In a era where sports stars hold out for bigger multimillion dollar contracts and roster spots earn bench warmers more millions, it’s rare to see excellence in the sports world challenged and achieved through untainted commitment. And almost unheard of for that excellence to be achieved time and time again.

In this vein, I really don’t think you can put too fine a point on what tiny Blessed Sacrament Huguenot’s football program has been able to accomplish: four state championships… Read more...

Intuition is not one of my strong points. Typically male, I’m fact and cause-and-effect driven. Consequently, the value of modern-day social networking – if there is any—completely escapes me. I’m not even a big fan of the telephone. To me, face-to-face is the only valid form of communication.

Remarkably, I’ve discovered a kindred spirit, almost exactly 50 years younger.

From an intuition standpoint, I’ve been on the sidelines observing one particular… Read more...

I’ve been very proud of the work we – myself and Editor Roslyn Ryan – have done in the past two years to expand the coverage of sports in the county. We’ve been able to give every varsity high school sport at least some coverage and have extended that recognition to many of the junior varsity teams.

I’ve been quick to admit, that personally I’m not much of a “reporter,” not being someone with the traditional journalistic approach of “who,… Read more...

The jargon generated by sports generally ticks me off. It insults my somewhat limited intelligence when someone offers to “give one hundred and ten percent.” Or that “stepping up” is an unexpected effort by a player.

However, there is one of these trite phrases which I am now firmly convinced has real meat on its metaphorical bones: team chemistry.

The lack of it is the only explanation I can think of to explain the recent free-fall of Powhatan High School’s… Read more...

I am constantly searching for simplicity in my life, but succinct facts, veracity and lead-pipe cinches have become increasingly elusive. The older I get, the less I know. Something to hang my hat on has, invariably, become a hat-rack.

Over the years, I have been truly privileged to develop relationships with the men and women who coach our Powhatan County kids. The vast majority of these relationships have been very positive and fulfilling for me and, in some cases, for both parties.