The high school women’s basketball team I coach in Boone, North Carolina just had their season come to an end when we lost during the third round of the state playoffs. The game also marked the end of a thirteen year run where every year but one I coached one of my daughter’s on a team.
Click the player above to listen to the episode about the end of the basketball season for us.
my wife Megan, daughter Izzy, me, and daughter Charlotte after Izzy’s last game
I thought I was finished coaching in 2003 but when my daughter Charlotte was a second grader, I signed her up for 2nd grade basketball at the local YMCA in New Canaan, Connecticut. I distinctly remember carrying a bag of basketballs out to the car with little 2nd grade Charlotte wearing a black Puma sweatsuit as we went to our first practice together. This weekend, Sat Feb 28th, my daughter Izzy and I got in my truck, also with a bag of basketballs, so we could load up the Watauga High School bus and drive to what would be her last high school game.
my daughter Izzy in the parking lot after her last game
Notes for discussion for this episode:
A feeling of numbness that works to hold off sadness
The personally tricky spot of coaching a team that has my daughter as a player on it.
A little about this year’s team
A little about the loss to Alexander Central, how the game went
The story of coaching my kids for thirteen years
The decision to keep coaching for now
The workflow of what it’s like to prepare for and coach 10 games in 21 days.
Now that the season is over, what is there to do? Taxes, the big bees nest, trees in the yard, the problem of the mud, Megan and I went for a walk in the park
the girls and I in the driveway at our house in Asheville near the beginning of our time working together
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast!
Welcome to the Torg Stories Podcast. On this episode, Anne and I try to bring to life for you some places we know well.
Bill’s Places He Knows Well
Riverbank behind the house on Plymouth Road in Winamac, Indiana
Orient Geographically: Winamac is 100 miles southeast of Chicago and 90 miles straight north of Indianapolis.
Give an image: the river bank was steep with concrete steps and broken stone spread around on the bank. We had a silver jon boat.
Story from or connection to the place: Brent Herman shot Tank in the calf with a BB gun. We fished for sunfish with a cane pole.
Campus of St. John’s University in Queens, NY
The Great Lawn and St. Augustine at St. John’s in Queens
Orient Geographically: Queens is across the East River from Manhattan, sits on top of Brooklyn and share the island with Long Island. St. John’s is 5 miles down the Grand Central Parkway from Flushing Meadow.
Give an image: St. Augustine Hall sits at the end of a great lawn, is made from gray limestone, and evokes a cathedral feeling that matches the university Catholic’s mission. Built from Indiana Limestone also known as Bedford Limestone.
Story from or connection to the place: I didn’t realize how much I would miss walking across a college campus. I remember walking across the lawn headed for Asheville.
Ledges Whitewater Park on the French Broad River in Asheville, NC
Orient Geographically: The park is north of Asheville, North Carolina that is in the mountains of Western Carolina. Asheville is a 5 hour drive from Myrtle Beach.
Give an image: whitewater rushes over boulders with mountains rising up on both sides.
Story from or connection to the place: our family rafted the length of the river and Anne did a section of it with us.
Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina
On the campus of App State University in Boone, NC
Orient Geographically: It’s 83 miles to the northeast running along the ridge line and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Give an image: Lots of red brick buildings, surrounded by mountains, and adjacent to King Street.
Story from or connection to the place: It’s year 8 at App State! I visited twice: once fifteen years ago with Tank and Herb. Probably 5 years after that with Klop and always thought it would be an ideal place to live.
Valle Crucis Community Park in Valle Crucis, NC
the Watauga River at Valle Crucis Park in NC
Orient Geographically: it’s 7 miles west of App State and sits on the Watauga River. It’s a little over a mile loop of unique flat land in the middle of the mountains. It’s Latin for Valley of the Cross.
Give an image: It’s a valley in the mountains with long green grasses. The river is full of large boulders. A stream lines the side of the park near the Mast Store and the old Valle Crucis Store.
Story from or connection to the place: There’s a big loop that’s about 1.2 miles. During the hurricane, I think the water probably reached 10 feet. There’s marks on the trees of the high water level.
Anne’s Places She Knows Well
Place 1: Point Dume Malibu
Orient Geographically: Malibu, north of main part of town, just south of Zuma Beach
Give an image: point that juts a bit out from line of shore, cliff top above beach
Story from or connection to the place: laid back beach, drive is fun
Place 2: Griffith Observatory
Orient Geographically: Griffith Observatory view and hike in Los Feliz
Give an image: high above LA in SM mtns
Story from or connection to the place: first neighborhood, city at your feet and huge part up high blocks from apt
Place 3: Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Orient Geographically: Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Give an image: spectacular valley surrounded by mtns/waterfalls
Story from or connection to the place: hike with cows and bells etc
Place 4: Yosemite
Orient Geographically: Yosemite
Give an image: best NP I’ve been too, lush and spectacular
Story from or connection to the place: steps never ending, crowded start and then became very solo
Place 5: Melrose
Orient Geographically: a street in LA a block away from my apt
Give an image: weekend days are crowded with street vendors in front of vintage clothing stores, restaurants, designer stores, sneaker stores, coffee shops
Story from or connection to the place: walk west and watch as gets more high end
Honorable Mention:
Zermatt, Switzerland, Signs, Matterhorn
Heavenly Ski Resort, Lake Tahoe view
Aspen Buttermilk powder
Lake Como town on hike
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast!
Welcome to the Torg Stories Podcast. Today, Anne and I are talking about 5 things we know a lot about. Anne, when I pitched you this idea, you sounded like you weren’t sure there were 5 things you know a lot about. How did it go?
In my courses at App State, we do an activity we call “Creating Our Writing Territories.” This “Things I Know A lot About,” is one of the prompts I use to help students get ideas about what they want to read and write about.
The prompt has worked better after I shifted it to Things I Know Something About.
Bill’s Things:
Building Community
I chose this more as a reflection. How does it work? On my teams? In my classes at App State?
Sounds silly: finding ways we can talk to each other.
Using Donald Murray’s concept of the daybook.
The really specific and personal note to each student.
With the team, it’s more difficult. Within the high school context, time is much tighter. I think I get buy with a really positive attitude, smiles, fun and competitive practices.
Final Cut Pro X Editing
LOL, that might actually out me as not being much of a video editor. I took 4 free courses at the Apple Store in SOHO.
The workflow of this podcast is probably pretty strange: Zoom video conference, record the meeting, put the video file in Final Cut Pro X, edit, export, and then drag into the WordPress editor.
Teaching Basketball
I believe in the concept that players need three exposures to begin to understand a concept.
I think reps are overrated. For example, I think six jump hooks five days a week for a couple weeks will transfer.
Guided finishes or live over “on zero.”
Books by Nick Hornby:
I’ve read 13 of his books.
My favorites ranked: High Fidelity, Fever Pitch, Juliet Naked, About a Boy, and Dickens and Prince
The voice. The lists.
Teaching Writing
It’s about building and sensing an audience in class and not about finding error.
Some honorable mentions:
James Paul Gee and Discourse Communities, Activity Systems, Coming up with original offensive and defensive basketball schemes, trip planning, moving, applying for jobs, and replacing Simplicity mower belts. I can send you a mower belt video if you need one.
Anne’s Five Things She Knows Something About
Russian/Soviet History
Vikings played a part in ruling what is now known as Belarus/Ukraine/Russia. Vikings were also known as “Rus”. Ruled around 840. Rus “men who row” Kievan Rus is a federation of principalities that survived for 400 years before the 13th century Mongolian invasion. Orgin of the the word Russia. Russian scholars disagree and consider the rus to be a slavic tribe.
Stalin killed over 6 million of his own people thru gulags/famine engineered by state/political repression
Construction
Do I know a lot? I would say no, but I do know more than you. You didn’t know what a bollard was (when I crashed my car against it). Spec houses, spec suites, city codes. I can do minor electrical work with book assistance lol even though I am extremely low in craftmanship abilities.
Swedish pop groups ABBA & Ace of Base
Both groups lead singers had a fear of flying and a general fear/anxiety about the spotlight. Ace of Base lead singer eventually dropped out due to it. Ace of Base 2 sisters, 1 bro, 1 extra guy; ABBA 2 married couples who would both get divorced from each other.
The La Brea to Vine and Sunset Blvd to Wilshire square
Welcome to the Super Bowl LX Podcast. We started this episode at 10:27 EST. I’m podcasting like I get paid to do it!
In this episode, we talk about the pregame, the Green Day Performance, some of the main plays from the Seahawks 29-13 win, the Bad Bunny halftime show, and rank our favorite commercials.
Commercial Rankings That Could Use Some Revision:
Dunkin Doughnuts: Good Will Hunting remix. George, Sam from Cheers, Jennifer Anniston, Tom Brady. Gotta be a certain age to get it.
Claude making fun of Gemini with the perfect follow up question. “Raging Cougars.”
Colin and Che Draft Kings. “Live” at the game.
Uber Eats: Cooper and McConaughey. He said the Pro Football Hall of Fame looked like a juicer.
Instacart with Benson Boone and Ben Stiller.
Take a Look at Your Pee. Liquid IV.
Emotionally touching Rocket Mortgage about neighbors.
Minions and monsters. Big white screen with tiny minion.
YouTube “Meh” commercial with the Kelces, McCafferty.
Netflix movie with Brad Pitt. Had Big Kahuna Burger in it.
Weird: manscape commercial with talking hair.
Congratulations to Kingrah23 on winning the Torg Stories NFL Bracket Challenge. Write me an email and introduce yourself at William.Torgerson@gmail.com. I’ll put you in touch with Anne so she can get you your $50 gift card.
Pregame:
NBC made it seem less like a big game to me. I could only name Jason Garrett on the pregame show, and I wasn’t excited to hear from him.
Super Bowl Memory Project / NFL Broadcast Part.
Green Day:
Time of Your Life ending the NFL MVPs. Nice transition!
Holiday. Boulevard of Broken Dreams. American Idiot.
Megan and Izzy wondering if he would say his MAGA agenda line.
Chris Pratt’s kid I think said Let’s effing go for the Seahawks.
Fighter pilots fist bump.
I liked the focus on MVPs: Mannings, Montana, Jerry Rice
A few notes from the game:
Sam Darnold starting in Super Bowl pretty amazing from Jets and MN. And a Panther briefly.
3-0. SEA first drive: right down the field and stall for a FG.
Pats: Seahawks sack Maye. Also hurry him on the 3rd down where they had to punt.
Pats: sacked again. Punt. (17th time Maye has been sacked in playoffs)
End of first quarter. 3-0.
6-0. SEA: Walker long run to 46. Another long run by Walker. 30 and 29 yard runs. Another FG.
30 new players is a record for Super Bowl. (Pats)
Pats: Maye sacked again. Punt.
SEA: Darnold moving around more than Maye so far. Seattle goes for it the least in the NFL. Great punt by Seattle. 9 possessions 7 punts.
Pats: drive started from 2. Big first down pick up to at least not punt from the 2. Punt.
9-0. SEA with 11 seconds in half.
No team shutout in first half has won a Super Bowl.
12-0. SEA: FG on first drive second half.
Pats: Punting 4th and 1 with 7:41 in third from 39.
SEA: sacked. Pats got a little life.
Pats: Tirico: Maye just can’t pull the trigger. Fumble. Turnover.
SEA: Darnold 16 yard TD pass to Barner.
Pats: very, very late hit on Diggs out of bounds. Weird Tirico calling him an idiot Rocket scientist. TD Patriots. 3 plays 65 yards.
SEA- JSN, the receiver, comes back into the game after being evaluated for a concussion.
Pats: a very poorly thrown ball for an INT. 8:37 left. 19-7.
Sea: kicker sets Super Bowl Record with 5th FG
Pats: Maye sacked for 6th time. Fumble and returned for a TD. Megan asked, “How did the Patriots get this far?” 7th sack.
Pats: TD when it looked like Maye would run it in but passed low at the last second.
SEA: punt inside the 5 yards.
15 punts and 5 FGs in this game.
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast!
Welcome to the Torg Stories Podcast. This week, Anne and I share our top 10 most meaningful athletes. We’re recording on Sun Feb 1, 2025. Here outside of Boone, North Carolina, it’s 15 degrees and we’ve got at least 6 inches of snow.
Click to listen: Walter Payton, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Caitlin Clark
Torg’s List of Most Personally Meaningful Athletes:
Walter “Sweetness” Payton – running back Chicago Bears 1975 – 1987
Why? Payton was most responsible for inspiring my front yard games with the neighborhood kids in Logansport, Indiana. I had this little machine that would throw a football and me and another kid would play 1v1 football.
Memory: Payton would jump in the air and put one leg out front and another behind. In a time before the tush push, he would jump over both lines into the end zone or for a first down.
# 2 all time nfl rushing behind Emmitt Smith and ahead of Frank Gore and Barry Sanders.
Detail: he did not celebrate TDs. He handed the ball to the official or to a teammate.
Died at 46 of liver disease
More than anyone, inspired my front yard football games with the self passing machine.
From Wikipedia: The asteroid 85386 Payton, discovered by the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing observatory in 1996, is named in Payton’s memory.
Steve Alford – Indiana Hoosiers guard 1983 – 1987
Why? One of the best players in college basketball in my state when I was a middle school kid. I did things because Alford did: shoot 100 free throws and do push ups for misses. Put a ball on a chair and run cuts to pick up the ball from the chair, and end the workout by hanging the net.
Memory: Alford went 7-10 from 3 in the 1987 national title game. That’s the Keith Smart shot game that is part of the montage that closes each episode of our podcast.
In 1983 as a high school player, he went 25-25 from the line and scored 57 in a semi state game.
Same birthday as me, but six years older.
The Feinstein Season on the Brink book.
Larry Bird – 1979 1992 Celtics guard
The event of the NCAA title game of Indiana State, where our parents went, vs. Magic Johnson and Michigan State. How excited our parents were. How much dad and his friends talked about the game.
Scored 60 points nine days after his teammate Kevin McHale set Celtics record with 56. Hawks players cheering for him during the game.
The way he said he checked the newspaper everyday to see what Magic and his team had done.
Bird steals the ball in 1987 to beat the Pistons.
When he banged his head on the floor in a playoff game against the Pacers and exited. A bird (pigeon) landed on the floor. Later, he came running out of the hallway, returned to the game, and led the Celtics to a game 5 victory.
This game was commemorated on my NBA Superstars VHS tape to the Outfield’s song “Winning it All.”
The legend of being in the small town park by yourself working on being a basketball player.
Michael Jordan NBA guard 1984-1993
Larry Bird said he was “god in basketball shoes” when he scored 63 vs. Celtics in playoffs after coming back from a broken foot
Saw him in person twice: once at Market Square Arena in Indy and once at Chicago Stadium
The shoulder shrug hitting 6 threes in finals vs. Portland Trailblazers
The wide forearm band. The knee sleeve. How many pairs of Jordan shoes have I owned? How much Jordan gear do I have?
Tiger Woods – Golfer
He won the 1997 Masters. 21 years old. First Asian / African to win a major. Won by 12 shots. Lowest score ever at the time. What the heck is going on?!!!
Set up a TV in the back yard in Connecticut and watched him win the 2008 US Open with torn ACL and double stress fracture.
Also the tragic hero fascination.
Probably with Jordan, the athlete I most made plans to clear my schedule and watch.
Caitlin Clark – current WNBA guard
Converted me the rest of the way to a person who watches women’s basketball and moves ahead of someone such as Steffi Graff for a female athlete I make plans to watch.
Went to see her play in Charlotte against VA Tech when she scored 44 and they beat Tech 80-76. Click here for article.
Image of her getting angry and hitting a barrage of long, long threes in opponent’s faces.
Chris Mullin – NBA forward from 1985-2001.
Started: white guy left handed shooter. “Cool.” But an article about his recovery as an alcoholic and his work ethic turned me on to him.
He went on to the Pacers where he played for Larry Bird on a team that went to the NBA Finals. Lost to Lakers.
Played at St. John’s where I taught for 11 years. Coached there right after I left.
Reggie Miller – Indiana Pacers guard 1987 – 2005
First: I was 17 when his career started so this is a good time for me to see and remember things.
I was at the game when he got Knicks guard John Starks to head butt him
Admired the guts to take the big shots. The ability to deliver in big games and the idea that he was going to get hot.
The 8 points in 9 seconds win at the Garden and interactions with Spike Lee and all the ways Haliburton echoed that last year.
Pat Conroy – point guard, The Citadel from 1963 – 1967
Stretching it here as far as knowing him as an athlete but his book The Losing Season and his entire career showed me how a basketball loving guy could make it in English Departments and as a thoughtful writer
The writer Richard Ford also did some of the same work for me. Ford wrote for Insider Sports and won the Pulitzer for his novel Independence Day. (as he likes to say, not that Independence Day).
Jack Nicklaus – pro golfer winning US Open in 1962 for his first major.
Dad loved him and would sit down to watch him so I did too. I remember him waving his arm up as a long putt went in for his 1986 Masters win. He shot 30 on the back 9 and won.
The ‘86 win was 6 years after any of his other wins. He was 46 at the time and so it was a big surprise.
I read his book Golf My Way. I remember it had you visualize your shot, and I’ve heard other golfers say it contributed largely to slower play by amateurs who were spending a lot of time trying to visualize their shots.
Somebody like Tiger Woods put Nicholas’s record of 18 major tournament wins and didn’t get there (yet?)
Some other athletes I considered: Steve Kerr, John Wooden, Kevin McHale, John Stockton, Steve Nash, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bill Russell, Steffi Graff, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi
Anne’s list of most personally meaningful athletes:
Steffi Graf
Memory: Domination, Late career beating Martina Hing in 1999, Hingis falling apart.
Detail: SI Cover, 1988 Grand Slam, first time really paid attention
Natalia Mishkutenok & Artur Dmitriev
Memory: 1994 Lillehammer Olympics, miracle after falling, get silver
Detail: 1982 Unified Team Albertville Olympics. Liebestraum by Liszt
Shohei Ohtani
Memory: 4 HR in NLCS, 10 Ks as pitcher; 40/40 Club
Detail: 50/50 club 2024 first in history. 9/19/24 6 for 6 w/3 HR, 2 SB, 10 RBIs
Peyton Manning
Memory: SB 2007 v bear
Detail: Never my fav but over the years have liked him much more, SNL sketch w/playing w/kids
Sergei Fedorov
Memory: Russian 5 in mid 1990s, Larionov, Kozlov, Fetisov, Konstantinov (1997 & 1998 Stanley Cup)
Detail: July 1990 defected while playing in Goodwill Games in Portland
Greg Louganis
Memory: 1988 Seoul hitting his head and still winning. HIV status.
Detail: 1984 / 1988 Summer Olympics Gold medalist on springboard and platform.
Tony Gwynn (co/w/ Benito Santiago)
Memory: 1986/1987, my padres fan years. Just getting hits all over the place.
Detail: Received college basketball offers, none for baseball. Played both at San Diego State. Died at 54 from cancer/smokeless tobacco
Andre Agassi
Memory: 1992 Wimbledon first grand slam, denim shorts, neon bicycle shorts
Detail: Book “Open” was great, one of 8 men to have career grand slam, decline and climb back up
Mia Hamm (representing entire US team 1996,1999 WC)
Memory: 1996 Gold medal, first time women’s soccer was in olympics
Detail: Married to former Boston Red Sox SS Nomar Garciaparrain 2003
Florence Griffith Joyner (Flo-Jo)
Memory: 1988 Olympics, 100 m world record, 3 golds, one legged tights (did she start this?), colorful, long nails 100/200 WR stills stands (although 100 prob wind assisted?)
Detail: Died age 38 in her sleep during an epileptic seizure
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast!
