1/8/2010
Written By: Mike Rickord
Category: Open Mike  

DES MOINES - This piece ran in our Volume 11 Issue 10 edition of The Iowa Sports Connection: This is our annual year-end issue or “Best Of”, however, it is also the end of a decade as well and what a decade in Iowa sports it has been! Here are some of the top stories in Iowa Sports that the Iowa Sports Connection has covered:
-Tragic loss of Ed Thomas, head football coach and mentor from Aplington Parkersburg
-LoLo Jones World Wide Success in Track and Field
-Shawn Johnson’s Olympic gold medal and worldwide fame in gymnastics
-Zach Johnson Masters Victory and success on the PGA tour
-Kurt Warner’s rise to Hall of Fame status in the NFL
-Cael Sanderson’s wrestling gold medal and win streak
-University of Iowa Football playing in two BCS Orange Bowl Games
-Drake University men’s Basketball success under Keno Davis and road to March Madness
-Drake University Hosting the NCAA’s men’s and women’s track and field championships
-University of Iowa wrestling returns to NCAA dominance
  

These are just 10 of many stories that pop off the top of my feeble mind. There are hundreds of incredible high school stories that I could list and in fact Tony Atzeni, our high school wizard, has listed on our website “iowasportsconnection.com”.
  

It is amazing that this year has flown by at the incredible pace that it has and as with every element in life when we reflect back it seems “just like yesterday”, including the past decades events.
  

I am grateful as I reflect back on this decade that we are still able to cover the positive stories of Iowans “From The Pee Wees to Preps to the Pros” as we have since 1998. I have been blessed with great employees, clients, interns, and friends in the sports world that have helped us grow through rough and tough times. I have seen many media companies fold, sports teams and personalities come and go this past decade, but I believe the fact that we emphasize the positive has helped us along with a lot of prayer and solid sincere hard work to deliver the best coverage of Iowa high schools in the state all year long.
  

This decade we have launched the state’s most expansive multi-media network ever! The Iowa Sports Connection LLC is now a blend of television, print, radio, web, and digital media that reaches every pocket of Iowa in all 99 counties. I am looking forward to 2010 and the next decade as we improve every element of our firm in pursuit of our goal to be the state’s leader in covering Iowa high school sports and activities all year and the feeder systems that fuel the schools.
  

I am a nostalgic old dinosaur that loves the holidays and reflection of the impact on my family and firm, so here are some highlights from this past year and decade from a personal and business perspective:
-My high school alma mater Bishop Heelan winning two state championships in basketball and football during my son Ben’s senior year and his role in the success
-Meeting Arnold Palmer on several occasions and visiting with him one on one
-Throwing a benefit dinner for Kurt Warner after his MVP season
-Bringing Ken Carter to Iowa from the movie “Coach Carter” and introducing him to Iowa
-Developing a relationship with Zach Johnson and watching him win the Masters
   These are just a few of the hundreds of special memories that I have had building this firm with my wife, kids, and employees while enjoying some very unique opportunities that we will cherish for a lifetime. This last issue of the decade and 2009 has some very special stories however, as the cover story is one that will be with me for the remainder of my life.
  

Ed Thomas was a very special human being that made a lasting impression to anyone’s life that he touched. I was fortunate to visit with Ed on the phone and on the radio at least 25 times and we rarely discussed football. Ed focused on faith, family, and then football in his life with tremendous balance that each of us should pursue in our hectic lives. We will keep Ed Thomas and his legacy in the forefront of our Iowa Sports Connection world for as long as I am typing this column.
  

In closing, I thank you for all of your support this entire decade and we look forward to serving the youth of Iowa for another ten years! Have A Championship Year in 2010! God Bless You! God Bless America!