This was the eighth Advertiser All-State baseball team I’ve put together, and somehow it seems like the choices get tougher every year. I swear in those first few years, things seem to fall into place easier and the positions were more likely to sort themselves out.

We always set a goal to select 12 players for the first team: 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF, C, P, P, DH, Util.

We almost never end up with 12, usually adding an extra player or two when the voting is tied or virtually tied at certain positions. Remember last year, when we went with three catchers?

Well, this year’s trouble spots were at first base, shortstop, catcher (again), pitcher and DH/Utility. Even Coach of the Year almost became a three-way tossup.

Here’s a basic rundown, by position:

• First base — ‘Iolani’s Reyn Nagamine was the first team pick as a freshman and sophomore, and was first-team ILH this season, with Torigoe second team. Their stats were similar. But the All-State consideration includes postseason play, and ‘Iolani was bounced early from the ILH tournament. Torigoe helped MPI advance to the state quarterfinals, and in two championship bracket games, he went 4 for 9 with 2 RBIs, and he drew respect from the state’s top two teams.

• Shortstop — Pi‘ikea Kitamura (Kamehameha) was the ILH first team pick, Danny Higa second. But see above regarding postseason. Plus, Higa was a veteran leader for the Saints, providing intangibles all the way to the state title game. Jordan Tom (Castle) had huge numbers in the OIA but seemed relatively quiet late in the postseason.

• Catcher — Aaron Fujiki was ILH Player of the Year, Kolten Wong BIIF Player of the Year. Fujiki’s defense was outstanding and he hit well; Wong is a pure hitter who also plays solid defense. Went with both. Zach Kometani (Punahou) was outstanding to watch, but his offensive numbers did not quite match up to Fujiki and Wong’s. Might be the best second-team All-State catcher in a while.

• Pitcher — Josh Saio was an overwhelming choice, but the second spot was up for grabs. MPI’s Matt McDaniel was first team ILH and had good numbers, but he was injured in the ILH tournament and did not pitch at all in the state tournament. Bryson Nakamura made OIA West first team as a pitcher, but seemed just as valuable as a hitter and left fielder. Jordan Buster was lights out in the DII state championship game, and proved his legit talent vs. top O‘ahu DI teams in the preseason. Seemed as good as any pitcher we saw all year.

• DH/Utility — Moses Samia was a constant threat to go deep; Scotty Talaesea just plain smashed the ball almost every time he made contact. Who would you want to pitch to? Neither. So both belong on the first team. Nakamura didn’t make it as a pitcher, but deserved a spot somewhere as the go-to pitcher and hitter for the OIA champs. Fits in well as the utility pick.

• Coach of the Year — Bottom line, Kadooka got it done. May not have been pretty at times, but the man and his staff got it done, again. They did it the hard way, finishing with eight straight wins, the eight most important wins. Fraticelli didn’t have it easy, either, but again did what it took to get Saint Louis playing its best baseball in many many years. Going from 4-12 to 20-5 in one year is some feat that deserves recognition. Hank Ibia (Kaua‘i) did another masterful job with a team that probably could have competed in the DI state tourney. Unfortunately, the Red Raiders’ regular and postseason schedule simply cannot compare to the gauntlet Punahou and Saint Louis had to go through en route to the DI state championship game. So everything else being equal, we went with the DI guys.

So there you have it. As in any All-State selections, I’m sure there will be debates and people upset about certain choices. Sorry, unfortunately we cannot please everybody.

But at the very least, please know that a lot of thought, a lot of phone calls, a lot of looking at numbers, a lot of different considerations and a lot of tough decisions went into the final product.

Personally, I think it’s a team we can not just be comfortable with, but also be proud of.

Guys like Delbert Tengan and Bill Villa are very hard to find, which is why I think the ILH suffered two big losses on Friday.

It reminds me of that dark day back in September 1993, when Bobby McGee’s shut down and Michael Jordan retired (the first time), both abruptly and without advance notice. Double whammy.

First, Chaminade announced the hiring of Villa as Silverswords athletic director. This is good news for Chaminade, because they are getting a good, humble man who always seems to be in control of any situation. He’s not afraid to speak up, but does so with calm reason.

Here’s all you really need to know about what it’s like to be the AD at Mid-Pacific: Punahou has four people at the top of it athletic department, Kamehameha three, ‘Iolani two. MPI has one. And it’s not like MPI is a tiny school. It has boys and girls teams, about 80 of them, at varsity, JV and intermediate levels.

They have a gym, pool, football field, baseball field and softball field to manage and maintain.

And Villa made it all look easy, although it most certainly wasn’t.

I think he is more than qualified and prepared to make the “jump” to Chaminade AD.

Shortly after the Silverswords’ announced their hire, Saint Louis announced Tengan had resigned as football and basketball coach.

Rumors had been swirling for the past couple weeks about Tengan being replaced by Ulima Afoa for the football job, but not as much talk had been generated about the basketball position.

Tengan said he had the option of staying on at both positions, but obviously something did not feel right about staying on, and it probably is no coincidence that his decision comes on the heels of recent events. He applied and was a finalist for the Saint Louis AD job, which went to longtime college and Kamehameha-Hawai‘i football coach Afoa.

Publicly, we may never learn exactly what transpired behind closed doors, but what happened, happened.

It’s time to move on.

Which brings us back to two big losses. No matter what some people think of Tengan, the man served Saint Louis’ athletic department for roughly 25 years. As a trainer, assistant coach, defensive coordinator and finally, head coach, for both football and basketball.

And at one of the most high-profile schools in Hawai‘i, if not the West Coast.

All you need to know about the standards and expectations at Saint Louis are this: Tengan was 48-11 in five football seasons, with one state championship and three ILH titles.

Most coaches in Hawai‘i would love to have that kind of resume, but there are those in Crusader Nation who believe that record just doesn’t cut it.

Tough crowd, indeed.

But Cal Lee, who knows something about Saint Louis, said Tengan’s departure leaves “big shoes to fill.”

I think the same could be said for the ILH in general, with the loss of Tengan and Villa on the same day. ‘Iolani boys basketball coach Mark Mugiishi called Tengan “one of the statesmen of the ILH,” and I think the same could be said for Villa.

While it’s a big loss for Saint Louis, MPI and ILH, in a way I am also happy for both men that they can start fresh with a new chapter in their lives, as Tengan said.

Knowing both of them, they will continue to contribute to Hawai‘i for many years to come.

Very sad to hear the news about former Pearl City baseball coach Mel Seki, who passed away Sunday.

I have come across probably hundreds of coaches in my 20 years of reporting (including college), and what I will remember about Mel Seki is how he always showed humility and class in victory and dignity and grace in defeat. I believe this is one of the best examples a coach can set for his players, so it’s a quality I admired about him from the first time we met in 1993 until his final game in 2007, the state championship loss to Punahou.

A lot of coaches talk about this quality, how winning and losing are secondary to other lessons learned. But Coach Seki showed it by his actions. I interviewed him many times, after both big victories and tough losses, and he was always the same: always made the time, always helped me track down players or stats, always was willing to talk about key plays good or bad, always gave the opponent their due respect.

Another thing I admired about Mel Seki was his longevity, sticking around for 15 seasons. We all should know by now how much time and commitment being a head coach requires, and the temptation to step down after a few years must be great.

But obviously Coach Seki loved the game and loved working with kids, even after a long career as a full-time educator. He could have enjoyed his retirement years just relaxing and doing things for himself, but instead dedicated at least four months out of the year — every year — to kids at Pearl City High School.

I was happy for him to finally retire from coaching last year, hoping he could enjoy more time with his family. I certainly did not expect that time to be so short.

It’s a sad day for the Hawai‘i baseball community, but hopefully others will follow Coach Seki’s example and carry on his legacy of service to our keiki.

It was service marked by humility, class, dignity and grace.

Aloha, Coach, and mahalo for all you did for Pearl City and Hawai‘i.

Ever get that feeling of deja vu? Of history repeating itself?

The names and details have changed, but what is unfolding at Saint Louis School right now seems hauntingly familiar to the bizarre turn of events exactly five years ago upon Kalaepohaku’s rugged slope.

Anyone remember? Here’s a refresher for those who don’t:

1. The football coaching job was open, since Delbert Tengan had stepped down in April.

2. A list of 12 coaching candidates was pared down, and former Crusaders quarterback John Hao was approached about the job but turned it down. Next, an offer was made to former Waiakea coach Tim Lino, a school principal in Kona.

3. Cal Lee accepted an assistant coach job at the University of Hawai‘i around June 20, stepping down as Saint Louis athletic director effective June 30.

4. Todd Los Banos, who had stepped down as wrestling coach in March, was named athletic director effective July 1.

5. Lino, after several rounds of negotiations with school president Father Allen DeLong, turned down the football coach offer after DeLong was unable to offer an adequate full-time faculty position.

6. Hours later, 25-year-old Darnell Arceneaux — whose name never really surfaced as a candidate since he was not one of the 12 original applicants — was hired as head football coach.

I don’t know exactly how this athletic director hiring will shake out or what the aftermath will be, but as usual it’s pretty darn interesting right now. As leading candidate Ulima Afoa stated in today’s article, “What makes Saint Louis unique is it’s such a high-profile school.”

He’s right.

I don’t know if there is another school out there in Hawai‘i where there is so much buzz any time a football coach or athletic director job is open, except for maybe Kahuku. That’s saying something, considering Saint Louis has the nation’s mythical No. 1 athletic program barely a mile away.

Rumors have swirled for the past two weeks, and probably will continue to until the hiring is officially announced, whomever it turns out to be.

The thing I would recommend right now from the public is just to wait and let the events unfold, before trying to figure out what is going to happen next.

The players involved have changed — instead of Lee, DeLong, Hao, Lino, Los Banos and Arceneaux, now we have principal Russell Valente, Afoa, Tengan. But it’s still anyone’s guess to see what will happen next.

Because if history has taught us anything, it’s that Saint Louis can be full of surprises.

Just like the old days, got fired up after watching the NBA Finals Tuesday night and had the urge to shoot baskets somewhere.

I watched the game at my parents’ house, so naturally the first option was Alewa Park, where I grew up shooting along with our backyard hoop. At 6:45 p.m., the court was already crowded.

I figured everywhere else nearby — Lanakila, Pu‘unui, Kawananakoa — probably also would be crowded by now, too, and I just wanted to shoot, not play, so ended up driving all the way to a small park at the top of Alewa Heights. It’s only one basket with a halfcourt there, so thought maybe it would be empty.

Nope.

But it’s a good sign, I guess, that basketball fever has not faded among our youth. Everywhere I drive, the parks seem crowded with pickup games or at least a bunch of kids shooting baskets.

I haven’t played pickup ball at a public park in several years, so I might be out of the loop as to where the best games are.

So I thought I’d put it out there on this blog, for all the kids in high school or just graduated: Where are the best games these days?

In our days (high school and after), for us it was (in order of our frequency):

1. UH outdoor courts (behind swimming pool) — On Sundays in the late 1980s/early 90s, this was the happening place in town. Four courts, all in pretty good shape. Games running constantly from around 2 p.m. till almost dark, around 6 or 7. Good mix of high school players, former high school players, cagey veterans. Last time I checked, the courts had grass growing through the cracks and half the baskets didn’t even have rims.

Too bad; looked like a graveyard of glorious games of the past.

2. UH Gyms I and II/Klum Gym — It was supposed to be limited to UH students with IDs, but I started playing there in the ninth grade and didn’t stop till maybe a year or two out of college. Always could find games there on Sunday afternoons, and from 6 p.m. till 9 or 10 on weeknights. Even former UH player Reggie Cross would play in Gym II on Sundays, in the offseason while he was still playing for UH.

Lots of active and former UH football players would show up, too.

3. Wilson Park (Waialae) — The main draw back then was 8-foot baskets, where we could pretend to be Dr. J or Michael Jordan or Dominique Wilkins. But there were some pretty good games on the 10-foot rims there, too, with several active or recent high school players from various areas showing up. The upper court had the nice surface, I recall.

4. Crane Park (Kapahulu) — Competition here could be good, again with some high school players showing up. I recall two courts, so there was more opportunity and shorter waits.

5. Kapaolono Park (Kaimuki) — Two courts, pretty good games, lots of high school guys. Could get windy sometimes, making an inside game more reliable than outside jumpers.

6. Aina Haina Playground — Kinda same as Kapaolono, but can get even windier. Unlike other courts, no real place to sit in between games, I recall.

7. Kanewai Park — Underrated, I thought. Pretty good games on two courts, not too windy if I remember.

8. Kaimuki District Park — Only played there a few times, but I liked it.

Now, you might notice that all of these courts happen to be in a three-or-four-mile radius, around the UH/Kaimuki/Waialae area.

The thing is, I lived in the Kalihi part of town but always seemed to migrate toward that side, and I know others came from outside the area, too.

I’ve played pickup ball at other places, like Alewa and Pu‘unui obviously but also Kawanankoa, Kailua Rec Gym, Stevenson. Never on the West side or Central O‘ahu.

So, all you high school ballers and recent grads, help an old brother out, here.

Give me your lists of the best places on the island for pickup basketball.

Completed a whirlwind week of awards banquets Saturday with the third annual HMSA Kaimana Awards luncheon, at which 21 recently graduated student-athletes plus 30 schools were honored for achievements in athletics, academics, sportsmanship and community service.

The keynote speaker was ESPN SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett, who got his broadcast start right here in Hawai‘i. Everett was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and went to college at Willamette in Salem, Ore., where he met and got to know a lot of Hawai‘i kids. He eventually spent a summer after graduation in Hawai‘i Kai, working as a dishwasher for six weeks.

When it came time for Neil to return to the Mainland, a funny thing happened: he didn’t want to.

“I thought, ‘Man, why doesn’t EVERYBODY live here?’ ” Everett said. “This is the best place there is.”

So Everett stayed, for the next 14 years before landing the ultimate sports gig with ESPN. But it seems part of him still wishes he could stay here.

“Don’t ever take this place for granted,” he told the 21 student honorees.

As UH football coach Greg McMackin said last week and Everett echoed Saturday, it’s tough to give advice and inspiration to kids like the 21 Kaimana awardees and the 12 HHSAA Hall of Honor inductees, because obviously most of these kids already have what it takes to succeed in college and life and more often than not, it is them who inspire us.

But I thought Everett had an important and interesting message to share, and it hit home with his perspective as an adopted kama‘aina who has moved back to the Mainland.

“If you go to the Mainland for college, you need to take that aloha with you and spread it there,” Everett said. “And even if you stay in Hawai‘i, you need to spread it here, too, because we need more of it here, too. I notice there’s more anger in Hawai‘i than there was 20 years ago, and we have to make sure we never lose that aloha, because that’s what makes this place so special, the way we treat each other.”

I gotta agree with Neil on this one, especially after seeing the kind of hate and anger that spouts out from readers of this blog itself.

I can’t say I did not expect trash talk and insults to emerge when this blog was first proposed by someone else in October 2006, but none of us expected some of the filth and anger and hate that pops up every now and then. I guess we all learned the hard way that every blog post can be like a freshly painted wall inviting graffiti vandals to bring their spray paint.

So much hate out there, it’s disturbing.

Neil ended his time at the podium with another great message. Emcee Jim Leahey had half-joked earlier about Neil being let go by KHNL earlier in his career, but Neil added that he actually had been “let go” from several other jobs as well and was turned down twice by ESPN before finally reaching the promised land.

“Don’t let anybody else determine your self-worth,” Everett said, “because that’s something that belongs to only you.”

Just got back from the annual OIA Awards Banquet, the seventh one I attended since 2001 (missed ‘02 while in Disneyland).

It’s a function I am grateful and honored to be invited to every year, because despite what some haters on this blog like to believe, I actually have been a big fan of the OIA since the late 1970s. I looked up to and idolized guys like Cliff Kaneaiakala (Kaiser), Kurt Gouveia (Wai’anae) and Lakei Heimuli (Kahuku) just like I did the ILH guys like Leroy Lutu (UHS), John Kamana (Punahou) and Kaulana Park (Kamehameha).

Anyway, the OIA is a massive league with 23 schools, almost all of them with a medium-to-large-sized enrollment. The OIA banquet brings all of them together under one roof, at the Ala Moana Hotel.

HHSAA team champions and runners-up are recognized, as are long-time employees and KSSK Coaches of the Year. There also are OIA Special Awards in recognition of outstanding service to the league.

OC16 put together a nice video highlight package showing great clips from throughout the year, in football, volleyball, basketball, softball, baseball.

This year, there was a pleasant surprise to the program when OIA executive director Dwight Toyama presented grants from the fledgling OIA Athletic Foundation to two schools.

Kaiser, which plans to build an equipment storage facility for its new softball field, was awarded a check for $7,000. Wai’anae, which plans to upgrade its weight training facility into a fitness center that can be used by the Leeward community, was awarded $20,000.

After the fast-paced banquet program, many of the attendees migrate to a hospitality room where people from all schools get to socialize and catch up with each other.

I really do admire the OIA, because like Anuenue principal Charles Naumu said, it’s a league that is not exclusive, but INCLUSIVE. Their schools take in all kids from the community and provide them with opportunities, highlighted by the many dedicated coaches and administrators.

And as exemplified by the banquet, the competition within the league is fierce but afterward there is a bond and pride that is shared by all.

From Schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto on down to the athletes, there is a “can-do” spirit that says the OIA should take a back seat to no one, and that is very true.

The league had 10 team state championships and dozens of individual state titles this year to prove it.

We all should cheer for the OIA because the OIA is about communities, and we all are part of a community, no matter what school we or our kids go to or graduated from. Me, I always cheered for Farrington.

The OIA is a great league with great people, and the OIA banquet is a refreshing and enjoyable way to celebrate just how great it is.

I never competed in “timed” sports like swimming or track, or even paddling, and I’ve only run a few casual 5Ks, so I haven’t had much exposure to training with set times as goals.

Swim practice, in particular, always looked to me like so much work and not so much fun. Especially compared to basketball practice, which I actually loved and looked forward to every day.

But a few years ago, one of my friends — a pretty good basketball player who probably could have played small college ball somewhere — told me he also swam in high school. I was suprised, not just because it seemed like kind of a strange sports combination, but also because I thought a basketball player would be bored by swim practice.

But he said he also coached a club swimming team for several years, and he told a story about this one relay team that was mediocre at the beginning of the season but ended up winning a championship by season’s end.

“When they touched the wall first,” he said, “that was one of the best moments I experienced in sports.”

Of course, they didn’t win that championship race by accident. It took hours and hours of practice in the pool. Which goes back to so much work that doesn’t look like much fun.

As mentioned in a previous main blog post, climbing the Koko Crater trail is a lot of work and doesn’t seem like much fun when you’re gasping for air and feeling the burn in your legs. The spectacular view at the top is a good reward, especially the first time, but when you’re doing it to get into shape, you start paying attention to your time from bottom to top to measure your progress.

The first time I went, I didn’t mark the exact time but it was a little more than an hour. The second time, 57 minutes, the third, 56 minutes, the fourth, about the same, 56 minutes.

Then last Friday, I kind of noticed the strides being just a little easier — though it still was not easy by any means. I didn’t look at the cell phone clock on the way up, as usual. I finally huffed and puffed my way to the top, then checked the time.

49 minutes!

It was a different kind of sports rush that I can’t really say I’ve had before. Different from winning a game, from hitting a home run over the fence, from swishing a 3-pointer, from making a nice catch or throwing someone out at the plate, from surfing a nice wave.

But looking at that clock and seeing that time definitely was a huge rush, and made me understand better why swimmers and track runners are willing to put in all those hours of grueling practice.

Now, for perspective, 49 minutes is actually pretty slow. I have two friends (female) who do it in half an hour or less, and I met a 58 year-old man (going on 59) who has done it in 16 minutes.

But 49 was my personal best, granted out of only five trips. It was seven minutes off my previous best, and gave me a new target to shoot for the next time, which was today (Thursday).

Went up with strides similar to last Friday, seemed like I was making decent time, the sun was going down so heat was not as much a factor.

Made one last push toward the top, trying not to stop for rest. Got to the summit, looked at the clock.

50 minutes.

Oh well. Back to the trail next time, back to try for that big rush one more time …

Attended the HHSAA Foundation/Advertiser Hall of Honor banquet Sunday night, the eighth straight one I’ve had the privilege of going to.

It’s always an impressive event, and the most impressive aspect always is the 12 inductees. Every year, the group embodies the ultimate in the high school sports experience. They have achieved greatness at such a young age, athletically, individually, within the team realm. On the field, on the court, in the water.

While going through the applications to get information for the bios, it always amazes me how these student-athletes can accomplish so much. As even emcee/former Miss Hawai‘i/Miss America runner-up Kanoe Gibson and UH football coach said Sunday, these teenagers are inspiring.

Reading and listening to their achievements makes you think of what can happen if total, focused effort is put forth. Of course, having talent helps, and no question just about every inductee was born with at least some natural ability.

But you don’t get to where these kids have climbed without investing in a lot of hard work and sacrifices. And this Hall of Honor is just one of many ways in which all that hard work and sacrifice paid off.

And the best part is the bright future they have set up for themselves with the foundation they have built. It is exciting to think of what they might accomplish in college and beyond, whether it’s in sports or not.

I see these 12 inductees and their predecessors as future leaders in our community, and that gives me hope.

I couldn’t help but tell my mom about some of these kids, what they achieved and how some overcame adversity by staying focused on their goals.

“This is one of the best parts of your job,” Mom said.

I agree. One parent Sunday night said she was so impressed by the 12 honorees, but regretted not seeing many of them play.

I’m usually the lucky one who has followed many of their careers since their freshman or sophomore years. I’ve seen them do great things, but going over their applications and seeing all their achievements on paper, reading the letters of recommendation, learning what kind of classes they have been taking, what kind of community work they have done … I get to see the greatness wrapped up in the total package and then shared with the public in one heart-warming and inspiring coronation.

Like Mom said, it’s one of the best parts of the job.

Already received my first official reader complaint Sunday about our baseball All-State selections and page layout: Basically, the guy (anonymous, of course, with no callback number) grumbled, “Where are they? What’s taking so long?”

The short answer is, hopefully by the end of next week. Hopefully.

The longer answer, and explanation, is this:

1. We — or more specifically, I — firmly believe in giving the O‘ahu league all-stars in the most popular sports a display page with pictures of the Player of the Year and Coach of the Year for each league. This goes back to when I was growing up here, when both daily papers would do these display pages for football, basketball and baseball. These pages were so highly anticipated by me and my friends and I’m sure many others, they were part of the reason I got hooked on high school sports.

I still remember scotch-taping The Advertiser’s 1980 ILH Basketball All-Star page (Eric Morales, Jimmy Kalaukoa, John Kamana, Leroy Lutu, Dan Hale) and All-State page (Morales, Lutu, Hale, Reed Sunahara, Sam Johnson) to my bedroom door, right below the nerf hoop. These guys were like idols, along with Tony Dorsett (poster on my wall) and Walter Payton (Sport magazine cover).

Somewhere in the late 1980s or early 1990s, both daily papers here kind of got away from that, to the point where some all-star lists were run in small print only, without any pictures.

One of my goals here, as stated during an informal job interview with The Advertiser in January 2001, was to restore the big all-star layout pages of the past.

2. Assembling these all-star pages, however, turned out to be much more difficult than it looks.

In the 1970s and 80s, the sportswriters of both papers selected their own league all-stars. This means they could select the teams even before the state tournament, and they could limit it to nine baseball players, for example.

In the late 1980s, however, the leagues assumed control of the all-star selection, which is fine because we don’t see all the players in every league. But this also means we are on their schedule as to the release of the selections, and we have no control over the amount of kids selected.

For baseball now, there were 13 players selected to the ILH first team. That’s fine, but if we were to do it the old way, that’s 13 photos we need to take and process, as opposed to nine. And that’s just for the ILH. There’s also the OIA East, West and White, which we never had until this year.

So now we’re talking about up to 50 photos, not including the four Coaches of the Year.

Logistically, not feasible.

At the same time, I still believe that if you make ILH or OIA East or West Player of the Year, you deserve to have your photo in the paper, and the first team should be displayed prominently with a short write-up. So that’s what we do.

But even with just the Players and Coaches of the Year, that’s nine photos we have to arrange (around graduation schedules, trips, etc.) and shoot, chasing people down all over the island and whenever a photographer is available.

3. I firmly believe that the league all-stars should be announced before All-State ballots go out, because it rightfully affects the All-State voting.

For example, a player who might not have otherwise been a strong All-State candidate suddenly gets elevated if it is learned he was his league’s Player of the Year. Same with someone who was named first team all-league over another player.

So we focus on the all-league layouts first, then take care of All-State.

4. We plan to do the same thing for softball and boys volleyball, so that means the same process for both.

The process can be painstaking and requires a lot of phone calls, a lot of coordination, a lot of emergency alternatives, a lot of patience.

But to me, the finished products are worth the wait and I am excited to see them come out just like when I was a kid.

I hope the players, parents and readers feel the same way.