How did you get involved with Write on Sports?
Duane Stoltzfus proposed that Goshen College host the Write on Sports camp, but he needed help in fundraising and developing a budget. I was asked to help out, and soon got excited about what WoS could mean to our community.
When not working with WoS, what do you do?
I am the Major Gifts Officer in Institutional Advancement at Goshen College, Goshen, IN.
What is a stand out memory from your time at camp or after school program?
During our first year, I had lunch with the campers the day after their field trip to Notre Dame and the South Bend Silverhawks (minor league baseball team). Their excitement and enthusiasm was infectious as the students kept interrupting each other to tell me about their day. But the reflections from the teachers were even more compelling, as they told me how prepared and professional the campers were during the press conferences, and how eager they were about working on their stories. The athletes and coaches they talked to were noticeably surprised and impressed when they realized they were in for a real press conference, and not subject to a school field trip. I could see that the staff and teachers were just as excited as the campers. I love my job at Goshen College, and working with WoS is part of the magic that makes it fun.
Do you have a favorite sport and team?
My family enjoys watching live hockey, the Super Bowl, and most championship games, but we have no team affiliations. I grew up with the Cincinnati Reds in the “Big Red Machine” era and still love baseball. However, my wife Kathleen and I obsess over The Masters Tournament in Augusta, GA, and go whenever we can.
Where is your favorite place to watch a game? Why?
Watching golf at Augusta National is our favorite place on the planet, but watching a game at Fenway is a pretty close second. Both places give me an emotional connection to the sport.
Where do you get your sports news?
ESPN
Who is your favorite writer?
Jack London – I fondly remember the first time I read The Call of the Wild.
What is your favorite motto or quote?
There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?–Robert Kennedy
