Tag: sports

Iconic Sports Venues, Wrightsville Beach, and Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 3

Dear Readers and Listeners,

We had snow on Thursday. Late March snow! This weekend we Torgs went to Wilmington, North Carolina to watch Kate Sears play in the Carolinas Classic All Start game that features North Carolina versus South Carolina. We stayed at a Holiday Inn on Wrightsville Beach that we recommend. I went from scraping the car of ice to getting a little sunburn that afternoon at the beach. Wilmington made a good impression on us. My daughter Charlotte drove down from college to spend the night with us and go to the game. Then she came all the way back to Boone for a night. Charlotte, my daughter Izzy, and I got a workout in at App State before she headed back to college.

My men’s NCAA Bracket took big hits with St. John’s, who I picked to win it all, and North Carolina, who I picked to go to the Final Four, both losing. In the women’s bracket I picked UConn to beat South Carolina in the final. Next weekend, we’ve got the Watauga Women’s Basketball team banquet!

Thank you so much for checking out the podcast and the content on the site!

Best,

Torg

Podcast Notes:

Introduction to be read to open the podcast:

  • Welcome to the Torg Stories Podcast! This week we’re doing iconic sports venues, I’m going to talk about our trip to Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, and we’re doing Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 3 in which the Zava starts playing with Richmond. Anne, I added a new feature to podcast. I wrote everyone a letter. Do you think anyone will visit the Torg.com to check it out?

Anne and Bill Life Snapshots:

Anne, give us a snapshot of life for you in LA:

Bill Snapshot:

  1. Went to Wilmington, NC: what the beach is like, the hotel, the game, Charlotte came
  2. Really bad Kentucky Fried Chicken stop on the way home.
  3. NCAA tournament time: Men’s bracket: SJU and NC lose.
  4. Women’s bracket: UConn over South Carolina was my pick.
  5. Banquet is next week. Our sports banquets.

In the show Ted Lasso, the football team is Richmond. They are the Greyhounds, and their home pitch is the Dog Track. I thought that was a pretty good name. It made me want to ask you, what comes to mind when you think of iconic sports venues, either the name and/or the venue itself.

  1. Madison Square Garden
  2. Augusta National
  3. Fenway Park
  4. Hinkle Fieldhouse
  5. Wimbleton (Southwest London)
  6. Wrigley Field
  7. Cameron Indoor
  8. Lambeau Field
  9. Boston Garden
  10. Yankee Stadium
  11. Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 3 titled “4-5-1”

Lots of storylines loaded up in this episode:

  1. Zava comes to the team. Lots of time passes and there’s a winning streak. Richmond–with Lasso, Rebecca and Zava–seem to be on a collision course with Nate the Great and Rupert. Zava doesn’t seem like Rodman anymore. Now I’m thinking James Hardin, Kawhi, Kyrie, Jimmy Butler. Who are the greats who probably live within the team with very different rules?
  2. Jamie struggles with all of the attention Zava is getting. Roy offers to train him. Anne, anything worth getting up for at 4am? When have you been that motivated, sports or other?
  3. We continue with the Collin story of being secretly gay and the last shot of the episode is Trent Crimm, the writer, seeing Collin kiss his boyfriend. What’s Trent to do here? Where is this headed?
  4. Rebecca sees her mom’s psychic who has a vision of a green matchbook and Rebecca having a family. At the end, Sam hands her a green matchbook. What do you make of that?
  5. Ted finds out that his ex-wife is now dating their marriage counselor.
  • Collin in bed. “Your body is temple.” “I know who Zava is.” boyfriend is off to Dubai. “I am a strong and capable man.” Runs into the trash cans. Restarted the intro.
  • Coaches, who do they sit? Who gets moved out of the front? Jamie or Dani? One of the tricky parts of coaching. Starters. What spot? They do all time favorite Julie Andrews characters. Love lists. Not our wheelhouse Anne.
  • Jaimie comes in. Special treatment with big locker and comfy chair. Full house to watch practice. Zava not showing.
  • Shandy still involved. Higgins has a name ready in case he ever DJ’d: damage control. Higgins:
  • Zava meeting Ted: I am an empty vessel, filled with gold. I am your rock. Mold me. Nose to nose with Higgins.
  • Zava wears a white tee shirt with a sun on it. Fancy looking only members only jacket. Zava worked as a kit man at 11. Breath with me. Everyone joins. Zava can exhale for a very long time. “We are now one.” There is no me. There is no you. There is only “the we.” and “the us.”
  • Zava goes in the coaches’ office. Trent is there is his orange tee shirt. He moves the players around on the white board, bunches everyone on defense and himself on offense.
  • Rebecca goes to visit the psychic Tish. Awkward white Russian joke and then Tish made two.
  • Tish, the psychic, says to embrace the flaws and imperfections and in doing so create something stronger. They place their hands on the bowl. Psychic sees a green matchbook. She sees a vision of Rebecca upside down and she’s drenched. What do you think Rebecca’s reasoning for seeing a psychic would be? “You will have a family. You’re going to be a mother.” Hits Rebecca hard and she calls her cruel.
  • Ted asks Roy for the Wordle word. He gives him the wrong one.
  • Jamie comes in to talk to Ted about Zava. Beard calls him ironic. Jamie corrects him and says he’s being hypocritical. Do you want to take on Zava? (Durant, Hardin, Kyrie, Kawhi,
  • Pregame speech: Collin out for Zava. He keeps rolling with, “I am a strong and capable man.” All the while Zava meditating. Reminds me of the character that prays in Hoosiers. “I am ready.” We say that in our visualization.
  • Ted calls. Gets a Trump impression from Dr. Jacob. Pretty good impression. Ted finds out Jacob is around the house. (I did check Charlotte’s team’s score as I went in to talk to team vs. Lake Norman).
  • Ted faces panic attack. Zava scores off the opening pass back.
  • 32.23 field.
  • Richmond climbs in the standings, from something like 17 to 9th. Brings new wave zen approach to the team. Ted checks out what Jacob is doing.
  • Rebecca is checking out matchbooks in her house. What is going on?
  • Jamie hasn’t scored.
  • In professional sports, is it only winning or is there a line? Actually, there really isn’t a problem with this winning and the team seems on board.
  • 36:04. good image.
  • Looks like West Ham with Nate the Great and Rupert are on a collision course with Coach Lasso, Zava, and Rebecca.
  • Zava has muscles.
  • Sam opens his restaurant. It brings a lot of the main characters together. Sassy comes. Ted kind of wallowing in it. Jane arrives. Jamie wallowing in it too.
  • Roy offers to train Jamie. Starts the next morning at 4AM.
  • Shandy eyes Zava. Keeley eyes Roy. Rebecca eyes Sam.
  • Keeley: there are better things ahead than anything we leave behind.
  • Sam hands Rebecca a green match box.
  • Trent sees Collin kissing his boyfriend.

Thanks for checking out this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast!

The Basketball Season Ends, Post-Game Process, and A Coach’s Exhaustion

I coach a high school girls basketball team in North Carolina. Our season ended last Friday and when that happens, at least for me, there’s a feeling of not knowing if I could make it through another season. Maybe it’s like finishing a marathon and then being asked as you cross the finish line, “Do you want to do that again?” In this episode, my sister Anne talks me through the end of the basketball season.

The Notes below guided my discussion with my sister Anne about the end of the basketball season:

Big Picture the End of the Season:

  1. The players enjoyed each other; I can point to ways that each of them grew, and I believe the team played to its potential. These are big successes.
  2. The players wanted to make a return to the final four, and we believed we could win a state championship. We didn’t accomplish those things, but there is not a feeling of “we blew it.” for me. I think we all did everything we could. Making the final four has a lot to do with what teams are where in the brackets. We could beat the team that we lost to, but that team is really talented and played well on their home court in order to beat us.
  3. Our final record was 22-6. We won the regular season and conference tournament championships. It’s the fourth year in a row the team has won or shared the regular season title and the fourth year in a row the team won the conference tournament. The players on this team played well under pressure to accomplish these things again.
  4. We lost in the elite eight at Lake Norman to a team that’s 28-1. We led after the first quarter and we were down 43-40 at half. I thought the players were fearless in the big game and made lots of winning plays.

The Coach’s Exhaustion at the End of the Season:

  1. If we think of a season as an academic school year, there was a lot of loss and sadness in this year’s season. I’m not talking about winning or losing games: my oldest daughter went six hours away to college. Our dad broke his hip, there was a lot of care for him, and he eventually passed. Hurricane Helene hit the Boone, NC area where I live the day of dad’s funeral, and then there’s the end of this run with this group of players that has been so committed and successful.
  2. I think as these things happen in life, what I mostly do is briefly acknowledge them and then get back to work. Is this healthy? What’s going on with me that I might not be seeing?

The Post Game Process, especially during the conference and the playoffs. Games are usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. Here’s what I do after most games:

  1. Post the results of the game on a website called MaxPreps. Upload the game video to HUDL. Post the results to social media or re-share something that has already been posted that nicely summarizes the result.
  2. Open a new Google Doc and start taking notes on personnel. Who has made the most threes? What percentages does each player on the opponent’s team shoot? I’m preparing to watch video of the opponent and know a little bit about each player.
  3. I watch at least two videos of our opponent. I pull clips that will be used for my planning and some of which I will show to the team. Before each game, I’ve tried to get game video of the next opponent. That often involves videoing a television upstairs at our house with an iPad.
  4. Put together the game plan for the next game. This involves a lot of moving magnets around on a board imagining game situations and drawing diagrams on my iPad.
  5. At some point, the stats come back from HUDL. This is usually the next morning or later in the day. I watch all of our baskets and at least check to see if the assists seem right. Does every player’s point total match what is in the book? I down the file from HUDL and upload it to Max Preps. I type up a box score of the positive stats from the game and share it on social media.
  6. I type up the notebook pages for the following day that point out significant statistics. I create a player scouting report, keys to the game, and scripts for the players to read that go with video clips we will watch.
  7. I put together the next day’s practice plan. These are usually 5-7 pages with screen shots and/or diagrams. I wonder if any other coaches would even recognize what I use as a practice plan. I feel like it’s a pretty unusual way of working.
  8. I check social media almost everyday to see if there are posts that need to be shared. I post a game day post.
  9. This process repeats itself on most Tuesday and Friday nights. So Tuesday and Friday nights are often work sessions that last beyond 1AM. I share my process to think about the work I’ve created. Is it the right work? Is it the most efficient way to do the work?

Where I’m at as the season ends:

  1. My mind clamps down–it feels like a tight clenching–on the topic of our team and the teams we will play. So I don’t sleep well once the season gets going. I assume I have a lot of company on that front with other coaches and lots of other people with all kinds of jobs. I wake up and my mind is working on something to do with the team. I feel addicted to the work. It takes several weeks, maybe over a month, to break the addiction of the work.
  2. The season is over. There is the feeling every second of…I should be doing something. What should I be working on now?
  3. I’ve developed this process (notebooks, the way I plan practices, the way I scout, the way I do social media) that has created so much work. Maybe too much work? Is there a better way?
  4. What’s left undone: there are at least 75 pieces of mail sitting on the desk next to my desk at home. There’s a tree down in the yard that has been there for months. The culvert under the driveway is blocked. One of the garage doors doesn’t work. The truck isn’t running well. Mom’s car still has a messed up bumper. I have ignored these things during the season.

What’s left to do after the last game?

  1. Social media promotion for things like all conference and all district teams.
  2. Collecting and organizing gear. Overall equipment assessment including new uniforms.
  3. Hopefully designing a shirt to celebrate this team’s accomplishments.
  4. Attending an all star game in Wilmington.
  5. Planning and executing the awards banquet.
  6. Maybe in three weeks there is a break at the end of March that lasts something like 6 weeks. In mid May, it’s probably time to get ready for the June games and camp.

The above notes were talking points for my sister Anne and I on this episode of the Torg’s Stories Podcast. Thanks for checking it out!

Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief, Colts, and WNBA Playoff Podcast

Welcome to the Torg Stories Podcast Sun Oct 6th edition. We’re just over a week since hurricane Helene came through Boone. We’re going to reflect on disaster preparation, talk about not having power or cell phone signal and then work in some Colts and WNBA playoffs.

Click player above to listen to the podcast.

What did I notice about having (sort of) no power this week?

  • loved the head lamps and lanterns
  • battery powered radio was really helpful
  • did a lot of things around the house: set up a new tv room, cutting up a tree and getting it by the road led to a more extensive yard, roof clean up
  • go to bed a lot earlier
  • inconvenient but also a liberation from a certain kind of obligation. When I was home without power, there was a whole bunch of stuff I couldn’t do: email, all the remaining business with dad’s passing, teaching prep, basketball prep
  • I still had that motor to do stuff…

There is a disaster relief station set up in the auxilliary gym at Watauga HS in Boone, NC. It’s open from 8am – 6pm.

  • In supply: incredible amount of water, diapers, c batteries, tooth brushes, tooth paste
  • Short on this stuff when I was there: laundry detergent, pillows and blankets, ALMOST NO LIGHTS,
  • Was a steady supply of this stuff that people were taking: canned goods, protein drinks, milk almond milk etc that doesn’t need to be refrigerated, fruit, various OTC meds, cleaning supplies trash bags with gloves etc, baby food, bars, pet food

Thanks for listening to this edition of the Torg Stories Podcast!

Hurricane Helene Comes to Boone, Colts vs. Steelers, and Fever Podcast

Heleen, as in bean

Welcome to the Torg Stories Podcast. Today we’re going to talk about a quick trip home to Winamac to bury dad’s ashes, my drive back to Boone in the midst of hurricane Helene, discuss the Colts and wrap of the Indiana Fever Season.

Topics for this episode:

  • A short trip to our hometown of Winamac for a private graveside service
  • Driving back to Boone through Hurricane Helene
  • Click here for our dad Martin Torgerson’s obituary.
  • Click here for Bill’s post about his dad.

The trip to Indiana…

  • The way places come back to you. Been over ten years since we’ve been in Northern Indiana, but we knew the way well and the trip up 421 brought back the memories.
  • You wanted Bruno’s Pizza…
  • You wanted Bolin’s doughnuts. Breakfast of a big soda and a doughnut.
  • Me as relayer of the info between you and Mom.
  • Sights we drove by: Hillcrest House, Columbia Elementary, the Happy Burger is no more, the big hill, Thornhope Rest Area, Pick up ball at Winamac outdoor courts, the house on highway 14

Notes on the drive from Indiana to Boone amidst Hurricane Helene.

  1. We drove from Boone, NC on a Thursday all the way to Winamac and then back to Logansport.
  2. Got back up and drove to cemetery.
  3. Dropped you off at the airport around 12:30. How was the flight?
  4. I chose a route to swing around the areas most impacted by Hurricane Helene. Anne, how much thought did you put into the coming of Helene?
  5. Got off I65 to swing east early. Crossed the Ohio River in Madison.
  6. Rain, wind, fallen trees starting in Madison.
  7. Huge rainbow in Kentucky. Def thought of dad.
  8. Plan was to go through Bristol. The big trouble surfaced on 421. Moving trucks, leader (mom, at least 15 holy cows!)
  9. Boone is my favorite place in the country because of the water and the mountains.
  10. We get to the Trade volunteer fire department. 16 miles to Boone.
  11. I try an alternate route suggested by the phone. Long back up.
  12. The first of two tries on 67.
  13. Decide to sleep by the fire station. (flashing lights, rumbling engines, jolly workers, flag pole banging (flash backs to Maui)
  14. Let’s go the long way back to Abington: Damascus to 58 (more backing up)
  15. Okay, let’s try going to Watauga Lake again. We’ll go on to Mountain City and maybe get a hotel there. (after midnight now)
  16. Decide to try 321 to Boone. (topped what I saw on 421 as far as destruction)
  17. We crossed the state line. Got within 10 miles of home.
  18. Then 20 miles to Newland. (intense destruction)
  19. 5 more miles and then two stories of trees, poles, and power lines. (I’m 14 miles from home)
  20. It felt like the apocalypse.
  21. If you think “preppers” are silly…Meg wondered what was wrong with me…
  22. Now I try all the way back to Johnson City, where I know I can get on 26, to 81 to 77 and then in on 421. That’s 300 miles. Would you have done that? Why I did it. Knowing what I know now, what should I have done? (mt. airy hotel)
  23. Going on around my house.
  24. To stay home or leave town… Charlotte.
  25. No school.
  26. Chain saw skills.
  27. Lots of people checking in. Lots of devasting videos.
  28. Am I forgetting anything, hurricane wise?

Colts versus Steelers notes:

  • My set up on the 4 box: Bears vs Rams, Bengals Panthers, Indy Pitt, and Denver Jets.
  • You played the 3-0 Steelers. What were your expectations going into the game?
  • Enjoyed logging in with YouTube TV at the house rental.
  • Colts start with a touchdown on a couple nice Richardson completions and Taylor runs. 7-0.
  • Fields is fast and shifty.
  • Flacco comes into the game. 7-0 Colts on Richardson injury fumble. First pass complete to Taylor! Anne, Flacco comes in and completes a pass. Richardson says, Coach Anne, I’m ready.
  • Flacco TD pass. 39 years of age. 7th team,
  • Colts 4th down stop in 2nd quarter.
  • Do you go back to Ricardson if he’s ready to go?
  • Fields runs for his second touchdown 24-17 with 11:23 to go.
  • Richardson leads league in ints. You want flacco?
  • Steeler Kicker Boswell, the most accurate in NFL history from 50 plus, hits one to close the half. 17-3. Totally confident?
  • Mike Tomlin a pro for halftime interview. We’re not that concerned.
  • Fields runs it in in with 2:53 to go in 3rd. 17-10.
  • Nice drive back by Flacco. (gets rid of it, a big difference from Richardson) TD pass by Flacco to Ogletree. Mom, “that should do it.” Who is this woman?
  • Tornado warnings late interrupted the football.
  • 1:37, a mishandled snap 2nd and 22

The Fever

What worked great?

  1. Clark delivered. I thought she would be good 12 pts, 5 assists, rookie of the year, BUT she was much better than that. I think she’s already the PG you want to start your team with. She ended up 19 pts, 5.7 rebs, 8.4 assists, 90% line, 34% from 3.
  2. Chemistry between Clark and Boston.
  3. Emergence of Lexie Hull could make a big difference.
  4. An all star season from Kelsey Mitchell

What needs work?

  1. Scoring / execution / better scheme vs. Clark being denied. For example, Clark really limited touches with less than 3 mins to go in the final CT game.
  2. Options: Mitchell re-sign or go bigger and top defender? Good with NaLissa or Fagbenle or Dantas? Maybe Fagbenle is healthy she’s it? Smith gone.
  3. Think bench production limited?
  4. If they pretty much stay as is, how can they compete with the teams who are left?

Liberty vs Aces Keys:

  1. Can the Liberty slow Asia Wilson? I feel like Jones and Stewart have a chance. I think Wilson really keep Jones in check. Less than 10 pts a game, 7 or less rebounds.
  2. The play of Gray and Plum huge.
  3. Three point shooting really important. Less three point shooting on the floor for Aces.
  4. I tend to think Liberty and that Sabrina and Stewart are able to hang in there with the 1 player Wilson. A great series from a “secondary” player could make a big difference.
  5. Really tough, champion kind of attitudes for both groups.
  6. Plum and Spike getting into it. Plum hits a 3 out of a timeout. 12 pts in 3rd straight…as of 3:40 in 3rd

Sun vs. Lynx:

  1. best player by far is Collier. Somebody probably wants to argue Alyssa Thomas.
  2. Players I think of: Ionescu playing very well and coming off a big game, Stewart tons of championship experience and does what’s needed, Wilson best player in the league by a fair amount, Gray delivers in big games, Plum great effort, Jones Liberty MVP, nice pieces for Liberty
  3. Big respect for CT defense. When they lose it’s because they can’t score enough. Mabry had some huge games vs. Fever. Bonner played really well. They may not do that again.
  4. Sun could win. Two really good series to watch!

Thanks for listening everyone!

The latest:

For the Love of Books

funny, documentary film, Nick Hornby

This documentary film is about Kathy Patrick, and the Pulpwood Queens Book Club. Featuring the work of musician Jeremy Vogt and photographer Natalie Brasington, you can watch the trailer here.  If you’d like to order the film, it’s $10 and you can write to me at <William.Torgerson@gmail.com>.

Love on the Big Screen

Eighties music and movies themed novelMeet Zuke, a college freshman whose understanding of love has been shaped by late-eighties romantic comedies such as Say Anything and Sixteen Candles. Read the first chapter of Love on the Big Screen as a (downloadable pdf). Listen to a sample from the audio book. Read a sample and purchase from Amazon or purchase a signed copy from me.

Horseshoe

Midwestern Gothic, after Flannery O'Connor, Updike, Empire Falls, Winamac, IndianaThis Midwestern Gothic novel explores themes related to sin, guilt, redemption, and belief in God.  Read a Horseshoe story “Sanctuary” as a (downloadable pdf) or listen to it here.  There are also sample pages where you can purchase from Amazon or a signed copy from me.

The Twilight Rate

Flushing Queens golf sports New York

I’ve got a story in this sports anthology. Six years ago when I first moved to Queens, I worked at the cash register in the pro shop of a golf course. The events of this story are fictionalized but certainly were inspired by some of the cultural tension I sensed working at the course. You can purchase the collection from me here or through the website of the Main Street Rag.