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)

Stripes Worn Well (Muskegon Chronicle)

March 1, 2012

Tim Flahive has battled diabetes for all but a few years of his life. But he's also filled half of those years with high school sports as a longtime official based in the Muskegon area.

The Muskegon Chronicle's Mark Opfermann tells the story of Flahive's final basketball game last week -- and makes us appreciate even more the significant role our officials fill to no fanfare.

A powerful excerpt:

He left the court with no fanfare, took off his whistle and shed a few tears.

But Flahive's story isn’t just about sports and an official leaving the hobby he loves. It’s about courage, getting back up and pressing on.

So, I guess it’s a lot like sports after all. But it’s a whole lot more about life.

That’s because when Flahive took the court last week, he did it with half of his left foot missing.

Click to read on.