Herriman City Journal | April 2026

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Dancing on the menu

Nutrition crew takes students beyond the food Page 17

Herriman

Jackson Spencer

National champion runner named Gatorade Player of year Page 21

Our own celebrity: Herriman native Kaysha Love takes bobsledding world by storm

By Elisa Eames | e.eames@mycityjournals.com

Raised in Herriman, Kaysha Love reflects on childhood, sacrifices, the future and her meteoric bobsled career.

Attempting to master her nerves, Kaysha Love exhales slowly while gripping the bobsled in front of her firmly. Her entire body is tense as she waits for the first women’s monobob heat to begin at the 2026 Winter Olympics. And there it is, the signal—she’s off running, sprinting for all she’s worth, legs pumping and muscles burning as she pushes the sled.

Then, like lightning, she jumps inside and flies down the icy track at approximately 75 miles an hour.

Milano Cortina was not Love’s first Olympic experience—she competed in Beijing in 2022—but compared to her current fame and glory, her origins are much more humble. Born in Salt Lake City, she and her family settled in Herriman, where she attended Fort Herriman Middle School and then Herriman High.

“I have so many fond memories of growing up in Herriman,” she said. “I really enjoyed high school and the city in general.”

When Love lived in the once rural city, there was much more open space, and she and her family regularly took advantage of this to go four-wheeling. Some of her core memories include four-wheeling among the Herriman hills.

The sport that started it all

Love comes from a family of athletes, so it surprised no one when she asked to take gymnastics classes as a child. Ironically, it was watching the Olympics that began the journey ultimately leading to her own Olympic pursuits.

“I was obsessed with gymnastics,” she said. “My first interaction was the Olympics. These girls were doing these amazing flips,

and I remember telling my mom I wanted to do that.”

After Love turned the family living room into a gym, using the couch as her personal vault, her mother, Stephanie, finally signed her up for classes. “My mom said ‘we need to put her in a real gym so she can’t break anything else,’” Love said with a chuckle. “And I absolutely loved it!” She soon rose to the top, achieving the highest level of gymnastics at the junior level.

But a career as a gymnast wasn’t in the cards. “It wasn’t until high school that I was constantly getting hurt,” she said. “I was so devastated. I think my body grew too fast.”

After months and months of breaking bones or sustaining other injuries, healing and then returning only to get hurt again, Love made the heartbreaking decision to walk away.

Spending 25 to 30 hours a week training for gymnastics meant she hadn’t made many friends, so as Love searched for something else to do, her mother suggested she might enjoy the close-knit groups in track and field. “I hated running but thought I’d try it for the sense of community,” she said.

The reluctant runner ended up breaking multiple state records at Herriman High. “Some of my favorite memories are of track practice, laughing and having a good time,” she said.

“I think you’re in the wrong sport.”

Her success followed her to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she earned a degree in hospitality and helped her team to the 2020 NCAA national track and field championships.

She didn’t know it then, but her life was about to change dramatically.

“A recruiter for USA Bobsled approached me and said, ‘I think you’re in the wrong sport. You’re a great sprinter, one of the best in the country, but you could be one of the best in the world if you do bobsledding,’” Love said. “I thought he was crazy. I

didn’t know anything about bobsleds.”

But she decided to give it a try, discovering, of course, that she loved it.

She loved the workouts less, but Love has always been determined to win.

On any given day during the preseason from April to September, you can find Love running brutal 60 to 100-meter sprints, then lifting weights for an hour or two and sometimes also push training in the same day.

“I’m a sprinter at heart, but the weight room is where champions are made,” she said.

To help her muscles recover from the abuse, she is a firm believer in contrast therapy. “I often sit in a hot tub for about three minutes and then jump into an ice bath for two to five minutes,” Love said. “It helps control my circulation and inflamed joints. Workouts are hard on joints. And it’s good for metabolism and blood pressure.”

During the bobsled season, which typi-

cally runs from November to March, Love’s exhausting days are longer, but workouts aren’t as intense. Her goal is to compete every weekend. March is usually a recovery month, the only month of the year she describes as “normal.”

Love has competed on three continents and describes the season as a whirlwind of driving across countries in a large rented van, training, competing and lugging and caring for equipment. “It’s not something I was expecting when I first came into the sport,” she said. “I thought maybe someone else would move the equipment and sand the sleds.”

Easily scratched on the unforgiving ice, the steel runners of a bobsled need to be hand-polished to a flawless shine every week. Scratched runners can cost tenths of

Continued on page 8

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Act FAST, Save a Life: Why Stroke Awareness is Everyone’s Business (No, Seriously, Everyone’s!)

When you hear the word “stroke,” what image comes to mind? For many, it’s an elderly relative, perhaps a grandfather, suddenly incapacitated. But local neurologists are clear: that outdated image is a dangerous myth. Strokes can strike anyone, at any age, and often without warning, making awareness and rapid response absolutely critical.

“The idea that strokes are an ‘old person’s disease’ is incredibly harmful,” says Dr. Mohammad Shoari, a neurologist at Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley, Salt Lake and Mountain Point. “We are seeing strokes in younger adults, even teenagers, with increasing frequency. Lifestyle factors, genetics, and even certain medical conditions can put anyone at risk. This isn’t just about grandpas anymore; it’s about protecting our entire community.”

A stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted, either by a clot (ischemic stroke) or a burst blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). When brain cells are deprived of oxygen, they begin to die, leading to potential long-term disability or even death. The good news? Many strokes are treatable, but time is brain.

This is why recognizing the warning signs is

paramount. Healthcare professionals use the acronym F.A.S.T. to help people remember:

SAFFace Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the smile uneven?

Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence.

TTime to call 911: If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 immediately. Note the time when symptoms first appeared.

“Every minute counts when someone is having a stroke,” emphasizes Dr. Rebecca Reiser, a neurologist at Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley.

“The quicker a patient receives specialized medical attention, the higher their chances of a full recovery. Don’t second-guess or wait for symptoms

Nurture

next.

to worsen. Call 911 immediately.”

Our hospitals are equipped with advanced treatments to combat stroke. For ischemic strokes, our team can administer clot-busting medications like TNK (tenecteplase) if the patient arrives within a critical time window. Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley also offers thrombectomy, a procedure where a specialized device is used to physically remove large blood clots from the brain.

“Beyond immediate intervention, our comprehensive stroke centers focus on post-stroke care, including rehabilitation services that are crucial for regaining function and improving quality of life,” adds Dr. Reiser. “Our multidisciplinary teams work tirelessly to help patients navigate their recovery journey.”

From emergency response to rehabilitation, our community has vital resources. But the first line of defense is you. By understanding that stroke doesn’t discriminate by age and by remembering F.A.S.T., you can be the hero who helps save a life – perhaps even your own.

For more information or to find a provider visit mountain.commonspirit.org

Learn more about the services, care providers and mission-driven work of the Holy Cross hospitals and CommonSpirit Health at www.holycrossutah.org.

At CommonSpirit Health, we make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all.

Women go through many changes in their lives. And we believe every milestone matters. Our health care experts can help you face your next phase with confidence – because each chapter deserves to be celebrated.

Find care near you at mountain.commonspirit.org.

COMMON GROUND

Immigrants are not the enemy

Common Ground will be a column of rotating viewpoints that highlight specific feelings across the political spectrum, and it will always end with possible ways to come together.

While the 2025 FIFA Peace Prize winner bombs Iran and talks about invading Cuba, the Utah Legislature is fighting its own battles against immigrants and refugees.

Legislators introduced several zero-tolerance immigration bills addressing issues ranging from public education and driving privileges to the right to receive food from local pantries.

If these bills had passed, women, infants and children would have been barred from receiving vaccinations and treatment for communicable diseases. It seems the pro-measles group would also like to welcome back polio, meningitis and maybe a bit of scurvy, just for fun.

I keep saying, “We’re better than this,” but certain legislators (you know who you are) keep making that statement false.

These lawmakers say providing services to immigrants is a drain on taxpayers. There’s just one problem: immigrants pay taxes, too. They pay gas, income, sales and property tax. In fact, immigrants contribute more than $200 million to the state. Why shouldn’t they have access to public schools when they help fund them?

As a kind human, I want my tax dollars to assist those in need. I want families to have food and housing, basic human requirements everyone deserves. I’d much rather have my tax dollars go to immigrants than to pay legal fees fighting Prop 4.

Peri Kinder Common Ground

This year, a bill was introduced to add a 2% tax on international money transfers for those without approved IDs. That might not sound like much, but it could be the difference between sending money for rent or having grandma evicted. Immigrants often wire money to their families in other countries for food, medicine or housing, things our lawmakers obviously take for granted.

Immigrant driving privileges were also on the chopping block. Not only would the bill have revoked those cards, it also required police to contact ICE to turn in an undocumented person involved in a traffic accident.

Utah issues around 35,000 driving privilege cards each year. They allow people to have car insurance, drive to school or work, and navigate the two hazards of Utah roads: terrible drivers and whatever UDOT is tearing up this week.

Undocumented college-bound students were also targeted after a lawmaker introduced legislation to strip them of the right to access lower in-state tuition. Many of these students are on the path to citizenship. Don’t we want an educated populace? My guess is no.

All these initiatives seem to be based on selfishness. If we were really putting Utah first, wouldn’t we ensure that the people who lived here were healthy, fed, educated and safe?

Until recently, Utah leaders lauded the state’s programs designed to help immigrants and refugees learn English, get career training and become productive members of society. Now, the perfect immigrant is someone who doesn’t want education or food and who never sends money to grandpa for a new roof.

Immigrants are our neighbors, coworkers and friends. They deserve the right to dignity and respect. I’d love to see any lawmaker work as hard as the immigrants I know.

Luckily, these bills didn’t pass. But in this political climate, they will probably rise again. Like a case of measles in St. George.

Common Ground: Sometimes, those on the left act like we should open the borders and let the world flow through, while those on the right can’t build walls high enough. What if we all implore Congress to create sustainable immigration policies? Instead of punishing people who want to work and contribute, we need an immigration structure that makes sense. And thanks to the state legislators who voted down the harmful bills presented this year. We can do better. l

From the Publisher:

Thirty-five years ago the City Journals (South Valley Journal) were created with a vision to stay local and bring the community together. Thirteen years ago when I took over as publisher the name changed. but the vision did not. Today that vision is still true; we want the Journals to be hyperlocal and we want to bring the community together.

Over the last few years, as our nation continues to divide between the right and left, it has become harder and harder to feel like we are bringing our community together. If we write on something that is political, one side will be mad at us, and worse of all we may lose them as readers. This does not feel like we are bringing a community together.

This has left our editorial team in a tough position. Do we write on issues and upset our readers, or do we not write on the issues and move forward blind to the issues that are dividing our community.

Our solution: Common Ground. A monthly opinion column that will cover issues that we feel are dividing our communities. Each month one of two writers will present an opinion column, one that leans right and one that leans left.

This month Peri Kinder wrote about state legislation concerning immigration-related topics.

We hope that you have enjoyed the first Common Ground.

— Bryan Scott

HERRIMAN TEAM

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Copper Rock offers great golf and vacation opportunities

Arrivingat Copper Rock, you might be torn as to what to do first. There’s the world-class golf course, voted best in Southern Utah for five straight years, with its lush fairways and greens weaving through the stunning red rocks.

There’s the beauty of the Hurricane Valley, with trails beckoning hikers or nature lovers anxious to watch a sunrise or sunset. And there’s the amazing resort itself, with a clubhouse grill, pools, golf pro shop and close proximity to Zion National Park.

With more than 300 days of sunshine each year, it’s become one of Southern Utah’s most desirable addresses for golfers and vacationers and part of a master-planned development that has redefined luxury living in the region.

In addition to amazing real estate options, Copper Rock is a source for luxury vacation rentals that are perfect for families or large groups offering short-term rentals, but also aim to build long-term relationships with those we serve by maintaining constant support before, during and after your stay. And in May, we will once again host the LPGA Epson Tour Copper Rock Championship, welcoming top rising stars in women’s professional golf. That event will be held May 14-16. It fills a hope that developers dreamt about—that Copper Rock would be more than just a golf course—it would be a destination.

“When we broke ground on Copper Rock nearly two decades ago, we carried with us a bold vision: to build a worldclass golf course in Southern Utah—a course that could not only showcase the beauty of our desert landscape but also stand proudly alongside some of the best in the country,” said Darcy Horman, director of operations at Copper Rock. “We imagined a destination for connection and shared experiences for our community and guests from around the world.”

Opened in 2020, Copper Rock has already established itself as a premier golf and resort community. What was once a vast expanse of farmland has now been thoughtfully transformed into a vibrant, 1,000-acre resort community centered around that award-winning 18-hole championship course. The 7,227-yard layout winds across natural sand dunes and native sagebrush, offering a challenging and exhilarating round of golf. The design integrates seamlessly with the rugged Copper Rock, and the surrounding area seals the deal.

“Everything about this course from start to finish was excellent,” one golfer wrote. “Service was great, tee box and fairway conditions were excellent, pure greens, interesting hole layouts with some challenging but fun blind shots and water hazards here and there, and landscape views that can’t be beat. I’ve played multiple top rated golf courses in Southern Utah and this one was my favorite by a long shot.”

Another wrote, “I enjoyed everything about the day. Pro shop staff were very helpful and worked with our threesome to alleviate a previous scheduling snafu. We were escorted to the practice facility and I have to say the practice facility was top

notch…putting green, chipping green and an excellent driving range. The course itself was in excellent condition. All aspects of course management were superior. The views on the course were just amazing.”

Just minutes from downtown Hurricane and less than 30 minutes from St. George, residents enjoy quick access to shopping, dining and healthcare, as well as Southern Utah’s endless outdoor recreation options. Those include boating and fishing at Sand Hollow Reservoir and mountain biking on the Gooseberry Mesa trails that are all within easy reach. And once you’ve returned to Copper Rock, you can enjoy golf lessons, a grill and pro shop, an online store and private spas.

“It’s a place where our community can come together,” Horman said. “A place that continues to grow and give back while showcasing the unique beauty and spirit of Southern Utah to the world.”

Freelance writer Michael Zuccarello who specializes in Utah sports businesses recalled his visit to the resort in an article published before last year’s Epson event.

“Evening falls on the 11th fairway at Copper Rock Golf Course, and the summer heat is making its peace with a soft evening breeze. Bullfrogs croak in the distance. The fading sunlight beams golden off the sandstone cliffs, backlighting the residences lining the right side of the fairway, while just left of the 11th green, the sun is about to plunge below the Pine Valley Mountains.

“This is what I see as I chip in my flip flops, trying to hold a quick green that demands a pre-meditated landing spot and the kind of precision execution that can be challenging for this 15-handicapper. It’s after 9 p.m. now, and my wife, “Callaway,” and I have a 7:20 a.m. tee time, but I want to finish with three close ones before I walk back through the neighborhood to the gleaming glass house on Torrey Pines Road, a place barely three years old with four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a pool table, and a private pool and spa.”

He said walking past modern, angular homes with huge glass windows, each home seemed to appeal to different groups for their next stay-and-play vacation.

“One home has a water slide, another a bowling alley, and still others have putting greens and basketball courts,” he wrote. “Every last one of them has a private pool. Copper Rock, truth be told, is as much a vision today as it is a living golf community.”

He said Copper Rock is “the place you and your golf friends come to play a course the pros play, with tee boxes as flat and smooth as pool tables, pristine fairways that reward accurate drives with generous rolls, and greens that roll true and fast. I have it on good authority that you can play your way out of the desert sand and sagebrush that line the fairways, just punishment indeed but not round-killing.”

“We’re really excited that the locals once again voted Copper Rock the best golf course in Southern Utah,” said Penny

James-Garcia, Copper Rock’s event coordinator. “Copper Rock was built to be a championship course, and golfers find it both highly challenging and highly playable.”

As Copper Rock continues to grow and evolve, the vision for the community includes expanded resort offerings, walking trails and enhanced hospitality experiences—all designed to elevate the lifestyle of every resident and guest. Whether you’re drawn by the championship golf, the stunning views, or the potential of owning in one of Utah’s most exciting new communities, Copper Rock is more than a place to live—it’s a place to thrive.

“We’re certainly excited about all our future amenities and developments,” Horman said, “but we understand the importance of realistic expectations. We’re lasered in on what makes Copper Rock special. At this moment, it’s a chance to stay in a beautifully equipped modern home and play at a premier championship golf course.”

Copper Rock is located at 1567 West Copper Rock Parkway in Hurricane, Utah. For tee times, vacation rentals, homesites, and stay and plays, visit copperrock.com. For more information on the Epson Tour stop in Southern Utah including tickets, go to copperrockchampionship.com. l

seconds or more during a race, which can mean the difference between a gold medal and finishing off the podium entirely.

“It takes me around four to eight hours to get every scratch, nick and blemish out,” Love said. “I start with maybe 100grit sandpaper and work down to around one grit.”

Once her team has finished one tiring competition, it’s time to pack up once again and drive to another country for another race.

Olympic debut and beyond

Less than a year and a half into her bobsled career, Love found herself competing with the world’s elite in Beijing, where, despite her rookie status, she finished seventh in the two-woman bobsled as a brakewoman.

She took bronze at the 2023 Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships in the two-woman bobsled and then decided she wanted to pilot the monobob. “Piloting is finally something I feel equally passionate about [compared to gymnastics and running],” she said. “Being a bobsled pilot is something I was meant to do. It feels great.”

Love is the reigning world champion in the women’s monobob after winning gold in October at the 2025 world championships.

“The world championships have always been a fun experience. They’re good practice going into the Olympics,” she said. “They’re a great opportunity to represent my country and work on my craft without worrying about winning medals or satisfying sponsors. I can perfect my skill.”

The Olympics, take two

Competing every weekend during the 2025–2026 season, Love’s tireless efforts paid off when she qualified for Italy, but with the expense of bobsleds, equipment and gear, she couldn’t have made it there without her sponsors. “I am extremely grateful to have partnered with Acura, Skims Clothing and Advance Manufacturing,” she said.

A set of four runners can cost as much as $15,000, a monobob sled around $30,000, and a two-man or woman sled with upgrades can come in at a staggering $150,000. Advance Manufacturing built Team USA’s two-man and two-woman sleds and runners.

“This was an absolute game-changer for the season. I definitely couldn’t have done it without the sponsors,” Love said.

Owned by Honda, Acura sponsors the USA bobsled team and Love in particular, while Honda sponsors Team USA in general.

“As the Official Automotive and Premier Technology Partner of USA Bobsled/ Skeleton, Honda supported Kaysha and the team with aerodynamic testing at the Honda Automotive Laboratories of Ohio

(HALO) wind tunnel to help maximize their performance heading into Milano Cortina,” Chris Abbruzzese of Honda Corporate Communications said.

“They brought us in [to the wind tunnel] throughout the season, and we also had trackers in our sleds that sent info about how fast we were going to a team of engineers at Acura/Honda. They dissected it and told us how to improve,” Love said. “It was incredibly helpful. They’ve been awesome! The sponsors continue to help us. It’s a game-changer for my career.”

Grace under fire

Though she is no stranger to performing under stress, Love felt somewhat sidelined by the fierce scrutiny and expectations at February’s Olympics.

“I thought I was prepared to handle all the pressure but quickly realized that the COVID 2022 Olympics were very different from the ones in 2026,” she said. “The pressure of World Cups and world championships versus the Olympics are different things.”

In Italy, Love had never before competed in front of so many family members and fans. The intensity caught her off guard, but she greatly appreciated the love and support.

Though she missed the podium this year, finishing seventh in the women’s monobob and fifth in the two-woman sled, she still maintained composure, finishing strong and expressing gratitude for the experience. “It was a good learning opportunity,” she said. “Pressure makes diamonds. It’s an incredible superpower to do great things under pressure.”

During her time in Italy, she enjoyed the two-woman bobsled heats the most. “I was hard on myself in the monobob, but in the two-woman, I really allowed myself to enjoy the moment,” she said. “I told myself that whether or not we come home with a

Love’s upcoming plans include many more races, culminating in the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps. “It’s a sentimental place for me because that track was where I had my first win as a pilot, and it was also my first World Cup race,” she said. “It was the first World Cup race of the season, and I won with a record.”

Apart from breaking international records, Love also hopes to use her hospitality degree to work with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. As part of the Salt Lake 2034 Olympic delegation team, she went to Paris to present to the International Olympic Committee her vision of why Salt Lake should host in 2034.

“If I’m not competing in 2034, my dream is to help plan and coordinate the opening and closing ceremonies,” she said. “I’d love to help run Team USA and help create the Team USA welcome experience.”

medal, it’s amazing to know that I fell in love with the sport.”

The cost of achievement

As many successful athletes must, Love pays a high price for her victories. “We’ve all sacrificed the same things: spending quality time with family, getting established in a career, missing holidays,” she said. “It’s the hardest not seeing family and friends, but I’m so blessed because they understand the vision, and they’ve always been so supportive. It means everything.”

Last year, Love spent Christmas Day with her team in Germany after a draining 24-hour drive from Latvia.

The world champion credits her mother and fiancé for inspiring her to persevere despite the sacrifices. “My mom was a single mom. Growing up, she had two jobs, a night shift, but she never missed a single track meet,” Love said.

She and fiancé Hunter Powell met at a state track championship in college. Powell ran for Colorado State at the time, and in 2022, he asked Love on a date. She turned him down, feeling she didn’t have time for a relationship. “He said, ‘Okay, I’d love to date you if you change your mind,’” she said. “And of course, I changed my mind, and we started dating.”

Last year, Powell retired from competing in decathlons to give bobsledding a try and made the national team. He competed in Italy in February in the four-man sled. Engaged last summer, he and Love will marry in September.

The bride-to-be also recognizes colleagues in the bobsled program for their support. “I have a team full of the most incredible athletes and coaching staff. There’s no other option other than to be successful in the U.S. program because you’re surrounded by greatness,” she said.

What’s next?

As an international bobsled star and celebrity, Love has earned her own place in history, experiencing things that for many are the stuff of dreams. But despite all this, she still reminisces about her beloved hometown—and sometimes even gets to visit.

As part of her training, she returns to her roots each summer to complete stadium runs at her old high school. “Going to the Herriman High stadium always brings me back to the good old times,” she said.

To aspiring athletes, she offers advice that helped her through her own dark times. “Never give up. There will be days when you’ll want to give up. There will be no light at the end of the tunnel, but keep pushing and believing,” she said. “One of these days, it will be your day. You didn’t come this far to just come this far.” l

Starting and running a successful business, part 3: Dealing with problems

Unexpected problems dragging your business down? Two local businesswomen explain how to handle curveballs.

By Elisa Eames e.eames@mycityjournals.com

The independence, flexibility and potential financial rewards of owning a business persuade over 5 million U.S. entrepreneurs to take the plunge each year. The founders and owners of Salt Lake-based Backyard Bookkeeper, Backyard Payroll and SPC Strategies, locals Julie DeLong and Alex Mic-Podar tackle tough questions affecting entrepreneurs today.

DeLong has written several articles for Intuit and Forbes Magazine and was an adjunct bookkeeping professor for the University of Utah. Mic-Podar has started a total of seven businesses and provides coaching and consulting services. She is a board member for multiple nonprofits and was a 2023 recipient of the Utah 40 Over 40 award.

This is the third article in a four-part series about how to start and grow your business.

Q: How do I deal with a difficult employee or customer?

Mic-Podar: Difficulties arise with employees when there are no concrete, defined rules and expectations. If you have a clearly defined job description and expectations, then you can keep employees accountable and consistently give feedback. Remember that your employees are an investment in your company. However much you invest in an employee is how successful they will be.

It’s a two-way street. Always give the benefit of the doubt and expect it. Employees must realize you are not perfect. Also, communication, communication, communication! When a problem arises, set aside personal feelings, and don’t be afraid to confront your employee.

DeLong: The other piece of this is documentation. As we said in Part 2, create and save written documentation about key interactions with employees. Document performance expectations and have employees sign their consent. This creates a paper trail, and if an employee is struggling, you have a basis for disciplinary action. Keep notes about your conversations with employees, recording what you discuss, what each party commits to and any relevant deadlines and promises.

Mic-Podar: Communication also applies to difficult clients or customers. Most clients and customers are not actually mad. They’re just frustrated because they need something. The first and most important rule is to listen, and do not offer excuses—offer solutions.

Take responsibility for the problem.

Tell them they’re important to you and you’ll do everything you can to resolve the issue. Just as with employees, if you have contracts in place that detail your responsibility to the client, most often, the client has no reason to be frustrated unless you are not delivering what you promised.

Sometimes clients are wrong, but even in that case, you want to stay calm, listen and remind them of the details of the agreement. Ask if their expectations have changed, and if so, ask if they have communicated the changes to your business. If the answer is yes, then listen and offer assurance that you will find a solution.

DeLong: Sometimes the best solution is to do whatever it takes to make a client happy to keep them, even if it costs you money in the short term. However, there will also be times when it makes sense to let the client go and move on. Make sure you consider both the short-term and long-term consequences of your decisions.

Q: How do I further establish my brand to stand out from the competition?

DeLong: Brainstorm what is unique about your business. Think about your story, how you founded your business and/or developed your product. What motivated you? What problem in the market were you trying to solve? This will help you define what sets you apart, and you can use that as a theme in your online content and sales pitches.

Mic-Podar: In the bookkeeping industry and everywhere right now, AI is a big subject. We are constantly warned that AI is coming for our jobs, so the way we stand out from our competition is to be very aware of almost any new AI platforms. I constantly research advances in our industry and in general. Always be five steps ahead in your research and industry awareness. And never ever stop offering good quality.

Also, do market research. Some companies can do this for you, or you can do it yourself by digging into the data with AI. Perhaps the competition offers the same exact service you do, but you’ve learned from your research that they lack customer service.

Your new marketing strategy should describe how great your customer service is and emphasize that there will always be a live person who answers your phone, regardless of how big you get. I guarantee there is not much that hasn’t been invented that you would want to sell, but the delivery method is constantly evolving, and that’s where you could find your niche.

Q: What do I do if people aren’t interested in my product/service? How do I increase sales?

Mic-Podar: Another important rule is to make decisions based on data. Do not just make assumptions. If sales are decreasing, find out why.

Research the market! Don’t be afraid to ask people who said no to you why they chose your competition. Learn from the data, and tweak the product or service until you’re able to sell it again. But no matter what, do not make decisions without market research data.

DeLong: There are a handful of growth strategies to consider. You can go horizontal, vertical or pivot entirely.

For instance, if you offer residential landscaping services, a horizontal move could be to find new geographic areas to service or expand to commercial properties. A vertical move would be to offer pest control or another service as well as landscaping to your existing clientele. An example of a pivot would be leasing your equipment or sub-contracting with other, larger companies.

Q: Why is it important for a business owner to be a good leader?

Mic-Podar: Good leaders observe, constantly educate themselves and constantly think ahead. They are rarely surprised.

A good leader knows that mistakes in life and in business are nothing more than opportunities for change. The best-kept secret to success is to never give up and constantly learn from your mistakes.

Q: How do I manage my time?

Mic-Podar: Prioritize work and tasks, plan ahead and reduce or eliminate distractions. Plan and prioritize tasks based on urgency and deadlines.

Remember that once you start your own business, a healthy work-life balance is a myth. So prioritize with your partner and family. You need to be in it together because, as a business owner, you will work 24/7. Even if you aren’t actively working, you’re constantly thinking about work.

DeLong: I’ve heard that, though there is no such thing as work-life balance, it is entirely possible to achieve “work-life harmony.” I believe this. As a business owner, you invest so much time, effort and resources, and it can take a toll. But if your family, friends and community support you, you can definitely have harmony between your work and personal life.

Q: How do I manage my finances?

DeLong: Track all expenses and income from the very beginning. Once you make around $1,000 a month or more, you need bookkeeping software.

QuickBooks Online is the most popular, and it works well for most types of businesses. It starts at $38 a month. If you want something cheaper, consider Wave (which has a free option), Zoho, Xero or Count. They all connect to your bank to download transactions and sync other information. Then you or your bookkeeper can put the income and expenses in the right categories

within the software.

Depending on your industry and business model, there is a lot of nuance to bookkeeping, so I highly recommend asking a professional to help set up the software so it makes sense for your business and automates as much as possible.

Once you have your bookkeeping set up, it’s important to review financial reports regularly. There are two reports that you should pay attention to: your balance sheet and your profit and loss or income statement.

The balance sheet lists your assets and liabilities. If your bookkeeping has big errors in it, they will be obvious on this report. It’s crucial you look at it periodically and confirm the balances are correct.

Your P&L shows a summary of all your income and expenses by category. One benefit of accounting software is that it lets you run reports for any time period you want. I like to run reports that show multiple months side by side so I can see what changes from month to month.

Our company, Backyard Bookkeeper, can help with all of this. We offer a 10% lifetime discount on QuickBooks Online (new subscriptions only), and we can help you with initial setup and/or ongoing bookkeeping maintenance. If you mention this article when you contact us, we offer 10% off our services for the first year.

Q: What do I do if expenses are higher than anticipated? How can I cut costs?

DeLong: This is why bookkeeping is so valuable. By grouping expenses in useful categories, you can see where your money is going. Review your P&L and look for amounts that stick out. Drill down to see what expenses went into each category.

Ask if you’re getting enough value for each expense. For example, are you using all your subscriptions? Are you getting a decent return on investment from your online advertising? Are your employees producing the way you expected? Can you do a cost comparison to see if other vendors or suppliers can provide the same supplies or services cheaper?

Q: How do I know how much to charge for my products/services?

DeLong: Sometimes you can’t cut costs further, which means it may be time to charge more. Take a good look at the fixed and nonnegotiable expenses that are part of providing your product or service. What you charge your customers should cover those costs and leave a healthy margin for overhead costs and profit.

Mic-Podar: Do market research! And remember that you want to sell value, not just a product or service. Base your prices on the value your services or products offer compared to your competition. l

EDUCATION SECTION

A publication covering local education around the Salt Lake Valley

Teaching more than music

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

National Federation of High Schools honors RaNae Dalgleish for four decades of shaping students hearts through harmonies.

When RaNae Dalgleish was 4 years old, her mother placed a violin in her small hands the last one her father had worked on before he died.

“This is yours,” her mother told her. Dalgleish remembers looking at it and saying, “This is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

In that moment, she knew music would always be part of her life.

Dalgleish’s father had been a violin maker, trained by German luthier Peter Prier, who first worked under her grandfather, a longtime band teacher in Provo who also opened Pearce Music Company.

Music was part of her upbringing. Her mother would accompany Dalgleish on piano during her early violin recitals and her grandfather would play for her,

symphonies and string quartets on his downstairs stereo system for hours.

“He introduced me to the world of classical music,” she said. “He was so knowledgeable and he had such a passion for it.”

Dalgleish’s introduction to music became a lifetime passion which she has shared with students for four decades. Recently, the National Federation of High Schools named Dalgleish as region seven’s Performing Arts Educator Award recipient of the year for her 40 years of dedication to music education.

The nomination itself came as a surprise. Former Canyons School District performing arts specialist Sheree Jorgensen submitted her name in November 2025 and it was in early February that Dalgleish learned she won the award, which as of press deadline, was yet to be presented to her.

“I was excited, humbled, honored and surprised,” she said. “I appreciate Sheree for noticing my work through the

years and thinking about nominating me for this award. It means a lot.”

After earning her degree in instrumental music education on full scholarship at the University of Utah, Dalgleish’s career began teaching elementary students string instruments. She then progressed to teach high school choir and eventually, nearly two decades at Hillcrest High directing orchestras and choirs.

Dalgleish directs highly esteemed ensembles, mentors teachers and organizes districtwide events. She is the musical director for many of Hillcrest’s award-winning musicals and has served on the Utah Music Educators Association. She has performed with the Utah Tabernacle Choir, the Salt Lake Symphony, the Salt Lake Vocal Artists and Salt Lake Symphonic Choir.

For Dalgleish, the heart of teaching was shaped early in her career. During her first year teaching at her alma mater, Olympus High, her student choir president was killed when, as a pedestrian, he was struck by a car.

“I learned the lesson that I needed to

For more than 40 years, Hillcrest High’s RaNae Dalgleish has shared her passion of music with students and recently was recognized with the National Federation of High Schools’ Performing Arts Educator Award. (Photo courtesy of RaNae Dalgleish)

love my kids more than I need to love music,” Dalgleish said. “They needed love and they needed music.”

That experience changed her priorities, which still guides her today. Festivals and ratings matter less than connection.

“I want them to understand music as a way to touch hearts that words can’t,” Dalgleish said. “Music is a service that you can help people to heal and to go through hard times. It helps to brighten spirits, to lift hearts that are heavy.”

She chooses repertoire with care, tailoring pieces to the students in her classes. Through COVID, through loss of family and through other circumstances, she chooses music with a message for her students to embrace and share.

“Every year, I need to know my students so I can make music meaningful for them,” Dalgleish said.

One beloved tradition is ending concerts with “Peace be with You,” an arrangement passed down through Hillcrest High choir directors Leo Dean to Brian Bentley and to Dalgleish. Alumni return to sing it in the final concert of each year, filling the stage alongside current students, creating a community through music and love she has helped build.

Music has given Dalgleish many opportunities beyond the school stage. From her first school bus trip to Vancouver, B.C. as a high school senior to performances across Europe and Asia, she has seen how music connects people. She shares that experience with her students, giving them opportunities to tour across the country, including singing in Nashville this spring. Through it all, Dalgleish still keeps that little girl’s sense of awe. The violin was her first love. Teaching became her life’s work. And whether conducting a choir or repairing a student’s bow, she continues to share the gift first placed in her hands, imparting music is an act of love.

“I love giving opportunity to my students and hearing them create music that speaks to the heart,” Dalgleish said.

Elementary chess students use winning strategies at state tournament

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Third grader captures his fourth state title with strategy, problem solving.

Thinking about his moves ahead of everyone else and humble enough not to brag, Ridgecrest third-grader Beckham Rawle quietly claimed his fourth state title at the Utah State Elementary Chess Championship.

Beckham captured his fourth consecutive state title, adding another trophy to his growing collection, however this year’s victory came with a challenge. After five rounds in the third-grade division, he and another girl both swept all their games, resulting in a tie break.

His mother, Rachel Rawle, was busy selling chess-themed T-shirts nearby and didn’t even realize the deciding match had ended.

“I didn’t know how he came out after the tie break,” she said. “He didn’t even come tell me, but he just started playing with his friends. Somebody else told me he won.”

Beckham finished with six victories to claim the title. His points also helped Ridgecrest place third in the team standings behind Waterford School of Sandy and American Preparatory Academy Draper 2.

“I’m happy,” he said about his fourth straight title.

That understated reaction is typical, his mother said.

“He’s super chill,” she said. “He has the same even kneel if he doesn’t win.”

Beckham’s chess journey began in kindergarten, when he set his sights on defeating his father, Jason, who coaches the Ridgecrest chess club. By first grade, Beckham was consistently beating his first teacher across the board.

His mother, who is the team’s chess manager, said Beckham studies the game,

concentrating and problem-solving to figure out strategies. Beckham likes testing himself and prepares for his matches.

“He’s patient and likes the challenge,” she said.

While Beckham enjoys chess, he balances his time with sports — soccer and basketball — and is a Chinese dual immersion student. He also is competing in the upcoming regional spelling bee. With money he has won at tournaments, he purchased Xbox controllers.

“We like he has a balance,” Rawle said. “At tournaments, we are more of the mindset that they’re already playing so much chess, their brain needs a break. So, in between games, we let them play with their friends, often it’s Minecraft, or four-player mini games they play with other kids.”

Beckham plays in several weekend tournaments — mostly in the open sections since his rating is so high — and is planning to compete in the Power Chess state tournament this spring and the Vegas International Chess Festival in June.

Chess is a family game. His brother, second-grader Max, finished third in his division at state while sister, kindergartner Poppy, placed fourth in her first tournament behind teammate Mickey Labrum.

Many Ridgecrest players competed for the first time.

“A lot of them, it was their first time competing at state and they did well,” Rawle said. “We had eight of our 12 kids get trophies. We want them to know, win or lose, you’re there to have fun, a good experience and trying your best is an accomplishment. We’re super proud of our kids.”

That was the sentiment of Granite Elementary coach Jacob Jensen, who said many of his 25 players were new to the game only months ago.

“Some of these kids didn’t even know how the pieces moved when we started,” he said. “To see them go to the state tournament and win a game, that was huge.”

Granite’s standout performer was his daughter, first-grader Sophia, who finished third in the first-grade division. She won five of her six matches to help Granite place 11th in team standings. She also recently competed in the girls’ state chess championships.

“She likes the mental challenge, the mental stimulation,” Jensen said. “She’s this tiny first grader and you see her as this cute little girl, but then she’s an assassin on the chessboard. She comes in and destroys you.”

The school recently held its own chess tournament and has started up

again with weekly chess meetings, with some new members.

“We had such a good success, it’s cool to see the kids in their progression over the course of a few months,” he said. “They’re learning the principles of chess. They’re learning how to apply them, and then they’re actually brave enough and willing enough to go there and compete at the state level.”

Top area schools’ placements: First Waterford, Sandy; Second APA Draper 2; Third Ridgecrest, Cottonwood Heights; Fourth Sunrise, Sandy; Fifth Brookwood, Sandy; Sixth Peruvian Park, Sandy; Ninth APA Draper 1; 11th Granite, Sandy; 15th North Star Academy, Bluffdale; 18th Channing Hall, Draper; 26th Quail Hollow, Sandy; 29th Draper; 39th Herriman; and 51st Bella Vista, Cottonwood Heights.

Bell-to-bell school cell phone ban passes in Utah legislature

By Lizzie Walje | l.walje@mycityjournals.com

SB 69 will ban cell phone use during school hours including lunch and in-between classes.

Utah public schools will more than likely enforce a bell-to-bell cell phone ban when students return to class at the end of this coming summer. The bill in question, Senate Bill 69, which calls for a complete cell phone ban during school hours, most recently passed the vote in the Utah legislature. SB 69 now goes to Gov. Spencer J. Cox, who will ultimately decide if it is to become law. For years now, Cox has expressed his desire to ban the usage of cell phones in schools. Cox was also an early vocal supporter of SB 69, meaning it’s almost all but guaranteed that he will sign off on the bill once it crosses his desk.

SB 69, sponsored by Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (R-South Jordan) further expands upon a 2025 bill, Senate Bill 178, that was eventually signed into law. SB 178 banned the usage of cell phones during school hours, however, it did have one caveat; students could still use phones during downtime like in-between classes or during lunch. SB 69 takes an even firmer stance, completely forbidding the usage of cell phones during the school day, including times when students are not in the classroom.

While the bill does require all public schools to implement the bell-to-bell ban, how schools choose to enforce the ban, will be determined by their Local Education Agency (LEA). LEAs will be given the freedom to establish their own guiding parameters and policy, so long as they uphold the requirements laid out in SB 69. Should an LEA choose not to set their own policy, devices will not be permitted from bell-to-bell by default.

When SB 69 was first introduced, those who opposed it, largely residents and parents, expressed concerns over children not having access to their phones

during emergency situations. However, the bill does allow for exceptions where students will be permitted to use their phones during threats or emergencies, to access the SafeUT crisis line, as part of accommodations outlined in a student’s IEP or Section 504 plan, or for medical necessity.

“Utah leads by putting students first, and this is the next step,” said Emily Bell McCormick, president of The Policy Project, a Utah nonprofit organization that defines itself as a “nonpartisan organization that acts as a policy accelerator to do real good for real people.” McCormick continued, “Bell-to-bell policies aren’t about restriction—they’re about creating learning environments built for focus, connection and success. We see calmer classrooms, stronger engagement and more meaningful learning when distractions are limited.”

To that point, a handful of Utah schools have already implemented their own versions of a bell-to-bell ban, among them, Granite School District’s Granger High School. A change that school officials report has yielded overwhelmingly positive outcomes. Luke Allen, the Associate Director of Communications for Granite School District, reported that student fights at Granger have decreased by 50% following their cell phone ban. He also mentioned that failure rates have dramatically improved.

“The first year of that policy at Granger High School, if you compare the student failure rate to the four years leading up to that, [Granger] had their lowest rates of those five years.” Allen said. “So, they had their lowest failure rates in five years, the first year they had that policy.”

Snow Canyon Middle School in St. George is another institution that enforced a ban on devices, a policy that they began enforcing at the beginning of the 2024-25 academic school year. While staff and teachers initially worried

Senate Bill 69, which bans the usage of cellphones completely during school hours, has passed in the Utah legislature and now faces final decision from Gov. Spencer J. Cox. (Pew Research Center)

their students would push back strongly on such a ban, they were pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

“The students reacted far more willingly than we ever anticipated. There was very, very little parent resistance. We feel that creating a space where students are no longer distracted is one of the greatest gifts we have given them. We just wish we had done it years earlier,” said a staff member at Snow Canyon.

Cell phone bans are starting to take root at the national level. According to several national news outlets, as of early 2026, 26 states have now imposed complete bell-to-bell cell phone bans in K-12 schools. Among them are Florida, Alabama, Georgia, New York and Virginia. Additionally, it’s reported that 25 states have put in place some level of cell phone restrictions or guidelines to be observed during school hours.

As more schools report successful outcomes from outright cell phone bans,

it is anticipated that other states will soon follow suit and put in effect their own bellto-bell bans. If you’re wondering how these bans are managing to be enforced during school hours, one company in particular has found a way to make such a prospect easily streamlined — Yondr pouches.

Yondr pouches are not the only magnetic locking cell phone pouch on the market, however, they’ve certainly emerged as the most widespread and well-known option available. As a matter of fact, Granger is among the schools currently utilizing Yondr’s technology. Many educators, administrators and staff like Yondr pouches, because they restrict students from using their cell phones, but still allow for the phone to remain on the student’s person.

As previously mentioned, Yondr pouches are controlled by magnetic locking technology. At the end of the school day hours, students can unlock their phones at various locking bases, which are usually strategically placed at exit points throughout the school. While Yondr pouches do prevent the usage of phones during school hours, they don’t block signals, meaning cell phones can still be used in case of emergency.

Yondr pouches, while incredibly effective, are still considered relatively expensive. This has caused concerns for certain districts and schools in Utah who feel they’re already being stretched thin financially due to budget cuts and insufficient funding. In response to this concern, Sen. Fillmore explained that schools will not need to use Yondr patches specifically, so long as their rules, whatever they are, reflect and enforce the totality of the bellto-bell ban.

Now that the Utah general legislative session has concluded, and SB 29 has cleared Utah’s legislation, per Utah state law, Gov. Cox has 20 days to decide on the bill. If after those 20 days Cox has still not signed or vetoed the bill, it will, by default, automatically become law.

4690 W. Boardwalk Road South Jordan, UT • 385-228-8946

For Jordan School District middle school student-athletes, unified basketball offers confidence, competition and connection.

By Julie Slama j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Whenthe halftime buzzer sounded, Georgie Harding didn’t hesitate. He sprinted from the court to the stands, grinning as he celebrated his first basket of the game with his dad, Jesse. For the South Jordan Middle student, the moment was about more than 2 points. It was about belonging.

Georgie was competing in his first tournament. As a student with Down syndrome, he plays on a team that pairs athletes of differing abilities with peer partners, competing together against nine other Jordan School District middle schools as well as Timberline Middle School in Alpine School District. This year’s tournament featured 27 teams, an increase from 12 teams three years ago.

“He’s excited to be a part of a team,” his father Jesse Harding said. “Growing up in an orphanage in Bulgaria, he didn’t have a lot of opportunities, especially to work together with kids with special needs and mainstream kids, so he’s just been so excited for this. He’s come a long way.”

Georgie arrived in Utah in July 2025. Since then, he has been learning English, adjusting to a supportive classroom, developing friendships and building social skills, all while learning the game of basketball.

“He’s learning English and adapting pretty well, but he still has a ways to go. In Bulgaria, special needs people are tucked away as people think they shouldn’t be out in public. We got a lot of dirty looks when we picked him up. It was pretty shocking. But it was awesome when we got into the states. Those dirty looks turned into smiles and now, he’s all in to trying to do all these things,” Harding said, adding “Nice shot,

A shot at belonging

buddy” when his son came over to him.

Across the gym, there were similar stories of growth and joy.

West Jordan Middle eighth-grader Conner Rosenthal learned to play basketball from his older brother and practiced for the tournament.

“I like shooting and winning best; I’ve shot a bunch,” he said. “It’s fun playing with my friends.”

Conner looks up to NBA legend Michael Jordan.

“He’s cool; I want to be like him,” he said.

Two ninth-grade classroom peer tutors, Hailey Litchfield and Kassidy Woolley, played alongside him, embracing the unified sports’ spirit.

“This is about the kids and making sure they have fun,” Hailey said. “I’ve learned it’s not all about winning, but about having a positive attitude.”

Kassidy adds: “I’ve learned how much fun you can have together and just being friends with them.”

Mountain Creek eighth-grader Julian Zavaleta competed from a wheelchair, adapting his game as he gained experience.

“It’s hard to shoot, but I’m still getting used to it,” he said. “I play a lot of basketball. My friend Max taught me how to throw the ball, pass the ball and shoot. I like shooting and winning best. I started playing with my friends and today, I’ve made friends with players from other schools.”

Mountain Creek ninth-grader and peer tutor Harrison Kenney said the experience has been eye-opening.

“It makes me be more grateful for what I have and more grateful I can do all these things with them,” he said. “We’ve learned even if something is hard, you should keep trying. You may fail a lot of times, like you shoot and not score, but we need to keep trying. They can get upset when they don’t make a basket, but when they get a shot in, they’re so happy and that makes me happy.”

Bryan Veazie, who oversees the district’s unified sports program, said high

school students who serve as officials and scorekeepers also are building that connection and understanding.

“I love having our high school athletes volunteer their service to participate as officials and score keepers; it gives them an opportunity to spend concentrated quality time with our special education students, to feel more comfortable around them and to embrace them more willingly,” he said. “It also gives them a higher level of gratitude and appreciation for the abilities that they have and for the talents to compete in unified basketball.”

Veazie said the growth in unified athletics reflects the program’s success.

“Throughout the Jordan School District, the unified sports program continues to grow, and we’ve added West Hills Middle School (in West Jordan) this school year, who, for the first year, has a support classroom in their school,” he said. “What this tells me is it’s a success. The schools are enjoying the opportunity, the teachers look forward to providing the experience and it’s becoming more known and more popular with the students, both our unified athletes and our unified partners.”

Veazie also is appreciative of West Jordan High for hosting the tournament, which with its growth, has required more planning, but the reward is clear.

“Having the opportunity to work with the people I work with and having the opportunity to provide these experiences we’re able to provide to middle school students as a way of promoting unity and belonging and purpose is one of the most rewarding parts of my position,” he said. “It envelops a spirit of love and gratitude and desire to support and desire to serve.”

For South Jordan Middle eighth-grader Hayden Kirby, it comes down to having opportunity.

“Playing unified basketball is fun with my friends,” he expressed with help of South Jordan Middle instructional assistant Easton Watts. “I’ve made four baskets and the best part is when people cheer for me.”l

Jordan School District’s middle school unified basketball tournament, Mountain Creek takes on West Jordan Middle in a close game. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

“Think

Herriman’s Community Showcase features dance, singing and color guard

of it like a live billboard for our community arts.”

By Laura S.Crapo l.crapo@mycityjournals.com

Anyone who thinks Herriman City is a town lacking in interest and talent for the arts could be mistaken based on the vibrant community showcase March 6. The evening was sponsored by Herriman City and funds from the Zoo, Arts and Park funds.

“Purpose of last night was to showcase our community and all the performing arts that are in our City of Herriman. Think of it like a live billboard for our community arts,” said Director of the Arts for the Friends of Herriman Emily Berbert. “We take the first 12-15 companies and programs that respond. We love it and it seems to be growing every year.”

A dynamic dance group named Project Dance performed the dramatic “Pandora’s Box” to start the show. Their younger group then danced the “Wikki Wikki.” Life House Performing Arts Academy and Project Dance were both returning performing arts groups in the showcase. They are both in Herriman and show the confidence and per-

formance skills they are being taught. These dancers were fun to watch as they showed their talent and enthusiasm for performing. Herriman High School Musical Dance Theater group participated as well. The JV and Varsity teams from the Mountain Ridge High School Color Guard took their turns performing. Then, mother and daughter duo, Zoe and Jill Ball, beautifully sang “Found/Tonight.”

“The HHS Musical Dance Theater group has such a great program and are very fun,” Berbert said. “Isabel Keetch is the organizer of the Community Showcase and took the lead this year. She is amazing and also my choreographer for ‘Sound of Music.’”

After the show’s intermission, the amazing instrumental and vocal talents from Herriman took center stage. Herriman’s orchestra took the lead. They were followed by Herriman’s Jazz project playing “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t have that swing.” A generous number of groups then had the stage. Lucas Bowler from Friends of Herriman sang “Where is Love?” from “Oliver,” and Jane Handley sang “Tomorrow” from “Annie.”

The Herriman Chorale and the Herriman High Chamber sang songs from “The

Sound of Music.” Copper Mountain Middle School descendents Blakely Hansen and Emery Bohrn sang “Space between.” That musical is the city’s upcoming production for local and regional audiences. The performances will take place June 10-19.

“I am the Director of the Arts for the Friends of Herriman. I’ve been involved with the Arts Council since 2015 and start-

ed as the director when the nonprofit was formed 3 years ago”, Berbert said. “I did not grow up in the theater world but was talked into doing my first show after I had my son in 2014 and have been volunteering time ever since. Being in shows, costuming, producing and everything in between I love creating a safe place for our community to grow in the arts.” l

Pickleball, splash pad, 20-foot-tall playground coming to new park

Bordering Herriman located just south of 13400 South and east of Mountain View Corridor, the unnamed park is expected to be a big draw for families.

By Travis Barton travis.b@thecityjournals.com

The 13400 South corridor has witnessed a lot of change over the past eight years.

With the arrival of Mountain View Village, the area heralded new additions regularly. Now the other side of the street will see a 10-acre park built.

As part of the Edge Homes development, they have teamed up with Big T Recreation to design a park that will include eight pickleball courts, soccer fields, playground, splash pad, shaded picnic tables and an almost mile-long trail.

“We have come up with a playground and splash pad combo that we feel is very impactful for the community, that will drive families there,” Big T Recreation’s Dane Egan told the council in February. “It will be low maintenance, and it will be

something that is a beacon for families to spend time.”

The playground, Egan said, will be anchored by a sky tower that is 20 feet tall at its highest point. It will have chimes to ring at the top as well as panels, mirrors and sensory things to interact with throughout.

There will also be a variety of swings as well as a zoom track (mini zip line). The ground part will be poured-in-place rub-

ber surfacing with a color design which Egan described as the “Cadillac of playground surfacing.” The playground is rated for ages 5-12 but Egan said it will still be friendly to all ages.

Across the sidewalk from the playground will be a 60-foot in diameter splash pad with ground sprays. Egan said they’ve worked with Riverton City previously on other splash pads.

In response to a question from Mayor Tish Buroker, Egan said the playground in general should last about 20 years.

Councilmember Andy Pierucci was especially pleased with these two features.

“I’m really excited to see the splash pad and playground and how those will operate together because I think that’ll be a great draw for families in the area,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of residents that want to see more splash pads in the city.”

In terms of water usage, Egan responded to another question explaining that if the whole pad was running at the same time, which rarely happens, it would be about 150 gallons per minute.

The pickleball courts are expected to have fencing, lighting and benches and will be located on the north end near the playground where there will be 25 parking stalls.

An asphalt trail is also planned, expected to be almost a mile long and which will connect to Herriman’s trail system.

Brandon Watson, a civil engineer with Edge Homes, told the council months of planning has gone into this project with collaboration between them, multiple city departments and the city’s parks committee. l

Magic, fun and dancing are on the breakfast menu in this school cafeteria.

By Jet Burnham j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

Dragons, unicorns and crown-wearing cafeteria workers welcomed Ridge View Elementary School students into the castle-themed cafeteria during National School Breakfast Week: The Quest for School Breakfast.

“The kids need to have fun,” Kitchen Manager Susan Bogenschutz said. “This is a time to feed them, obviously, but they need to let loose and have fun, too. And it’s fun for us to see them have fun.”

Throughout the week of March 2-6, Ridge View served triple the amount of breakfast meals they typically do. Some parents even came to eat breakfast with their children. They came because, besides the multiple food options, there were also craft activities — decorating crowns, coloring bookmarks — and themed games that got kids excited about eating breakfast at school.

The nutrition workers also hosted an art contest. Students were thrilled to see the colorful pictures of dragons, mushrooms and unicorns they had colored hung all over the kitchen walls.

Serving up big slices of fun

National School Breakfast Week in March and National School Lunch Week in October are not the only times Bogenschutz and her team have fun in the cafeteria. Tona Nielsen, a nutrition services substitute, said there’s always something fun going on at Ridge View Elementary.

“As a substitute I go to a lot of different schools — no other school does anything close to what Susan does,” Nielsen said. “She just goes so above and beyond, always, whether it’s Christmas or St. Patrick’s Day or Valentine’s, or just any day, to show extra love to students or to her employees. She’s just really amazing.”

Because Bogenschutz loves crafting and decorating and making people feel special, she often makes, at her own expense, themed decorations, costumes, crafts, prizes and creative treats for students and coworkers.

“I love this stuff, I love art — that’s me,” she said. “I just like to see them have fun. I feed them, but I don’t always see this, how excited they are.”

Ridge View Elementary’s nutrition services crew is also well-known for dancing for the students. They performed a lively St. Patrick’s Day Dance, decked out in green clothes, last month. Every year they do a Halloween dance, a turkey dance and some type of Christmas dance to entertain the stu-

dents. Two years ago, for the 4oth anniversary of the movie “Footloose,” the ladies all wore fluorescent socks and cut loose with a “Footloose” dance number complete with a cardboard stand-up of Kevin Bacon, the star of the 1984 movie.

“We went out every lunch period and danced for whoever was in there — we did it multiple times,” lunch cashier Kendra Savage said. Savage is the choreographer for all the dances, which the workers practice during their breaks.

“Even though it’s stressful and we’re serving a lot of kids, we still try to incorpo-

rate some fun,” one nutrition worker said of their playful antics.

Bogenschutz loves that she has a job where she can express herself, have lots of themed fun days, and make crafty gifts for students and coworkers. She appreciates that her team follows her lead as she executes creative themes and fun activities. As manager, Bogenschutz has grown the team from just two workers to six and is currently looking to hire one more person. Candidates who love to have fun, and are willing to dance around the cafeteria in a costume, are encouraged to apply. l

Chinese culture connects Jordan School District community

With more than 20 cultural activities and 10 live performances, the annual celebration gave students a chance to shine beyond the classroom.

By Julie Slama j.slama@mycityjournals.com

The hum of spinning string; the smoky, musky smell of wet ink; the vibrations of ancient Chinese music were some of the sights and smells of Jordan School District’s 5th annual Chinese New Year celebration as hundreds of community members filled Herriman High’s foyer and auditorium.

The celebration featured more than 20 cultural activities and 10 performances in an hour-long showcase that included student-produced short films and traditional lion and dragon dances. Students of all ages demonstrated language fluency, music and dance.

“We work hard every day at school,” Mountain Creek Middle Chinese teacher Michael Lu said. “We created this event to have a platform for our students to shine, to use what they learn in the real world and to give back to the community because we get so much support from them. Everyone is welcome here, no matter if they speak Chinese or not; we make this inclusive to everyone.”

Nearby, the Chinese yo-yo, also known

as the Diabolo, whirled to life as Mountain Creek ninth-grader John Gundersen and his twin Eli demonstrated their skills for the event that brought together students from Eastlake Elementary, Mountain Creek Middle and Herriman High.

John showed participants how the two hourglass-shaped cups, which are connected by an axle, could be spun and tossed on a string attached to two sticks.

“I learned to do this partly in class and I did a Chinese yo-yo camp over the summer,” he said. “I learned a lot of different tricks.”

While teaching others how to do it, John remembered being reluctant to pursue Chinese in elementary school.

“My parents forced me to do it in first grade,” he said. “I really wanted to quit in third grade. I hated it. I didn’t understand its significance, and I didn’t want to learn another language because it’s hard. I was behind so I was frustrated. In fourth grade, I started catching up to other students and now, it’s fun. I’m glad I stayed with it. My goal is to get fluent in it. I will do Chinese in high school and probably some after.”

Learning about the culture is one of John’s favorite parts of the dual immersion program.

“Before I was in middle school, I didn’t understand the concept of culture, how other countries are different from America since I have never been to another continent. Now,

I can appreciate how this event brings it together,” he said.

Eastlake sixth-grader Lola Grunander was checking out the activities before helping teach participants how to use chopsticks.

“I do Chinese so I can learn more about China,” she said. “As I’m going around, I’m getting to speak Chinese to others. It’s fun being here with my friends doing everything.”

Lola was inspired to enroll in dual immersion by family members.

“Two of my cousins do it and my brother does it so I thought it would be fun if we all knew Chinese so we could talk to each other,” she said. “Writing and speaking are my favorite parts, but sometimes we learn science and history. It’s fun to learn different things in Chinese.”

Mountain Ridge and Riverton also hosted a Cultural Arts Festival at Riverton High in March. Organized by the two schools’ Chinese Club, the night featured a language competition and talent show.

Herriman High parent Michelle Gibney appreciated this opportunity for her daughter.

“It’s great that students are exposed to different languages and cultures,” she said. “My daughter loves her Chinese classes and this is a good way to share what they’ve been learning.”

Volunteer Piper Wise, who worked alongside volunteers Shirley Lim and Nancy Dresser, said the event continues to grow. After being at

Mountain Creek last year, the celebration was hosted by the Mustangs at Herriman High – in time for the Year of the Horse — to better accommodate the crowd.

“The best thing about this is the community,” Wise said. “It makes me happy that all these siblings and kids grow up together in these classes learning about the culture. It’s like a giant family reunion.”

Tom Haraldsen contributed to this article.l

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SheTech inspires girls to explore STEM careers

Students met professionals working in STEM fields who shared how technology is used to tackle real-world challenges.

By Julie Slama j.slama@mycityjournals.com

More than 3,000 Utah students gathered to explore STEM careers at SheTech, where hands-on workshops, industry booths and inspirational leaders encouraged middle and high school girls to see themselves in fields where women are still underrepresented.

Michele Hollist, a senior chemical engineering analyst with Oxeon Energy, said her company participates because it wants student to see how science and engineering make an impact in both space and on Earth.

The company is working on technology that can create oxygen from carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere and converts biogas from food waste into renewable fuels on Earth.

“We’re trying to solve energy issues on Earth I know this generation cares about and our technology actually has operated on Mars, which I don’t think a lot of people know,” she said. “I’m hoping to get girls excited about the fact they can use their education to solve problems. A lot of the people we interview coming out of college are passionate about trying to make the world a better place and our new energy sources will last for generations.”

Nearby was a booth with programs Women who Succeed, Ken Garff Keys to Success and Ken Garff eSports, that support high school and college students, connecting females with mentors, resources and scholarships.

“I want to help girls, especially in tech fields, have a place,” said Addie Huff, Women who Succeed program manager. “We

want to help the next generation of leaders.”

Girls participated in hands-on challenges and networked with industries and colleges in the TechZone. More than 1,000 mentors from 250 companies and major universities took part in the free event, which was hosted by the Women Tech Council with the help of the SheTech student board.

Students spent the day discovering possibilities.

West Hills Junior High ninth-grader Leimomi Jensen was exploring career choices.

“I’m open to options, learning about these fields,” she said, adding she’d also like to be a pro dirt bike rider.

Her classmate, Jesse Jones, said she was looking at opportunities to help her in a field, marine biology, she’d like to pursue.

“I’m taking the opportunity to learn new things,” Jones said.

Students took part in workshops ranging from programming and aerospace to biomedicine and cybersecurity.

Cottonwood High sophomore Avery Harmston appreciated the event for female students.

“SheTech is great because it can be intimidating in the male-dominated STEM fields so here we can learn about the industry from women who are in the tech field; it’s a good experience,” she said.

Her classmate Callye Linke liked the interactive learning.

“It’s fun to learn about all this; I had an engineering-focused workshop,” she said. “I’ve learned at SheTech how AI can be used for good reasons.”

Juan Diego Catholic High junior Lei Harline used the experience to learn more about the health care industry.

“I want to be an anesthesiologist so I’m looking more at the medical field booths and workshops, but it’s fun to explore all the new technology,” she said.

Educators say the event leaves a lasting impact on students.

More than 3,000 middle and high school students learn about robotics and other STEM fields at SheTech. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Corner Canyon High’s work-based learning coordinator

Taylor Jesienouski brought 37 girls to the explorer day.

“It’s a great event, one of the best of the year for women empowerment,” she said. “We always feel women are strong and can do anything after this event; my girls absolutely love it.”

Two-time Olympic skiing freestyle medalist Shannon Bahrke, who just returned from watching the Olympics in Italy where she said women won 60% of the medals, was one of the event’s speakers. She encouraged students to try new things and pursue what inspires them.

“I challenge you today to make friends with all of these incredible girls around you, because they are your people,” Bahrke said. “Find something that you really love here, something that inspires you, something that intrigues you…and you will have your Olympic moment. It may not be on the world’s biggest stage, but it will be on your biggest stage. Work hard and be your best self, because your extraordinary starts here.” l

Bingham girls lift first state title in basketball in six years by

At the end of the regular season the Lady Miners stumbled a bit, but put it all together when it mattered most.

By Brian Shaw b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

After the Bingham Lady Miners lost 57-45 to Cedar Valley on senior night Feb. 10, something happened. Something difficult to put into words, but on Feb. 12 head girls basketball coach Hector Marquez wrote down one word for his girls to see before their game against Riverton.

“Before every game, I would simply write ‘Believe’ on the whiteboard,” Marquez said. “They started to play with a lot more confidence, and they started to play for each other. They started to believe. It was truly beautiful to see them grow up right in front of our eyes.”

That Bingham did, thumping their crosstown rival by the final score of 51-24 behind a 14-point, 10-rebound night from Veanna Pau’u, 14 from Brizzy Cottle and 12 from Evy Roberts.

“We had some really good practices leading up to that game against Riverton, and the girls played exceptionally well,” said Bingham’s second-year coach. “That was a lot of fun, and the girls really enjoyed it.”

That ended the regular season for the Lady Miners, who finished with a 6-6 record in Region 2, a 15-8 overall mark and a 6-seed and first-round bye for the 5A state tournament.

Bingham’s first opponent at state? Skyridge. According to Marquez, it was a tough second-round matchup against a perennial state power Feb. 19, and the visitors from North Utah County proved a worthy adversary.

“The next game was against Skyridge, and although it wasn’t our best win, you could see the team’s growth, and we started to believe in ourselves,” Marquez said.

The game was tied 12-12 after one quarter—but the Lady Miners outscored Skyridge 20-3 in the second quarter and hung on for a 60-57 win in which Roberts knocked down five 3s and scored 17 and Stacia Peoples added 10 points and 9 assists.

Captained by Roberts and senior Peoples, these Lady Miners weren’t done undergoing a bit of adversity against … Cedar Valley. They were the same team that embarrassed Bingham on Senior Night, sending three seniors—including Peoples—home a bit unhappy on Feb. 10 .

What a difference 15 days makes.

Though the Lady Miners trailed 34-26 at the half, and then looked buried at one point in the third quarter down as many as 15 points, they dug out of the mess with a 23-point fourth quarter powered by Roberts’ four 3s and 18 points and Peoples’ 13 in No. 6 Bingham’s

believing in each other

come-from-behind, 60-57 victory against No. 3 Cedar Valley in the state quarterfinal.

That win over the Aviators—the Lady Miners’ first in three tries this season—seemed to flip a switch in Bingham.

From that point forward, this squad that Marquez deemed “The Believe Team” didn’t even seem fazed by being down 11-9 after one quarter to No. 2-seed Syracuse, a team that lost to Bingham 49-45 earlier in the season.

The Lady Miners knotted up the state semifinal 22-22 by scoring 13 second-quarter points, and it stayed tied through three quarters of action at 31-31.

But Bingham scored 15 fourth-quarter points and held Syracuse to just 5, rolling to a 44-34 win against the Titans. For the game, Lanie Smith drilled four 3s for 12 points and Pau’u added 12 along with 8 rebounds.

On a night when Syracuse’s game plan was to limit Roberts, who was held to 7 points, Bingham got what it needed from others including 7 from Cottle and 4 from Avery Aiono.

Could these Lady Miners possibly put one more magical run together against No. 1 Lone Peak in the state championship game?

It’s awfully hard to count out a group of girls that calls themselves “The Believe Team.”

It’s also hard to believe that Skyler Beard’s kids that were mostly freshmen and sophomores a few years ago, are all grown up.

It’s also been a sight to see what the new

head coach Hector Marquez has been able to get out of these kids that lifted Bingham to a resounding 49-33 win over the Knights to win its second state title in six years. Peoples’ 14 points, Pau’u’s 10, Cottle’s 9 and Roberts’ 7 were too much for Lone Peak, who only managed to score 15 first-half points.

In Marquez’ eyes, two people above all were responsible for the Lady Miners’ first state title in six years.

“I really think our two captains powered

it (Evy Roberts, Stacia Peoples). As a coaching staff, we did everything we could to put them in a position to succeed, but we all know that when the players buy in and just play for each other, that is when you get the best out of every player that sets foot on the floor.

I will never forget this group and how they taught me to “Believe.” They earned my trust throughout the year. We had so many fun memories in practice, and it was just a magical group.” l

By Tom Haraldsen t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com

Herriman High’s Jackson Spencer named Gatorade National player of the year

It started as an early morning workout, a cold wintry run in a brisk southerly wind for Herriman High senior Jackson Spencer. It wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle, having blazed his way across the record books for the Mustangs for several seasons. But this run ended a bit differently on that Wednesday, Feb. 18.

As Spencer walked into the locker room, he was cheered by family, friends, the media and by Olympic distance runner Grant Fisher who was there to present Jackson with the 2025-26 Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year Award. Considered the top national honor for high school sports, it’s part of Gatorade’s long standing tradition of awarding excellence in sport, academics and community.

“It was pretty much a surprise to me,” Spencer said after receiving the trophy.

“Coach told us that we had to go back in because the district was getting mad at us for skipping classes while we ran. So we had to show up at 7:30 that morning to get the run in. Once we got back from that blizzard, he said we had to go to the locker room to finish filling out forms to run in New Balance nationals. So I walked in here, and, surprise!”

The Gatorade Player of the Year awards have an elite history. Past winners have included Peyton Manning, Paige Bueckers, Cooper Flagg and Sydney McLaughlin-Lev-

rone. BYU freshman cross country star Jane Hedengren, who destroyed all competitors when she competed for Timpview High School, won the female award last year. It’s the third time that Fisher, winner of two bronze medals at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games in Paris, has been to Utah to present Gatorade national awards.

“I moved here in 2023, and what I observed is that you have fantastic high school programs and great college programs,” he said. “You have really good infrastructure

for professionals, and you get into an environment where everybody is achieving great things and working hard, and that becomes the norm here in Utah.”

Fisher, who now lives in Park City, said the cross country program at Herriman High “is fantastic, and it has been for several years. There’s five schools in Utah that are national caliber, and it’s been fun to be a new person coming in from outside and observing this.”

Spencer praised his coaches and teammates at Herriman, including head coach Doug Soles. The Mustangs won the Nike Cross Nationals in 2023 and have been ranked first or near the top nationally in the years since.

“It’s been awesome to run with so many great guys the past three years,” he said. “They’ve been fantastic teammates and I’ve been propelled by all of these guys. They’ve kept me grounded and helped me.”

As for Gatorade, which both runners said they love to drink, Spencer’s favorite is Glacier Cherry, while Fisher prefers Glacier Freeze. Among those who gathered for the trophy presentation were coaches and runners from Brigham Young University, the program that Spencer will be joining this coming fall. l

Rayansh Mishra is a spelling bee champ

The fifth grader spelled “Beauceron” to win the title.

By Peri Kinder peri.k@thecityjournals.com

“Ithink this is the best day of my life,” said Rayansh Mishra, winner of the 2026 Wasatch Front Regional Spelling Bee. The fifth grader from Woodstock Elementary in Murray beat out 98 other students to earn the title. He will travel to Washington, D.C., in May to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

After finishing in the top 12 in last year’s event, Rayansh said the Scripps Word Club app helped him prepare for this year’s bee.

“It has tests to see how good you actually are with the words,” he said. “You don’t have to think, ‘Am I good at these words?’ You know.”

Nearly 70 schools participated in this year’s Wasatch Front Regional Spelling Bee (formerly the Greater Northern Utah Spelling Bee), featuring students through eighth grade. All students took a written test before moving on to the stage rounds, which narrowed the finalists to 23 spellers.

After nearly 24 rounds, Rayansh spelled the winning word, “Beauceron,” which earned him the title and a trip to the nation’s capital. The City Journals will cover his expenses and the parent who will travel with him. Beauceron, by the way, is a dog breed name that originates from the Beauce region of northern-central France.

Rayansh Mishra (right), a fifth grader from Woodstock Elementary, won the 2026 Wasatch Front Regional Spelling Bee and will compete at the national event in May. He’s shown here with his parents, Rohita and Santi Mishra. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

The second-place winner was Advik Dehran from American Preparatory Academy in Draper, with Ayansh Sahu from Beehive STEM Academy taking third place. This event has been sponsored by the City Journals for

the last 13 years. Owner and publisher Bryan Scott said the spelling bee’s necessity is rooted in core literacy.

“You have the governor and all of the politicians talking about social media and the impact on literacy and our school systems,” he said. “Whether it’s spelling or whether it’s reading the Journal, you need spelling for everything. Success with AI comes down to your ability to prompt, and spelling is part of that, so I don’t see us leaving spelling behind anytime soon.”

Rayansh is the son of Rohita and Santi Mishra. He said he’s a bit intimidated by the idea of competing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, especially since he’ll have to study many more words.

“The vocabulary questions are scary,” Rayansh said. “You just have to study a lot, to the point where you think you know it.”

Last year’s winner of the Wasatch Front Regional Spelling Bee was 13-year-old Roshan Kaushik, who ended up making it to the semifinals, where he finished in 36th place.

“Sending someone to D.C. is fun, but the gratification for me is getting to see these kids have fun here, to get up on this stage and have their parents proud of them,” Scott said. “We don’t spend a lot of time celebrating academics. If you take a look at the few things that we still do, like the Sterling Scholars and the valedictorians, that’s pretty far and few in between. It’s important to me that we celebrate these kids here on stage and give them a chance to shine.”

To follow Rayansh’s national spelling bee journey, visit SpellingBee.com. l

Ifthere’s one thing that makes you question your life choices, it’s sitting at a child’s outdoor soccer game in April.

Clutching Stanley mugs filled with coffee, whisky, or both, parents and grandparents sit on wobbly camp chairs, huddled under musty blankets while trying not to be too conspicuous about checking the time.

The idea is sound: help kids understand the concepts of a sport and learn teamwork. In reality, it’s about which kid brought the best treats or if we’re going to catch pneumonia and die before the game ends.

Utah’s spring is a weather roulette that can have you freezing at 9 a.m. and sweltering by noon. The cold wind, constant trickle of rain and glacial temperatures give way to heat stroke and sunburn before halftime.

My four daughters played softball every spring for what felt like 75 consecutive years. Each year, we’d bundle up in coats, gloves, scarves and earmuffs to watch them play. We shoved handwarmers into pockets and told them to “Think warm thoughts.”

It was often torture. Not only do you watch your child strikeout, but strikeout in 45-degree weather. They’d hold the bat with frozen hands, waiting for the impact to snap their fingers off at the knuckles.

Now, my grandkids enjoy soccer, which is played no matter the weather, and everything is mud. The only thing running faster than my granddaughter is my nose. Except

The view from the sidelines

Peri Kinder Life and Laughter

when it’s treat time, then the whole team finds a burst of adrenaline to snatch up granola bars and Capri Suns. Don’t even think about bringing oranges or bananas. Who are you? Someone who hates kids?

Each spring, hope wears shin guards and batting helmets. It’s a fresh start, a chance to learn skills and an opportunity for new coaches to lower their expectations.

You can spot a new coach by their optimism. They come prepared with drills, practice schedules and intricate plays, but by the end of the season, they’re just happy to have players who can identify a soccer ball and run in the right direction.

They also have to deal with parents. There’s always that person who believes their child is the next Lionel Messi or Aaron Judge. They memorize the rule book and counter every official’s call. “Blue! Were you the lookout on the Titanic?” or “Hey, Ref! Are we keeping you awake?”

They scream at their child to “Run!” for 45 minutes straight and call their 6-year-old over

between innings to explain baseball defense.

Yet, even in drizzly, cold weather, spring sports thrive. There’s just something about watching a child finally hit the ball off a tee or score their first goal. We see coaches kindly redirect a player’s attention from doing cartwheels to protecting third base.

When your granddaughter makes a great pass, she looks to the sidelines to see if you saw it happen. You did.

Although we complain about the mud, the temperature, the uncomfortable seating and wonder if the other team altered the birth certificate of their star player, there’s something inherently human about watching young people navigate sportsmanship.

It’s not about winning. It’s about showing up for the kids you love. You watch them fall on their faces, sometimes literally, and get back up. You watch them strike out, kick the ball in the wrong goal or drop an easy fly ball, and wince along with them.

If there’s one thing that makes you question your life choices, it shouldn’t be watching a child you love run past you with a big grin on their face. Even wrapped in quilts, chugging espresso, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Peri Kinder is an award-winning columnist and journalist who has written for The City Journals since 2004. She can be reached at peri.k@thecityjournals.com