My dad (Walter Kleinsasser) would have been 98 years old on Nov. 9, but he died in 2015 at the age of 92. He was truly one-of-kind. He was a great dad, husband, and father, who, with my mom, spoiled me rotten and I loved every minute of it. One of the best things he did was to write his […]

Buzz Williams is a basketball coach, but he teaches far more than basketball. He wants his student-athletes to know why the national anthem is played before games and why it matters. Just to be clear, the reason for his action was not in reaction to Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem in 2016. The teaching moment below occurred before […]

Persevere and reach your ‘mountain-top experience’ Many people who may or may not have been great athletes in sports nevertheless often do things that are physically challenging, while demonstrating tremendous perseverance to celebrate significant birthday milestones. Consider what Allan Bartel accomplished to celebrate his 50th birthday. Bartel was camp director at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp west of Colorado Springs for […]

Being a leader is not easy. It never has been and never will be. We can always debate, of course, whether it’s more difficult to be a leader now than at other times. From lawmakers to university/college presidents, high school superintendents, principals, and parents, it’s not easy to lead. The problem doesn’t just reside with our leaders. The problem lies […]

My agent I.M. Slick, respecting the ongoing social-distancing guidelines dropped an email to me the other day instead of having the usual face-to-face visit. He said he has been getting a lot of questions about what the future holds for sports in light of COVID-19. I told him that there’s a lot we don’t know. However, being the aggravating, er, […]

Unless you ignore sports, you’ve probably heard that Patrick Mahomes signed a 10-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs worth $477 million (which can reach up to $503 million) with a $141.48 million injury guarantee. Mahomes is the first player in league history to win league and Super Bowl MVP honors before his 25th birthday. Who knows how much he’ll […]

Summer is fun for families at our nation’s plethora of amusement parks. But this summer? Not so much. Wearing a mask doesn’t sound like much fun in the sun and heat, but many amusement parks expect patrons to keep them on, except maybe for water rides and while eating. Standing in long lines at any amusement park will test your […]

If I had told you a year ago that there would be no live sports for several months in 2020, you would said, “You’re crazy!” If I had told you the Hillsboro High School boys basketball team would be two wins away from potentially winning a state basketball championship only to see the tournament canceled, you might have said, “You’re […]

Most track athletes compete in relative obscurity compared to those playing popular team sports. Unless you follow college track closely, you’ve probably never heard of Wichita State’s Rebekah Topham, but she’s a winner. She has won nine conference track titles in the Missouri Valley Conference and American Athletic Conference, highlighted by earning Most Valuable Performance honors in the AAC 2019 […]

Tradition was a major theme in the musical “Fiddler on the Roof.” Thanks to COVID-19 we may see more than a few traditions disappear in a sport built on the status quo. Granted, some traditions have been eroding for awhile, such as the use of a designated hitter in the American League, but many traditions have remained intact. Assuming that […]