Joe Battista
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Friends for Life
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Among the many positive benefits to participating in team sports, and perhaps the most underrated and longest lasting, are the lifelong friendships that are forged. Coaches constantly talk about the significance of culture, chemistry and camaraderie. Yes, we all want to win and to be champions, but in the end, the final scores are mostly…
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May Is a Month for Memories
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May has always been a fun, memory-making month for many. The May flowers are blooming, the weather is getting better, and many Americans are starting to get their tax refunds so get outside and start making new memories. The month kicks off with traditional May Day festivals, Star Wars Day (May the Fourth Be with…
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What Defines You?
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If you are paying any attention to the news these days, then you know that Iowa women’s college basketball star Caitlin Clark has been dominating the sports headlines for the past few months. If you are a golf fan, you would also be well aware of the dominating performance of the world’s top ranked men’s…
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The ‘Key’ to the Future
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Let’s face it, those of us who are “boomers” have believed the world revolves around us for the past 60 years. No doubt we have shaped the nation, for better or worse, during its greatest and fastest era of growth, at least in part because of our sheer numbers and the technological advances that have…
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The Wisdom of Morrie: A Son’s Perspective
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One of the reasons we chose an active adult community for the next chapter of our lives was the myriad of opportunities to join clubs and experience events. We have just scratched the surface in our first 18 months in Sun City Hilton Head, but we are enjoying so many diverse and interesting activities including “Meet…
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‘I Have Fought the Good Fight… I Have Kept the Faith’
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“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”— 2 Timothy 4:7 Ben Franklin once wrote, “Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” We’ll save the taxes part for another…
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‘Every Day Is Saturday, Except Sunday’
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I once asked my former Penn State athletics colleague and friend Bruce Ellis how he was enjoying retirement. His response has resonated with me every day since. He said, with a big grin on his face, “Every day is Saturday, except Sunday!” I doggedly researched both the financial nuances and the quality-of-life aspects of retirement…
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Déjà Vu All Over Again, Again
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On Feb. 1-4, I had the chance to relive a very important part of my youth and time as a young adult, when softball was an integral part of life in the Battista household. We traveled to all parts of Pittsburgh and throughout Western Pennsylvania and surrounding states playing “travel” baseball and softball. Tournament play…
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Column No. 300: Why I Write
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“A writer is someone who has taught his mind to misbehave” – Oscar Wilde Well, folks, today is a milestone of sorts. This column represents my 300th since I first began writing for StateCollege.com in the fall of 2009. I was in my third year as the executive director of the Nittany Lion Club at Penn…
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‘What in the Wide, Wide World of Sports Is A-Goin’ on Here?’
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What a week it was in college and professional sports. Three iconic coaches all complete their lengthy stays with their current teams. One left on his own while the other two were nudged to move on. Nick Saban of Alabama shocked everyone by retiring from coaching; Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks was booted upstairs…