Backyard whiffle ball, nurturing older siblings and tagging along to witness numerous high school ball games at a ripe young age are where my exposure to athletics all began.

Growing up the youngest in a household of ballplayers I was inspired early on to do what it took to contend with the big kids, the youngest of whom was 10 years my senior. From home run derbies to spirited games of horse and lively family board games, activities were plentiful around the house and introduced to me the concept of competition.

We'd all throw apples for distance over the utility shed, or if you were six years old at the time possibly through its window.

The older siblings would also "allow" me to throw batting practice tennis balls to them which they'd more often than not deposit over the towering backyard firs... but I kept throwing and shagging and after years of persistence, I think I eventually got a couple by them.

Reflecting back, lessons were learned from these days which I would carry forward throughout my athletic career at Wilson and later on in life as a father, coach and sales manager. Drive, motivation, and managing a challenging situation (like broken windows) and, to a lesser extent, never hanging a curve ball, are all parallels in which I strive to teach my kids, co-workers and teammates.

I'd like to thank my parents Dick & Rose for laying the framework for a tight-knit family and attending countless sporting events in our not-always-glorious Oregon weather. And that group of loving siblings & coaches (Sue, Richard, Tim, Dan) who helped pave the way for me in sports and in life.

Lastly, thank you to the PIL for this great honor and teammates along the way many of whom became life-long friends.