Diamond Inspiration (Oakland Press)
April 30, 2012
Kate Rendi's biggest contributions to the Walled Lake Central baseball team formerly came with a pencil and scorebook.
But the Oakland Press' Keith Dunlap tells us about the inspiration Rendi is providing this spring as she battles Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
Dunlap sums it up:
Yes, her teammates no doubt appreciate her chronicling things such as doubles, stolen bases or strikeouts, but these days they appreciate even more something Rendi provides that can’t simply be written down on a scoresheet.
Instead, Rendi’s big contributions have been how she’s touched the hearts and minds of the players and been an inspiration, providing a life example that the baseball players will likely never forget.
Click below to read the entire piece:
Walled Lake Central's Rendi inspiring baseball team (Oakland Press)
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)