Our son’s junior year soccer season finished up last week on a crisp autumn day in New Hampshire, a first round playoff game which ended in a penalty kick shoot out, sadly, a loss. There is a special breed of parent out there raising goalkeepers both in and beyond the net. Watching our boy, now… Continue reading Keepers Beyond the Net
This last weekend at Loon’s Oktoberfest, one of our favorite family traditions, was the last time we saw Hans Herzog. Hans passed away this week, and the loss of his presence in so many different circles in our small community is palpable. He was working the Loon event, as usual, but came over to say… Continue reading Here’s to Hans (Also Hanz, Hansy, The Honz)
Courtesy, FIFA World Cup 2026™. Poster artist: Rich Tu My brother in law, Brian, sent the family group chat a reminder last week about not discussing any scores given the fact that he lives in Germany with my sister in law, Allison, and watch the games on delay the following mornings. My own brother, Greg,… Continue reading What We Love about this “Beautiful Game”
Forgive the blurry image. I tried to screenshot the video taken 11 years ago, when our 3 year old daughter, turning 4 in June, decided today was the day to take off her training wheels. She has, essentially, never looked back. She is a thinker, a processor, very different from her more impulsive brother; however,… Continue reading When the Training Wheels Come Off
Not a day has passed since our son first qualified for U16 Nationals, and then a couple days later, our daughter also qualified, where I have not been brought to tears by the generosity of our Loon Mountain community. I’ve started to write our individual thank yous, and then I get a note in the… Continue reading Love Letter to Our Loon Mountain Community
This is Crawford’s Notch, NH at 7AM, hovering at 28 degrees on our way to Attitash Mountain for yet another ski race. The roads look wet, but this is an illusion of safety, also called black ice. They are, in fact, what we like to call sporty but doable, a whole lot like parenting. There… Continue reading Droppin’ In…
Recently, I shared a photo of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich safely ensconced in this giant Swiss cowbell, which takes up an inordinate amount of space in my backpack. I joked that it would never be squished surrounded by the hard metal and love of a race parent. When our kids were younger racers,… Continue reading The Things We Carry: Race Parent Edition
When those incredible moments of humanity happen after a crazy Halloween Friday at school, the day before our girls’ soccer team takes on rival Pittsburg- Canaan, when snow is predicted this evening, and all the trees have shed their leaves, one takes a moment to thank a local woman named Karen. I’ve never met Karen… Continue reading Hope in Hatchland (and Humanity)
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and I want to give a shout out to some of the BEST and most encouraging coaches in the universe! Our kids are damn lucky to be part of the Lin-Wood School and Loon Race Team ski community. Throughout this journey, not knowing where it might lead, I think… Continue reading Gratitude for Great Coaches This Teacher Appreciation Week
Once a sweeper on my soccer team, I am now the sweeper of the woods for our Girls of Summer crew, 16 summers deep. The sweeper position is the last woman back, the last line of defense before the goalkeeper, or in this case in the woods, the one who makes sure no one gets… Continue reading What We Learn from the Back of the Pack
