No matter what segment of life we are talking about, a clear hierarchy of leadership is pretty important to the overall success of that segment. It’s true in families, in businesses and organizations, in churches and in sports.

I’m feeling self-indulgent this week. If you don’t have Ambien at home, just keep reading. . Props to my editor as I unapologetically take another swing at Class 6A high school football sectional alignments.

I have a secret. I don’t consider it an earth-shattering secret. You may even find it not a big deal. Actually, you probably will feel that way—I understand. Here it is: I grew up wanting to be a football kicker.

I wondered how a complete month’s separation of boys’ and girls’ basketball post-seasons would fly, but it works out nicely. Hats off to the IHSAA. Otherwise, in rare cases, some schools would be making schleps in two straight weeks to Indianapolis to watch their boys’ and girls’ teams play for state championship hardware.

Once again, the small brain inside this large skull of mine has so many thoughts floating around in a circle like a parade inside it that I just can’t lock into one. So here comes as many as I can fit in today.

There are numerous recent and in-progress renovations among Warsaw Community High School’s athletic facilities. A new tennis court is due for completion by the arrival of the spring sports season. The school added the Tiger Recreational Athletic Center during the 2019-2020 scholastic athletic season. The new painting and woodwork on the TCU Court in the Tiger Den looks sharp, too. What’s next on the construction/renovation horizon for Warsaw Community High School? How about baseball?

This is a sports column. Every week, I write about sports and the people who play them. Every week, that is, except this one.

Last Monday night’s College Football Playoff (CFP) championship had 22 million viewers, not as low as the previous year’s 18.7 million viewers who witnessed Alabama’s convincing 52-24 win over Ohio State.

In a year where the NFL created more playoff opportunities than ever before, our two closest teams to our area couldn’t figure out a way to grab a single one. The Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears are staring in the window of a local store on a cold winter night, wishing like everything that could just go inside and look around the merchandise more closely.

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld talked about free agency in sports in a stand-up comedy bit he did in the early 90s. He referred to the effects the dynamic movement of players in a few simple sentences. "You're rooting for clothes, when you get right down to it,” Seinfeld said. “We're screaming about laundry."

I’m very thankful that I have had the opportunity to share my thoughts each month in this column. This past year, among other things, I have written about housing, the 2020 Census, local public …

I have three subjects today, and I couldn’t choose between the three, so I chose them all.

Last Friday at the end of the Northern Lakes Conference boys’ basketball opener between Warsaw and Wawasee, I had a chance to see something I don’t usually pick up sitting in one of the media’s mezzanine spots in the Tiger Den, but I was treated to a different view at the scorer’s table.

I was doing my homework last night for my next game broadcast when I heard the dogs at the north end of our neighborhood starting to bark. The barking got louder and louder, and then our very own Zero started howling his alarm as he stared out our front window. I yelled at him to stop, but he was serious about warning us all about…something. I gave in and went to the window, and I realized what all the fuss was about—Santa was here.

I hope each of you are enjoying the Christmas and Kwanza seasons in whatever way it means for you to enjoy the spirit of the season. I want you to, while I think of it, add a handful of Christmas tunes I enjoy each year to your playlist. I’ll share them, and I promise to discuss sports, too.

Grace College is rolling out the red carpet Saturday for some of the best high school basketball teams in Indiana, and, this year, from north of the state line.

I’m going to perform public address (PA) announcing duties for a basketball game for the first time in 22 years, in my first varsity game, in fact, when Warsaw hosts Wawasee Friday, Dec 17. I’m excited about it. I’m a stand-in for a single game, but I continue to believe - as I have over eight years of announcing -  every varsity and sub varsity scholastic event is an audition.

Brian Kelly left Notre Dame. Last Monday night, the rumors of Kelly’s departure began to pop up like spam emails on a personal computer. Destination: LSU.

For many years, assisted living facilities and nursing homes have operated quietly, providing a safe place for seniors and elderly family members to transition to a place where they can receive …

At last month’s U.S. 30 public meeting, local planners presented an engineered design of how U.S. 30 might look in the future if the existing road corridor were converted into a freeway.  …

A safe, happy, and healthy Thanksgiving to each of you. There’s much merit in taking weight training very seriously in and out of season. Luke Anderson and Aiden Binkerd are two individuals who come to mind almost immediately when I think about it.

I was driving to my game last Friday, and it was snowing really hard. I felt like I was moving in a snowy globe. It made me sad (I am not a big fan of snow).

When the COVID pandemic hit, most non-essential employees were asked to work from home. This shift took a lot of creativity and adjustment but was not entirely without benefit. For those willing to …

I have said many times that I always wanted to be a game broadcaster—from the time I was five years old—because I wanted to give people the same feeling of being at games even when they were not that others had given to me.

People struggle to create healthy or positive habits in all areas of their life. The barriers to achieving these new habits can seem unsurmountable. The list of priority projects and unexpected …