A bizarre golf header (Kalamazoo Gazette)

May 22, 2012

From the crazy stuff that happens file: Richland Gull Lake senior Bryan VandenBerg hit a drive during Monday's Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference Tournament that ended up hitting his father Tim -- standing about 230 yards away -- in the head.

No worries -- Dad is fine. And Bryan tied for second overall. It's hard to picture how this happened. But the Kalamazoo Gazette's Scott DeCamp tells us the story.

Father's pain, son's gain: Gull Lake golfer Bryan VandenBerg benefits from dad's presence, literally, at SMAC Tournament (Kalamazoo Gazette)

From High School to Olympic Swimming

July 11, 2012

Fans of U.S. Swimming already have plenty of reasons to cheer for Missy Franklin later this month at the Summer Olympics -- she's only 17, but qualified to compete in a U.S. women's all-time best seven events.

But fans of high school sports and what they provide athletes at all levels of ability can also support her for how she's chosen to compete when she's not racing against the best in the world.

Franklin, who lives in Colorado, has continued to swim for her high school team despite the financial rewards she could've earned by taking the elite swimmer's usual path of going pro.

A ton has been written about Franklin lately, for obvious reasons. Below is a link to a New York Times story from February that focused on her continued dedication to her high school team.

Before the Olympic Trials, There’s This Big High School Meet (New York Times)