School is out and the lazy, hazy days of summer are upon us.
Well, sort of!
It’s actually a very busy time around here for some of us, given camp schedules and baseball and soccer. But summertime is still a wonderful time of the year here in State College, and I thought it would be great to remind us all how good it is to be in Happy Valley, even when school is out.
Early in June, the Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Tournament was blessed with fabulous weather and a good time by all (including a visit from former men’s basketball coach Ed DeChellis, who is a class act, a longtime friend and will be missed).
The Penn State sports camps are now in full swing (and keeping my daughter, Brianna, employed and busy) and we have one week of summer hockey camp behind us (four more to go!) and our women’s camp is in for the current week.
The Lady Lions basketball camps are under way, and the new men’s hoops coach Pat Chambers and his ‘Experience the Attitude’ mantra have taken the town by storm.
The State College Little League regular season is over (congrats to Coach Ishler and the Boys of Subway, as well as all the young players and parents who made this season a success). Now the all-star and tournament team season begins.
The State College basketball camp has started with coach Drew Frank and his staff, and the recently re-opened William L. Welch Community Swimming Pool across the street is packed every day.
Monday, we were fortunate enough to host two living legends in the world of college athletics when coach Joe Paterno and coach Mike Krzyzewski filmed an ESPN special at Eisenhower Auditorium. It was magical to see two experts in their respective fields share so much in common at a time when college athletics could use a few good stories to be told.
My youngest son, Ryan, turned 11 the other day and celebrated by attending the Spikes game with his 91-year-old grandfather, Smitty (who, like his grandson and his son-in-law, played second base back in the day).
We are having a blast with summer baseball. Saturday, the State College Nationals and Americans 10-year-old all-star teams played a game followed by a joint picnic. It was just good, old-fashioned, summertime fun (and I got to eat a lot of juicy watermelon). Ryan’s team played a doubleheader under the lights Monday at Sichler Field with Mount Nittany in the background. What an atmosphere for youngsters! We celebrated Ryan’s 11th birthday with cupcakes, and Ryan got a fistful from his big sister (see the accompanying photos). So the uniform got a little messy, big deal. It was worth seeing the boys having fun!
Summertime also means a time for transitioning from total freedom to some responsibility. My 17-year-old son, Jonathon, is working on web design and software for TRS Technologies, which makes gizmos I can’t even pronounce! Our neighbor and friend, TRS President Wes Hackenberger, has been kind enough to take on our self–professed expert ‘gamer’ to see if he can turn all that energy and tech interest into something his parents think is a bit more productive.
Jon still finds time to organize dance parties in our basement and gatherings around the fire pit for his friends, so don’t feel too sorry for him.
A recent highlight for me was a day trip to Pittsburgh to watch the Pirates play the Mets at PNC Park with Ryan and our friend Jason Krasowitz and his boys, Max and Sammy, both of whom donned their Mets jerseys. It was a fun ride, a fun evening (despite an 8-1 Mets victory), and we were treated to a little special attention from the Pirates’ president and PSU alum, Frank Coonelly (see the phoeo). Sammy was so excited that he slept in his Mets jersey that night and wore it again the next day to the Little League field just to remind us who won the game.
That’s just part of my little slice of Happy Valley happenings. Once again I am reminded why this is such a great town to live in and to raise a family.
The rest of the summer will be just as busy around here with the Second Mile Golf Tournament coming up, Vacation Bible Schools throughout the area, the 4th Fest, the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, the Summer Concert Series, the Nittany Valley Shakespeare Festival and much more for everyone to enjoy.
So no excuses. Get outside for a Spikes game or a family picnic and take in a show at one of our many local choices for entertainment.
Get up and take advantage of this wonderful town and the people who make it so special.
Get out and put the Happy in Happy Valley!
