View From the Sideline

Rick Holtz

Rick Holtz

Are you building a winner?

How do you build a winning program? Can you do that only during the season?There is a group in the community who asked the Fullerton School Board for more access to the gym and weight room so they can lift and improve their game outside of schoolorganized sessions.
Rick Holtz

Rick Holtz

Pokémon or bust

The things a father does for his children.Sometimes that means coaching a team. Sometimes it means sitting through a school concert. And sometimes, it means driving to Grand Island on a Saturday so your kid can play Pokémon cards.Last week Calvin asked me if I would take him to a tournament.
Rick Holtz

Rick Holtz

Dark side of high ceilings

High ceilings look impressive — until half your light bulbs burn out and you realize you’ll need circus training to change them.Our home has 20-foot ceilings, which makes the place feel huge. But when the light fixtures are that high, replacing bulbs becomes an event.
Rick Holtz

Rick Holtz

Not worth the redo

Scrolling through social media the other day, I stumbled on a video that made me stop — and think about time.It lasted only 15 seconds and began with the main character celebrating after winning the lottery. Mid-celebration, the screen faded to black.
Rick Holtz

Rick Holtz

The babbling battle

Most people fight for the last word in an argument. My wife and I are locked in a battle for the very first word — and the referee is our baby.Teddy continues to grow and learn new things every day. I have a feeling we’ll have a crawler on our hands in the next few weeks.
Rick Holtz

Rick Holtz

Drone dream is grounded

I had a vision.Our local high school team, loaded onto buses or vans, pulling out of the parking lot, headed to state. Parents waving, kids hanging out of windows, and my drone — soaring above it all, capturing the perfect overhead pictures video for the newspaper and website.
Rick Holtz

Rick Holtz

Bedtime or bust

I’ve shared before how bedtime turns into Open Mic Night at the Holtz house.All five of my kids have age-appropriate bedtimes. Timmy, Charlie, and Penny start moving toward their beds between 7 and 8. Teddy has his last feeding around 8:30 before he’s swaddled and laid in his crib.
Dinner debates with Timmy

Dinner debates with Timmy

Dinner debates with Timmy

Dinner at our house has started to feel less like a family meal and more like a highstakes hostage negotiation.The other night, I made one of Timmy’s favorite meals: macaroni and cheese. You’d think I had just placed a pile of rocks in front of him.
Rick Holtz

Rick Holtz

Golfing at the Dells

My family takes just one big trip each summer: a visit to Wisconsin Dells to see my parents and siblings.Last week, we made the annual trek. It’s one of the few times each year when all the cousins run wild together, and we adults try to keep up.
Rick Holtz

Rick Holtz

Does local news still matter?

I have a few simple questions this week. Does local news matter? What value does community journalism bring?And what would our world look like if one day, all local journalism simply disappeared?