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)
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.