By Anthony Welch

For me, not only does the month of March mean winter is coming to an end but it means it’s time for March Madness and the NCAA college basketball tournament.

Basketball, by far, is my favorite sport. It’s all I played as a kid and continue to play today (that is before a recent roller skating disaster and injured shoulder put me out of commission). I grew up on a cattle feedlot in Johnstown, Colo. We had a dirt driveway, but that didn’t stop my dad from putting up a telephone pole-style hoop for us.

I’d sweep away any loose dirt and rocks and my dad, siblings and I enjoyed many a game of hoops on that dirt court. I wasn’t much into video games back then, so I either spent my free time playing drums or shooting baskets.

Basketball has always been a meditation for me in that respect. Even today, there’s nothing more calming than shooting a few hoops. Nowadays, I get to enjoy that with my son Jaxson, who’s already becoming a great shooter himself at age 7.

Each year, my wife and I have our own NCAA bracket competition. I’m pretty sure she’s beat me most years. Jaxson even got in on the action last year, filling out his own bracket. Three years ago, he watched us fill out our brackets and decided to create his own. A preschooler at the time, he made the most adorable bracket with made up college names.
You might say that basketball has always been one of my passions.

You can read about two others with a passion for art in this issue. Read about sculptor Michael Garman on page 4. His detailed sculptures are well-known worldwide. You can also read about Jean Bevsek on page 13. She’s a self-taught artist and author.

Also, if you’d like to join me in filling out an NCAA bracket, I’ve created a Life After 50 contest. Copy the following link into your web browser and sign up: https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/group/5510/invitation?key=09abe866e993b1f4&soc_trk=lnk.