Behind the Scenes
Like many across the nation, my heart beats to the rhythm of a baseball game. The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, the timeless dance between pitcher and batter – it's more than a sport; it's a summer ritual, a shared experience that binds communities. So, when the devastating news arrived in 2020 that the Minor League Baseball (MiLB) season was entirely cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn't just a disappointment; it was a profound sense of loss, a void in the fabric of our collective summer.
Yet, here we are, midway through the fifth post-COVID season, and a disconcerting reality persists: attendance across Minor League Baseball still hasn't fully recovered. The vibrant, bustling ballparks that once defined summer evenings often feel a little less full, the energy a touch subdued. This lingering question – why are fans not returning in pre-pandemic numbers? – prompted a deep dive into the complex conditions affecting MiLB attendance.
Behind the Scenes with the Texas Stars Equipment Managers (December 10, 2024)
The success of a hockey team balances on a three-legged stool: the experiences of the coaches; the skill of the trainers, and the attentiveness of the equipment managers.
You might think that the equipment managers are only concerned with maintaining and repairing hockey equipment. That’s part of it, but not nearly enough. The real job is to manage all the details of the game for the players, both at home and away, so when the player steps on the ice all they think about is the game.
Behind the Scenes Making the Texas Stars Ice Rink (September 6, 2024)
Texas Stars hockey fans are passionate about their team. They know the history, stats, and projected career path of every player on the roster long before the first puck is dropped on the ice. But what do they know about the ice on which the puck dropped? This photoessay may add to their extensive knowledge.
I arrived at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park at 8:00 am on Labor Day. I met a crew of a dozen and a half workers who have been up all night disassembling the stage from the previous night’s concert, and beginning work on building the ice rink.
Behind the Scenes with Austin Bold GM, Roberto Silva (January 22, 2019)
Soccer is a game for the passionate. The fans are passionate. The players are talented and passionate. The team owners are patient and passionate. And like the team owners, Roberto Silva, General Manager of the Austin Bold soccer club is talented, patient and passionate. Silva shared his passions with me at the Austin Bold Media Day.
Roberto Silva arrived in the Austin Bergstrom International Airport on January 14, 2014 with his wife, two children and all their worldly possessions in nine bags of checked luggage. Roberto proudly showed me the picture of the moment on his phone, just as he did the day before to his players at their first practice.