Well, this journey into blogging came to a halt, didn’t it? Following the cross country previews I’d put together last fall, life caught up in a big way. The birth of my daughter Ellie and new responsibilities at the radio cut out the extra time I used to take a bit for granted over the last several years.
Also, a battle with my own anxiety and worry about the future was all a bit overwhelming as summer came to a close last year. I share this with the idea of transparency and disclosure, and call it a “third-of-life” or “almost” mid-life crisis, but last summer, the new job, new baby, and other life changes hit me like a ton of bricks.
With the help of a therapist, I’ve come out the other side stronger, but I remain officially undiagnosed. But the treatment, at least thus far, has been gratitude.
That gets me to this particular block of audio I share above and the narrative behind it I describe below. I think I’ve gone through three or so distinct “phases” during my ten years in Pella — there was the “Single and Into the Wilderness” timeline, short, but a needed year to establish many of the relationships I enjoy today. There was the “Young Couple, Building Reputation” stage that gets us to the culmination of that work I posted on May 29th, 2019.
In hindsight, it may have been a bit much. But as the graduation of Emily Holterhaus approached, I felt the need to celebrate an athlete who remains unquestionably the most decorated three-sport athlete at Pella High School. Hours of labor turned into an ambitious, 56 minute feature that aired as a special edition showcase of the journey of an athlete who I’d certainly come to know, but not as well as I thought I did then.
It involved a dozen or so interviews, a deep dive into the archives I had built up to that point, and a lot of hours of writing, revising, recording, and editing. At the time, and it probably still is, the most intensive project I’ve done at KNIA/KRLS. I don’t have the intent to change that anytime soon.
So when Emily’s brilliant collegiate volleyball career was coming to an end, I made a request for a final interview. Looking back, it wasn’t all that bad, but it came with a sports information director on the phone call, and a focus on what was happening on the court.
I thought that was it, and as I hung up the phone, I felt a bit unsatisfied. When Emily left Pella, I put together an essay detailing each accomplishment and telling as much of the story as I could. Emily was fantastic, but as a storyteller, I felt there was something left on the table, especially considering my own struggles last year.
Then, opportunity knocked. Unbeknownst to me, and a lot of people, Emily’s athletic days did not end when the final horn aired on her UNI Volleyball career. Holterhaus decided to keep the ball rolling after an invitation to join the Panthers’ Women’s Basketball team. Call it a sign or intuition — but I knew my time with Emily wasn’t done yet.
So earlier this spring, I sent a text to her dad and my former broadcast colleague John, asking if Emily would be interested in stopping by the studio one last time so we could catch up. I wasn’t sure if it would be for the radio or just for friendship’s sake, but I made the ask for Emily and I to sit down and go deeper than we have and certainly beyond her on-the-court achievements. This was also coming as a current Dutch athlete and friend was battling her own struggles, and I felt a few words from an old friend may help.
Emily was enthusiastic about a reunion — more than I expected. I had offered to do a conversation about her journey following our last connection, from Dutch all-star to life as a Division I athlete. So reunite we did, and without a script or notes, the two of us spent the better part of an hour having a conversation that was less interview and more about understanding why everything we see on the surface is not always truth.
I hope you enjoy this…podcast?…about one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever covered, but more importantly, a young woman who will soon be married and venturing off into professional athletics.
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