Joe Battista

  • The Lasting Impact of a Coach

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    Joe Battista

    “You coach a person, not a sport.”  — John O’Sullivan School is over or ending just about everywhere, and the multi-billion-dollar summer camp industry is about to begin in earnest.  According to IBISWorld (Industry, Business & Investment Services) the U.S. camp industry, which includes sports and recreational camps, has a direct and indirect economic impact…

  • A Nod to Nonnas

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    Joe Battista

    How many different names do you know for grandmother? I did a quick search on the internet (for this column I used “The Bump”) and it came up with hundreds from all over the world. But here is a small sample for you to feast on: Granny (Grannie), Grammy (Grammie), Gammie, Nan, Gigi, Gan-Gan, Maw-Maw,…

  • The Baseball World Is Going Bananas

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    Joe Battista

    They are billed as “The Greatest Show in Sports.” They were featured recently on CBS’s “60 Minutes.” They have a 10-game broadcast deal with ESPN networks. They have played in sold-out NFL and college football stadiums, and numerous MLB stadiums. They have more social media followers than every MLB franchise…combined.  Say it ain’t so, Joe! Baseball…

  • Springtime Becomes Hockey Time in Happy Valley

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    Joe Battista

    When most Penn Staters think of springtime sports it typically doesn’t include men’s and women’s ice hockey. March Madness? Check. March Matness? Check. Frozen Fours? Uncharted territory. Until 2025! When Matt DiMarsico scored the winning overtime goal against UConn in the NCAA Regional Championship game, I spontaneously leaped to my feet, hugged my wife and…

  • I Am a Magnolia Man

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    Joe Battista

    I am a Magnolia Man. Yes, I am, now. Say what? Well, if you are a fan of Joanna and Chip Gaines’ popular HGTV hit show, “Fixer Upper,” which spawned the Magnolia Channel, then you might know what I’m talking about.  I know my vast following was expecting me to write about the Penn State…

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    Battista: It’s a DOGE Eat DOGE World 

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    Joe Battista

    Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE): Its stated goal is “modernizing federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity”. I’m going to cut right to the chase and provide the solution to the national debt crisis right up front. “What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s…

  • March Madness Indeed

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    Joe Battista

    There is big news in Happy Valley sports these days and, no, I’m not talking about the new Beaver Stadium field naming rights. I’ll save that for another day.  I’m also not just talking about the continued dominance of the No. 1 ranked Penn State wrestling program under head coach Cael Sanderson and his staff.…

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    Coach Paterno Changed My Life

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    Joe Battista

    “What is a coach? We are teachers. Educators. We have the same obligations as all teachers, except we probably have more influence than anybody but their families. And, in a lot of cases, more than their families.” – Coach Joe Paterno For those of you that know me, or have occasionally read one of my…

  • The Ties that Bind Us

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    Joe Battista

    “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” — Eleanor Roosevelt Relationships matter. What we do with and for others is the stuff of life. It is often the difference between those just living, and those who…

  • It’s a Winter Wonderland in SC — Both of Them

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    Joe Battista

    Hey, State College, we’re back! Well, sort of. We recently made the trek north from the other SC (Sun City, South Carolina) up to Penn State, primarily for the annual Hockey Alumni Weekend at Pegula Ice Arena. I’d love to tell you we were escaping the record cold and snowfall that hit South Carolina –…