: events like the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby and the Masters. Carl Michael Jr., golf course superintendent at Down River Golf Club in Everett, made his first trip to Augusta National Golf Club this month for the 2018 Masters, along with local golf enthusiasts Denny and Kyler Pennabaker. “It was by far the most phenomenal golf course I’ve ever been on,” Michael said. “Not a blade of grass out of place, not a weed on the property, the ...

Pirates open doors to community

April 17, 2018

Some observations while wondering why the April showers are still coming in the form of snowflakes … n The Pittsburgh Pirates have put together some unique experiences giving young players the chance to play ball at PNC Park. Youth teams and high school squads sell tickets to Pirate games for the opportunity to take the field; the high school games happen while the Bucs are out of town; youth games follow a Pirate home game. This kind of community outreach is a win-win for the big league club and small communities like Everett, whose Warriors, their parents and fans recently ...

Spring sports getting raw deal

April 10, 2018

The first day of spring was exactly three weeks ago, but it still feels like winter on the athletic fields of central Pennsylvania. With cancelations of everything from junior high sports to Major League Baseball, it has seemed at times like spring will never truly arrive. This is just one of the reasons that spring sports get a raw deal, especially in the northeastern U.S. We picture spring baseball, softball, track and field: sun shining, birds singing and fans enjoying the afternoon action. But with snow flurries still flying in April, parents and friends are bundled up under ...

NASCAR thoughts while awaiting Texas race

April 3, 2018

The Monster Cup field heads to Texas after a week off, with Kevin Harvick looking for his fourth win of the season. Harvick has been a headline-maker, posting four top-five finishes through the month of March, but stands in just seventh place overall. The stage format for races, instituted last season is still on trial, with Harvick’s early success and standing well outside the overall lead making the case for the prosecution. With lots of points to earn through multiple stages per race, the format is supposed to keep our interest and add excitement to a sport that has suffered ...