The fifth Herndon Playlist is live and I'm excited that it will precede an actual climb. No disrespect to the Supe and the Dant - they did the best they could last year - but knowing that the Plebes will actually climb the monument this year is proof that we are definitely closer to normal. … Continue reading The Class of 2024 Herndon Playlist is LIVE

As a kid, I loved May because it's my birthday month. As a teen, it signaled the beginning of the serious part of the baseball and softball schedules, which as an umpire, meant increased income. In college, May marked the welcome end of a semester. As a Naval Academy parent, I learned a whole new … Continue reading May on The Yard: Here come the winds of change

The parents of some members of the USNA Class of 2025 are making themselves known on some of the Academy-related Facebook pages. Combined with the announcement that there will be a modified, in-person commissioning for the Class of 2021, we have clear signs we are emerging from the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic and the … Continue reading Unsolicited advice for the USNA Class of 2025

While uncertainty is usually the rule of the day when it comes to the Naval Academy, there are a few things you can depend on, one of them being your time there will be an emotional roller coaster. I was recently reminded of that, even though I no longer have a Mid on The Yard. … Continue reading Shotgunning and the Green-Eyed Monster

Being a Naval Academy parent has led me to connect pretty much everything back to life on The Yard and Easter is no different. My complicated relationship with Easter began more than 40 years ago, sitting on the couch in the family room on a cool overcast morning. I was staring at a chocolate bunny … Continue reading Reflections on Easter and “your experience is the right experience”