In the eastern Nebraska cornfields, where football turns a university stadium into the state’s third most populous city, Coach Bill Straub built a college women’s bowling dynasty. Before he retired during 2019, The University of Nebraska Lady Cornhuskers bowling squad, under his direction, captured 10 national titles at club and NCAA levels.

The practice facility features a tremendous number of trophies and plaques that document 110 tournament titles in 226 competitions. The walls are filled with the photos of the 75 All-Americans, eight of whom were selected as national collegiate bowlers of the year. These scholar-athletes hail from around the globe – Arizona and Australia, Indiana and Indonesia, New England and England. During his two decades as head coach, Bill never told his many recruits that they were awesome bowlers. Instead, he always enticed them to be successful with a personal promise – he would help each woman become a better bowler.

When Bill started at Nebraska as a volunteer with the men’s team during 1983, taking time off from the men’s professional tour, he didn’t know anything about coaching college students. Bill researched other sports for guidance and he found his foundation in the teachings of college basketball coaches John Wooden and Bob Knight, and in a video by golf coach Dalton McCrary, who promotes ideal swing speed mechanics that can be replicated in bowling.

Bill created 10 bullet points for success for the Lady Cornhuskers that include exaggerated push away of the ball, controlled body movement and straight follow-through when releasing the ball. Beyond the ability of the Lady Huskers to adhere to Bill’s coaching strategies and alley metrics, along with the university’s academic standards, a specific kind of bowler always interested this coach. Bill preferred to recruit bowlers with multiple sport experiences to support the athletic and group dynamic components of the competition.

You really can’t raise an argument about the foundation that was created by Bill Straub. He built the program higher and higher every season with championship after championship. Now, the program is moving forward under the leadership of Paul Klempa, who served as Bill’s assistant for 22 years.

Andrew Velazquez is from the Morris Park section of The Bronx. He grew up at Yankee Stadium, too.

Andrew was good enough to play ball in the minor leagues, and after each season he returned to the big ballpark. Each visit served as personal motivation to improve his game as he strived to wear a major league uniform.

After playing ball all the time while growing up, Andrew toiled the infield at Fordham Prep, where he earned All-Bronx Player of the Year from “The New York Post.” He committed to Virginia Tech but opted to turn pro after high school. A seventh-round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks during 2012, Andrew holds the record for reaching base in 74 consecutive minor league games, a mark he set with the 2014 Class-A South Bend Silver Hawks in the Midwest League. He broke the record of 71 that was held by a couple of players who would become Yankee rivals — Kevin Millar and Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox.

Andrew already has had his “cup of coffee” in the majors, playing briefly with the Tampa Bay Rays during 2018 and 40 games with the Baltimore Orioles last season. He played in three games at Yankee Stadium, with one plate appearance, as a member of the Rays. A personal dream, though, always has been to wear the Yankee pinstripes. That could occur this year. The 26-year-old infielder recently signed a minor league contract with the Yankees. By chance, Andrew’s personal trainer lives near Yankee Stadium, allowing the young player to picture himself playing at the ball yard as he passes it each day. More motivation.

Growing up a Yankees fan and as an infielder, we shouldn’t be surprised that Andrew wore #2 in tee-ball. But, there is a twist to Andrew’s story. When his father took him to a game at the stadium, Andrew became fascinated with an all-star infielder who happened to feature his number on a Yankees jersey. That is how Derek became Andrew’s favorite player.

“When I was in kindergarten [at St. Francis Xavier], I said I’d play in Yankee Stadium,’’ Andrew recently was quoted in a local newspaper. “I’m gonna bust my ass to get there again.”

Jeannie Morris passed away at the age of 85 during December. Possibly you never heard her name. Then, you certainly were not aware of her significant contributions to the sports world.

Jeannie was a pioneer in Chicago sports journalism. Knowledge, writing and perseverance propelled her print and television success. Among her accomplishments:

• First woman to report live from the Super Bowl (1975).
• Multiple Emmy Awards.
• First woman to receive the Ring Lardner award for excellence in sports journalism (2014).
• When NFL press passes declared “No Women or Children Allowed in the Press Box” and she could not cover a Bears game, she sat on top of the press box during the icy game.
• Her sports column, “Football Is a Woman’s Game,” ran on the “women’s pages” that once were prominent in newspapers.
• Interviewed male and female sports stars, including Chris Evert, Joe Namath, Fran Tarkenton and Don Meredith. She never hesitated to tell an athlete, “Hey, you didn’t answer my question.’”

Possibly Jeannie’s most significant accomplishment, besides raising four children, was her 1971 book, Brian Piccolo: A Short Season. The story contributed to the legacy of the Bears’ running back who died from cancer. His life and friendship with teammate Gale Sayers were celebrated in the television movie Brian’s Song.

The book led to the success of the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund. Jeannie allocated all proceeds to the fund and to the player’s daughters. Despite her own battle with cancer over the last year, Jeannie roused herself a couple of weeks before her death to request that any donations in her memory “go to the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund.”

Jeannie was passionate about sports for almost all of her 85 years. Her love for athletics came from her mother, who was a huge sports fan. Her father, she once recalled, could care less about sports.

The upside down year of 2020 affected youth sports across the country. Millions of athletes did not compete during their recent high school and college sports seasons, and many still will not be permitted to participate in this year’s spring sports. Scholastic sports careers never reached a conclusion for many seniors. Anticipated stories about their achievements, success, sportsmanship and teamwork never were featured in media, on social media, or in blogs such as this one.

In this forum, I’m unable to write about all the wonderful sports stories, locally and nationally, that involve student-athletes or even our professional athletes. So, to represent (and to celebrate) all the positive sports achievements that did occur during last year despite the unanticipated roadblocks, I decided to place the spotlight on three Westchester County young ladies. They successively navigated the COVID-19 sports shutdowns.

Exactly one year ago, shortly before the virus disrupted so many lives, Kelli Venezia scored her 1,000-point on the basketball court. Kelli is the second young lady at Putnam Valley High School in the northern part of the county to net that total. Kelli joined Kristi Dini in sharing that milestone. Kristi, by the way, is her coach at Putnam Valley.

According to Kristi, Kelli has worked hard, put in the time and has had a huge influence on the Putnam Valley program. Kelli’s achievement was a rewarding moment for her family, her many friends and fans, and for her coach.

Meanwhile, in Scarsdale, two tennis players developed a strong partnership on the court. Zoe Tucker and Natalie Hu are two years apart in school but they bonded in doubles play. They also enjoy a great relationship off the court.

As a team, Zoe and Natalie did place a year ago at states. They then finished 2020 with perfect records. Both were unbeaten in singles (5-0) and, as a team, they won all four matches at the regional tournament to win the Southern Westchester large-school doubles title. Though the states were cancelled due to COVID-19, Zoe and Natalie were selected as the Westchester/Putnam Players of the Year for girls’ tennis.
Kelli, Zoe and Natalie each enjoyed wonderful success in high school sports. (Natalie still has two years remaining). Years from now, the ladies will recall fantastic memories about their achievements and they will have many stories to tell about their navigation through sports, school and life during a very difficult year.

Christian Anderson was preparing for his junior season at quarterback with the United States Military Academy at West Point. While in Miami during spring break, the 2017 graduate of Cardinal Hayes High School in The Bronx was called home.
Christian’s parents were quarantined for two weeks. They were among the first New York cases of COVID-19. Christian remained with his parents until June. While caring for them, he borrowed a lifting bar and some weights from his high school and trained in the basement of the family home. A disciplined strength and conditioning program added 20 pounds to his frame.
After four games this season with Army, Christian was the team’s second leading rusher. His coach’s praise includes “important player,” “impactful role” and “a guy New York City can really be proud of.”
His high school coach certainly is proud of Christian’s success at the academy. Christian had thrown for 3,653 yards during his senior season, earning him first-team all-state honors and leading Cardinal Hayes to the state final.
Unfortunately, injuries have mounted for Christian following the good start to the season. He now shares playing time with several other Black Knights. A systems engineering major at West Point, Christian became inspired about the academy when he attended the 2016 Army-Navy game. He was overwhelmed as he witnessed the spirit of the cadets as they rushed field when Army broke a 14-game losing streak to Navy.
Throughout the season, Christian’s focus has been to help Army accomplish all its goals on the gridiron. One of the primary goals every season is to defeat Navy. Though Christian did not play in that game just a handful of days ago, the Black Knights did place a checkmark next to that contest on the schedule.

He is the oldest-living former Major League Baseball player. Eddie Robinson celebrates his 100th birthday this month (December 15).
During a 13-year playing career, Eddie donned the uniforms of seven teams – Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators (now Minnesota Twins), Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, and the Athletics in Philadelphia and Kansas City. Just as he was pursuing a major league job with a September debut for the Indians during the 1942 season, Eddie was called to duty during World War II. Then, while serving with the U.S. Navy, he was diagnosed with a potential life-long medical condition that placed a brace on his right leg and jeopardized his baseball career.
While in Hawaii during 1945, a bone tumor paralyzed Eddie’s leg. A nerve suture as thin as a razor blade was performed on his shin bone. The nerve needed time to rejuvenate. The positive prognosis was the nerve slowly would grow — about an inch every three months — though Eddie might never enjoy complete function of his leg.
Surprising the doctors, the nerve grew about an inch per month. The nerve healed within nine months. The next step for Eddie was to strengthen the leg. The brace was worn until the first day of the Indians’ 1946 spring training camp.
Eddie didn’t make the big club that year. Instead, he played first base for then Triple-A Baltimore. He played on a tired and painful leg, yet enjoyed a good first half of the season. Then, during early August, Eddie swung at a ball and felt it crash against his right ankle. A fracture ended his season.
During the next spring training, Eddie hit that same ankle, limiting his time on the field through the early part of the regular season. Again, Eddie pushed uphill. He was determined that the latest injury was not going to stop him from becoming the Indians regular first baseman. By mid-season, Eddie was playing every game.
Though he played more than a decade, Eddie’s name usually does not come up in conversations about historic Major League Baseball moments. Still, Eddie did have his time in the spotlight.
Eddie’s clutch eighth-inning single to right field off Warren Spahn of the Boston Braves in the decisive game of the 1948 World Series provided the margin of victory for the Indians in the 4-3 win. Eddie batted .300 during the World Series. His final hit drove in his lone RBI to give Cleveland its last championship.
But, before all this occurred, Eddie participated in an iconic baseball moment. On June 13, Cleveland was in New York as the Yankees celebrated the 25th anniversary of Yankee Stadium. The pregame ceremonies welcomed Babe Ruth in what would be the slugger’s final public appearance. Babe was dying and he struggled as he made his way through the dugout to mount the steps to the field. Eddie grabbed a bat from the bat rack and handed it to the slugger. Babe used it for support, a sort of brace, as he walked to the microphone. When Babe returned to the dugout, he handed the bat to Eddie and signed it.
That bat has been preserved all these years as a baseball treasure, and Eddie appears in the famous photograph as Babe emerges from the dugout with the bat in his right hand while doffing his cap for the fans with his left hand.
Eddie certainly has been blessed. It’s been a long and good life for a guy who wasn’t supposed to play another game in the major leagues.

I learned early on that it feels good to win.  And the secret is that it is easier to win as a team than to win as an individual.  What I have learned and what I try to communicate to my professional team as well as young salespersons  beginning a life in commercial insurance is that sports teaches us is the importance of the team.  Sure it’s great to score that goal yourself and hear the crowd applaud your effort, but in the long run, it’s the final score that counts.  Did we, (not I) win the game.  This concept of team comes usually comes later, however my epiphany to this crucial idea came early  when I experienced first hand how important my team mates were to me as friends as well as sports comrades.  This has been my philosophy over the years and continues to provide the reference in my pursuit for professional development and marketing excellence in the field of insurance.  Yes, I would rather have an assist than a goal and this is one of the items where Everything I Ever Needed To Know About Business I Learned On The Sports Field!

Don’t get me wrong - I hate to lose.    I go into every game wanting to win and expecting to win.  But somehow along the way I learned a valuable lesson about losing.  I learned how to face what happened, figure out what happened and then execute a revised game plan based on the errors that I made losing the game. 

Losing also teaches you something about yourself.  As one of my favorite Hofstra Professors, Dr. John Tantillo a frequent guest on the Fox News and Business Channel used to say: “Jim you can learn a great deal about someone, not when things are going well, but when things are going wrong.”  Losing helps you to understand what you have done to lose the game and makes you realize that you must be better prepared for the challenge the next time you are in the arena.  Darn it’s hard to lose, but it’s better to win the next game knowing that you have become better along the way! Yes, I learned how to lose  and this is one of the items where Everything I Ever Needed To Know About Business I Learned On The Sports Field!

Sure winning is great.  One of my idols, the legendary Vince Lombardi once stated that  “Winning isn’t everything–but wanting to win is.”  After reading that quote what else can one say.  Plenty if you are a competitor. 

Winning means that you and the team have put together a successful strategy as well as executing the plan that generated results.  Does this sound like a successful plan for the assertive business professional.  You bet it does.  Being prepared as well as executing the plan equals successul both on the field and in business and this is why I believe  Everything I Ever Needed To Know About Business I Learned On The Sports Field!

And one last thought that Coach Lomardi leaves for those who dare to care about outcomes: “If it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?”  I guess that says it all!  Thanks Coach.