Sports Talk: Volley for a Cure

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Sept. 25, 2013.

It’s quite the week in Casey County. The football team is gearing up for the first district game while also enjoying homecoming festivities. Golf teams are preparing for their regional tournament and there is no way to overlook the abundance of fun that comes with Apple Festival week.

But there is another big event taking place this Thursday that should not be overlooked: Volley for a Cure.

The VolleyRebs’ annual event is taking place this Thursday when they host Pulaski County, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The event offers shirts to the first 100 supporters and a silent auction will take place. All of the proceeds from the night are set to benefit Casey County’s Relay for Life program.

In the past, the event has benefitted the Susan G. Koman foundation, but the team has decided to keep the money close to home and put it directly to the local program helping those we know and love fight the battle of cancer.

Hearing someone has a form of cancer is becoming more and more common for everyone. Sometimes it is someone you only know by name or know is related to someone else you know; other times it hits very, very close to home. As head Volleyball coach Veronica Sengkhamyong said to me, it’s hard to find anyone who has not been affected by cancer in some way—especially breast cancer.

The VolleyRebs are also inviting all cancer survivors to attend the event and be recognized. It’s important to never overlook the amazing odds these people beat when they take on the battle with cancer. Every day is a gift for them and is a gift to those who love them. They’ve gone through something that someone like myself has never had to face, and, God willing, never will.

It’s a busy week in the county, but if possible I encourage you to come to Thursday night’s volleyball game at the high school and support the cause, the team, the research, the survivors and those currently fighting for their lives.                 

Sports Talk: The Move of the Governor's Cup

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Sept. 18, 2013.   
 
27-13. Was it the score you were expecting?

Cards or Cats fan, I feel it’s okay to admit that Louisville was the favored team in this year’s Governor’s Cup, so UofL coming out with another win was not of great surprise.

Unless watching with a group of devoted fans, I tend to root for the underdog in the Kentucky-Louisville meetings. Part of what makes rivalries great is that no matter how favored one team is, you tend to see a good game out of it. I know Louisville has potential for a great season, so in reality I did not want a loss on their record; however, I desperately wanted the Cats to put arrogant Cardinal fans in their place.

The teams’ 20^th meeting this past Saturday closed out an era of the Governor’s Cup. Beginning next year the rivals will have their meeting at the end of the season rather than as an early season highlight.

As an Ohio State Buckeye fan, I’ve grown used to the epic Michigan throw down taking place as the finale of the season, and personally, find this change in the Bluegrass’s two rival schools’ schedules to be an exciting move.

What I love about a rivalry game is that all bets are off and even this past weekend proved that. Sure, the favored team did come out on top, but reality is Louisville should have been able to run away with the game from the first quarter and they did not.

The beauty of ending the season with your most precious rival is the fact that for fans this game, 99% of the time, matters more than any other game you play through the season—even a bowl game or defending a #1 ranking. And for whatever reason, even if one school is number one and the other has had an awful season, the anxieties leading up to the rival game maintain because all bets are off. The favored team is a fool to go in believing the game is in the bag.

While blow outs occur, it’s not uncommon to see the underdog give the opponent a run for their money even when there is no reason for it. Believe me… As an OSU fan who saw a streak of triumphant years under Jim Tressel, when that weekend in late November rolled around, no matter the Ohio State record compared to Michigan’s, the worst of the worst fears crept to mind: that that stinkin’ Michigan could potentially completely spoil your successful season.

Stats and records play a different role in this season-ending rivalry experience. Each team has solid proof of their talent and abilities due to previous games, but this almost raises the stakes of the big rivalry game. Expectations are that much higher, especially if you are with the favored team.

Since I am not the hardcore Cats or Cards fan, I had the The Kentucky Sports Rivalry Facebook page pose the question to followers about their feelings on this change. It sounds like a mixed review, but one thing is certain: the rivalry will not be lessened!

“I'm excited to see two teams who are more developed and experienced come together for this epic meeting. I think having more than two games under their belts will prove for a more interesting game.” -Michelle Delk/Cards Fan

“I like it. It could end bowl hopes for each team, either not getting in one or not going to the one you want to. It will add to the rivalry. For years Tennessee has been our last game and believe me if there is one team I hate more than UT it's UL, but I love the rivalry! I like the move. Go CATS!” -Matthew Richardson/Cats Fan

“I’m down on the move. The first game of the season gave both teams unrivaled air time. Moving it to the end of the season will only be a good move if both teams remain relevant in the future, otherwise it'll be lost amongst the Bama/AU's and OU/UM's. Nobody is going want to watch a 10-2 team play a 2-10 team or two 2-10's play each other.” -Josh Watson/Cards Fan

“Be a great way to end a non-bowl bid season for either team.” –Joshua Lynn/Cats Fan

“I have mixed feelings on the whole situation. I LOVED it as the first game because it made the entire off-season filled with hopes, anticipation, and smack talk between each side.  I also like the move to make it fall in line with the more traditional and storied rivalries. My fear is that with Kentucky being such a basketball-centric state, and with the game falling INSIDE basketball season is that the football game will kind of be an afterthought. It will be interesting to see how my Cards handle it after having to kind of experience what UK does every year in actually playing tougher teams week-in and week-out instead of only a game or two a season. Both teams will have to survive the injury bug after being "battle-tested" so to speak.” –Chris Edwards/Cards Fan

“I think it's really cool, especially for UK fans that don't really have high expectations for football anyway, that game that means the most to the fans will now feel like a kind of championship game at the end of the season.” -Ben Short/Cats Fan

“It's still going to be a huge game no matter when it's played. Every one in the state watches this game and always will. It may lose some of the attention it gets from ESPN, but it will always be the best time of year for football fans in the bluegrass state. Except for Western fans. The best time of the year for them is stomping UK and we all get a good laugh out of it! GO CARDS!!” -John Casey/Cards Fan

 “I like the move simply because it gives UL fans more time to think up excuses if they lose.” -Jared Hatter/Cats Fan

An impromptu maternity shoot...sort of...

I had a fun little unexpected experience this past weekend. I ended up doing a mini-maternity shoot right here in our very own Valley!

Katy Sweeney-Wilson is someone I feel like I've known my entire life. Although we have never been close personal friends, our families and paths have been intertwined for years. Katy was a good friend of my older brother's, as she was a little ahead of him in school. Her mother was my eighth grade English teacher and her father led the youth leadership charge during my pre-teen/early teen years. He has since been mayor of our lovely, little town of Liberty. (He was one of the early non-family members to make calling me by my nickname, "Peat", okay!) Katy has always been a phenomenal dancer and worked with my group of Kentucky Junior Miss contestants when I was a senior in high school. That's just a snapshot of our many meetings over the years... That's life in a small town and you've got to love it!

It just so happens that my cousin, Ru, and her cousin were also married several years ago and now she and my cousin are co-workers at one of the local elementary schools and have become even closer friends because of it. Ru, like myself, has always been a lover of pictures and photography. She did most of her three children's photos herself through their wee years, but Katy, having kiddos of her own, has also developed a knack and enjoyment of photography. She's currently pursuing a small side business in photography on the weekends. She was visiting our property last weekend in order to do a shoot for Ru's family and one of them (not sure who!) thought it could be a great opportunity to add some maternity shots to her portfolio. 

I'm not exactly model material and I warned them that my chances of getting Mingus to clean up and be nice looking for a photo op on a perfectly beautiful Saturday (when he hasn't been home on a Saturday in five weeks!) were slim to none, but I was happy to do it. I did not plan to do any maternity photos, as purchasing my Canon Rebel was my investment in future family photography, so it was a nice excuse to let someone else have the creative eye and see what they came up with. Mingus was a sport about it. While he did not "get pretty" or even clean up... he did take a break from digging potatoes in order to help Katy out. Luckily the outdoor shots made his look seem to fit well.

She was relaxed and easy to work with--especially for someone like me who definitely feels far from "natural" on camera. She was also speedy on the turnaround for having photos for preview. She has a good eye for lighting and camera scope. I love what she was able to do with a natural environment and to use the natural light and colors.

Thanks for choosing me to be your maternity "guinea pig", Katy! 

**All photos taken, edited and owned by Katy Sweeney-Wilson

Farewell to the Love Shack

It's officially over. Our five year affair of fun with the Love Shack in West Mansfield, Ohio is officially over. It's hard to say whether five years have passed quickly or slowly. In so many ways, the fun had on that exciting weekend in October 2008 seems only, oh, maybe a year ago. At the same time, the worlds we are all in are oh-so-different now.

October 2008: Our inaugural gathering at The Love Shack

August 2013: The final gathering at The Love Shack

The Beginning: October 2008
Our good friend Gress took a job in Columbus after finishing speed school at UofL in 2008. We sent him off with a ridiculous shindig in July (that also felt very much like a shindig saying farewell to my college career...). By October Gress had found a place to call home in Ohio and where his, then girl friend (now wife), Boo, would be moving in with him. I'm pretty sure it was the weekend after Gress first received the keys to his new home that about 12 of us made the road trip north to visit. The house, located on several acres of land on a lonely state highway with few and far between neighbors, was still completely empty. We all brought pillows and blankets and cozy clothes and (most importantly, then) lots of booze. Most of us being still in "college mode" to some degree at least, floor beds were welcome. Simply having a pillow and blanket to go with the floor was a luxury--that is if you could find both before simply opting for passing out wherever you fell. We had a ridiculously fun weekend that I know all of us will always remember (despite how much we never remembered to begin with). 

Gress Family Portrait in 2008 before they were officially a family!

Present: The last weekend of August 2013, we packed up all of that stuff that hadn't even made its way into the home in October 2008 and had a convoy to Kentucky as the Gresses made their move back to Louisville. 

What's happened between now and then?

• Boo & Gress got engaged and married.
• Nic and Michelle, newlyweds then, are expecting baby #1 now.
• Chad is engaged to a lovely lady none of us even had the pleasure of knowing in 2008.
• Benzo has written and composed an entire album of original music that he now performs with his own band
• Dani, no longer with her 2008 guy, is in a serious relationship with her current boyfriend and has completed her masters.
• Joshie is overseas with the National Guard traveling all over the middle east.
• Deutsch, not even 21 in 2008, is well through his Bellarmine career, working for a TV station while his serious girlfriend pursues her masters.
• Jaso couldn't even attend our final trip to Ohio, because it was only days before he left for bootcamp with the National Guard.
• Ben and Miche, who were merely friends on opposite sides of our circle of friends then, are now engaged--thanks to the sparks that flew in October 2008.
• Me, a recent college grad with Mingus nowhere on my radar then (who didn't even make his first Love Shack trip with us that October), is now happily married almost two years and is expecting baby #1. 

The Story Behind the Name: The Love Shack

The house was named the Love Shack for obvious reasons, starting with Miche and Ben. It was solidified after Mingus and I. I cannot recall that I ever recounted mine and Mingus's beginning, but the Love Shack most definitely had everything to do with it. The funny thing about both Ben & Miche and Mingus & I is that our beginnings are so similar. In both cases we knew each other for years prior to a relationship. We'd been at many of the same parties, events and outings because of being in the same circle of friends; thus the reason we would end up at the Love Shack together--visiting mutual friends. However, between coming in on opposite sides of that circle and the fact that one person in each of the duos (Miche and Mingus) were in serious relationships throughout these years of crossed paths, we never really even got to know each other for years. 

But then the Love Shack happened.

Ben & Miche: October 2008

Their story happened all on its own accord; however, several of us dreamed up what a perfect match they could be leading up to that first weekend. Myself and the three who traveled north with me for that weekend even plotted on our drive how this weekend could be an ideal time to push the two together. No plotting was necessary. Although coming in separate vehicles, they two of them were already at the Love Shack when we arrived and the sparks were clearly already flying. They did not leave in separate vehicles that weekend and they never looked back either.

August 2013: The original Love Shack Lovers,
now planning a wedding!

Peat & Mingus: January 2010
A year and a half later I made my second trip to the Love Shack. I had not planned to make the trip at all. Why Mingus asked me to ride to Ohio with him for a weekend, when we weren't really even close friends and we never talked or why I said "yes" when he asked me on a Tuesday and we left on a Friday, are both mysteries that can only be described as FATE. I almost always had weekend plans with friends then, or when I didn't, I usually welcomed the down time. FATE is the only answer I have for why I'd agree to a last minute road trip with someone who was practically a stranger. But instead it was the best decision either of us ever made. While our time spent at the Love Shack that weekend was a blast--other friends joined us up there--it was the hours on the road to and from that opened our eyes to each other in a new way. By the time we returned to Louisville, neither of us wanted to say goodbye. We had dinner that night and spent the next day, MLK Day, together as well...and we never looked back.

January 2010: The road trip weekend that started it all!

August 2013: Married & Expecting in less than 2 months!

We've all made various trips to West Mansfield over the years. Sometimes it was the giant crew of us again, other times it was only a couple of us. We've had our crazy shenanigans, we've planned weddings, talked babies, cooked together, baked together, played in the snow, had fun trips to Columbus and so much more. An annual favorite was always Chinese New Year, which is what we celebrated the first weekend Mingus and I made our trip together in 2010. (See 2012 here and 2013 here.) 

There were eight of us who joined Gress and Sara the last weekend of August to help them pack up the giant Uhaul and embark on the caravan of five vehicles to Louisville. While maybe Miche & Ben and Mingus & I have our individual love stories that inspired the name for the Love Shack, I think the real love that the 70's ranch home brought about was a love of a group of friends. I know every one of us who ever made the trip to the Love Shack felt it... It was a special intimacy we share as friends that was especially nurtured at the Love Shack. Any time we gathered here, far north from our homes and out of the city it was more like a family reunion than a friend reunion. While the first trip revolved around our crazy shenanigans that were quite common at that time in our lives, as time rolled on, the trips were more about time together and the chance to try new things together and make new memories. We've all gotten busier and settled into our individual lives, but somehow we've grown closer even with not maybe spending quite as much time together. 

We will miss out getaway house, the Love Shack, but we are stoked to have our wonderful friends back in Kentucky and close to home for the rest of us.

August 2013: Ready to unload the Uhaul at their new Louisville home!

Sports Talk: Rebel sports coverage back on local radio station

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Sept. 11, 2013.   
 
Have you made it out to Rebel field for a game this season? Maybe yes, maybe no. Schedules don’t always work out with how busy we all are these days. Here’s the good news, though, if you weren't aware: you can always tune into live Rebel action, thanks to WKDO.

I was extremely excited to find out that our local radio station was going to again be following the team to both home and away games to give all fans the opportunity to cheer Casey on from their homes or  work or even while on the road. 

Since I have only been living in Casey County again for the past two and a half years, I am not sure when radio broadcasts for some of our sport teams ceased, but I remember it being a regular part of my high school career.  I made it to a lot of events as a student but, especially during basketball season, I missed a lot of the men’s games due to having my own busy schedule managing the girls’ team. It was nice to have the option to tune into the games from home and hear my friends’ names being announced and be in on the big moments and close games.

I know Classic Country cannot carry all of our sports teams, but I am very glad they are bringing back football and basketball. I am actually due with our first child in October, meaning life is bound to get more hectic and traveling to Rebel sporting events is only going to get more complicated. Hearing the news that more of them would be broadcast on the radio was extra exciting.

Let’s not overlook the fact this happening is not thanks to WKDO alone. A lot of our local businesses are the ones making this possible by sponsoring the broadcasts: Casey County Bank, Don Franklin Motors, Sweet Beans n' Things, Tri-County Feeds, Save-A-Lot of Liberty, Long's Automotive & Truck Service, the Monticello Banking Company, Whited's 1547 Auto Sales and the Bread of Life Café. (This was the list posted to WKDO’s Facebook page as of Aug. 22. Apologies if there are any new sponsors I did not include.)

Be sure extend your thanks to these businesses which are helping bring Rebel sports back to the radio. This is my way of thanking the radio and all of the businesses supporting Rebel sports. And while I’m at it, I’ll say nice work to Dan Johnson and Steven Brown for their football announcing and commentary. I’m loving it and it’s even worth listening to while watching live!