There are many positives to growing up in a small town. The opportunities are more plentiful for athletes where the populations are larger, but the sense of community and closeness of friendships is stronger where I grew up, in Whitehall, Wisconsin.

Are you looking for a Halloween costume idea? How about dressing up as your favorite athlete, with a little humor thrown in.
**How about a Brett Favre costume. You could “pass” out treats instead of receiving it. If you’re anything like him, you’ll definitely throw the candy in the wrong hands!
**Tom Brady would make a good Halloween character too. No need for a uniform there. Just limp a little, and make sure you are accompanied by at least one woman (preferably pregnant).

There’s almost nothing better than sitting at the ballpark for a wet, cold and windy baseball tournament. You know the kind, where the rain blows across the field sideways, the hot chocolate is cooled off by the time you walk back to the frozen metal bleachers, and you’re wearing so many layers that you look like a sumo wrestler!

Many of us fair-weather fans are lining up to make confessions this morning. We gave up on the Red Sox after watching the Rays’ homeruns sail out of Fenway. I went to bed at the end of the 6th inning.
But, surprise, surprise. My wife called me on her way to work this morning. She was [...]

Wouldn’t it be great to put Lester on the mound against Manny Ramirez? That may happen if the Dodgers can take their playoff series from the Phillies. It didn’t happen for the Dodgers last night, dropping game one, 3-2.
Some young fans wouldn’t recognize the former Red Sox homerun slugger, with his hair cut short. It [...]

If you’re the parent of a single child, have you ever wondered if your family life would have been different raising a child of the opposite sex? Are you one of those couples who has enough sons for a basketball team, and still trying for a girl?
As the parent of one very active teenage boy, [...]

I’ve covered many football games in my 20+ years as a photojournalist. I’ve seen rival teams go at each other, like two bulls in a ring. The most unique asset the Memorial freshman football squad has, is their hard-hitting, crunch-the-quarterback defense.
Yes, they can score points too, kick well, and have speed. But, it’s those down [...]

It must be the magic teenage years when young athletes’ personalities change, and attitudes make dramatic upturns and downslides. I’ve noticed it lately with my 14-year-old son, Brandon. The one-word description of school for the day is “boring.” And when asked what he did all day, I get “nothing.” Sounds educational! And I keep wondering [...]