Chelsea is a small suburb of Boston. It is the smallest city in Massachusetts in land area (1.8 square miles), and according to new census figures has a population of just over 35,000 people, nearly half of whom are Latino. It is one that has had its share of problems in the recent past, mostly economic, but the general feeling is that the city is moving in the right direction. The city being named an All-America City by the National Civic League in 1998 is certainly evidence that the city is moving in the right direction, and should motivate the citizens to keep working.
Here I am at the 2002 Pac Ten Tournament Fan Fest, holding up my tournament tickets.
I am part of a great family (don't you dare tell my family members I said this!) My parents, Tom and Dale, have been married for over 30 years and are a great parenting unit. I am the oldest of their three kids. My younger sister, Jennifer, is 26 and a graduate of Northern Essex Community College (Class of 1999), and my younger brother Timmy is 22 and a graduate of Newman Preparatory School in the Back Bay of Boston, which is my sister's and my alma mater.
What do I do to make my life enjoyable? For one, I am an avid sports fan. I follow all four of the major sports very closely, especially baseball and basketball, both of which I have played as well. I am a long-time college basketball fanatic, and am now Managing Editor of Hoopville, a college basketball site. I also contribute regularly to College Sports Television. In college, it was a blessing to have been involved with the Northeastern men's basketball team as a manager for three seasons. I had the opportunity to learn a great deal about the game of basketball, as well as about life in general as I traveled far more than I had my entire life up to that point.
I have actually played all four major sports on some organized level, but I have only played baseball and basketball on major levels. I could play both sports for days on end, as both are a lot of fun to play. I have played in the Boston Park League, the Cranberry League and the Boston Baseball League, while also having had the pleasure of coaching a team of 15 and 16-year old players in the Lou Tompkins All-Star Baseball League a few years back. As I know the game well, I've wanted to coach for some time, and I jumped at the chance when it came in the summer of 2000. I also play golf during the spring and summer months, and I bowled in a men's candelpin bowling league the past three years before taking this year off.
Here I am at the 2002 Pac Ten Fan Fest with Wilbur the Wildcat, the University of Arizona mascot.
I grew up hooked on video games, but don't play them very much these days due largely to time constraints. I listen to a lot of music, with R&B and jazz dominating my collection. I also go check out live music when I get the chance, mainly at jazz clubs around Boston and when I travel, including traveling the last six years to check out the wonderful Capital Jazz Fest in the Washington, D.C. area. I have also become something I never thought I would be years ago- an avid reader (beyond technical books and magazines, that is)! These days, I also get out of town for a spell when I get a chance. Traveling is fun, especially going to some places I've been to, and it's even better when you get to meet some good people in those travels.
My college years were easily the best five years of my life. I wouldn't trade those years in for anything -- even with all the maalox moments of final exams, all-nighters, going on little sleep, going crazy because I had one meeting here and another right after, and all the others that made me wonder, "Is it really worth all this?" They're part of college life, and college is a fantastic rite of passage that I was glad I experienced.
I still take classes when my schedule permits, mainly to delve into areas I'm interested in learning more about. I take courses not only in technical areas as well, but also business and economics. Education is a lifelong process in many respects for me as with many others.
Here I am on the left with my brother on Easter Sunday a couple of years ago.
