WT – Community Sports

Don’t stop running before the finish line

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Until I was 22 years old, I really, really despised running. I could not stand when any of my soccer coaches thought it was a good idea (or necessary) to run timed two miles, or run laps around Cavalier (Rotary Park) for warm up. I did not like when Coach Nichols from Elm City Middle made us run two miles […]

Special meaning for the 18th Brittany

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No. 18.  Man, was I excited when I got to pick this as my jersey number when I played for Wilson Youth Soccer Association (WYSA). This number was special to me for two reasons: first, it was my favorite coach’s former number and, more importantly, it was Brittany Willis’ number. What a great privilege to wear it on my back.  […]

Better to not lament the turns not taken in life

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Have you ever had a birthday or some other milestone in life and thought, “Wow, I thought my life would look really different when I was this old,” or, “I thought I would feel way more grown up by now (this is usually me)”? If so, then you are familiar with the feelings of questioning and possibly regret that can […]

Explosion snaps up 3rd straight trip to USYS National Championship Series

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While it will be determined in July if the third time at the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series is the charm for the Wilson Youth Soccer Association ’06 Girls team, the Explosion sure did play like they were charmed in order to get there. For the first time in its successful history, the Explosion won all three events at […]

Those ‘good little moments’ can be huge

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This past weekend, my wife and I went to watch the Barton College women’s basketball team play Belmont Abbey at Wilson Gymnasium. While it was not a good result for our Bulldogs, we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.  See, we both played basketball for most of our lives and even though we went on to play different sports in college, […]

Turn that anxiety into purpose

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On a recent edition of “The Rich Roll Podcast,” there was an interview with Dr. Michael Gervais (a leading expert in human performance psychology), and they discussed his new book, “The First Rule of Mastery: Stop Worrying About What Other People Think of You.”  In so many ways, this episode summed up one of my deepest beliefs, which is how […]

Sometimes a confidence boost is all you need

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In 2015, our women’s soccer team at Duke made it to the NCAA championship game, but we did not win (ugh, Penn State); however, that tournament season was one of my favorite athletic periods throughout my career.  We had an average season (we finished 14-6-5) and we managed to pull off a No. 3 seed in the tournament, but anyone […]

Breathe — we can do this

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When I played sports in my younger years, I remember my coaches telling me to “take a deep breath” whenever we had a moment to talk before a big play. If it was Coach Howard talking to me before big free throws at the end of the game; Varacchi talking to me before an overtime or my coaches at Duke […]

Wilson youth soccer, futsal teams win tournaments

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The future for girls and boys soccer across Wilson County is looking bright. Over the past month, three area youth teams have competed in major tournaments, with two winning their respective age brackets. Highlighting the strong play is the Soccer Box Futbol Club 2015 Girls U-9 team, which won the US Youth Futsal 23-24 South Atlantic Regional Championships in Charlotte […]

AREA BRIEF: Daniels Chapel Upward Volleyball registration to begin

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Registration for the Upward Volleyball program at Daniels Chapel Church will begin Thursday, Feb. 1. The volleyball program is for grades 5-9. The first practices will be held the week of March 25 with the first games to start the week of April 15. The fee is $75 per player. Registration is online at registration.upward.org/UPW85810 or at the Daniels Chapel […]

Harrison follows his passion to NC Soccer HOF

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As he has accumulated honors, awards and recognition for his work over the years, Woody Harrison has typically deflected credit to those who assisted him or he assisted in their endeavors to promote the game of soccer. Harrison will be inducted as part of the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame’s class of 2024 with Robert D. “Bob” Benson, Darius […]

Ask the hard questions of yourself

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I finally finished the book “How to Know a Person” by David Brooks. This one took a while because there were so many topics it left me thinking deeply about and I usually needed to take a break from it for a bit before moving on to the next one. One part of the book focused on knowing a person’s […]

Changing perception, especially about ourselves, can be tough

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Our perception of the world and those around us is paramount in how we define ourselves. We tend to create stories about others — “Their life must be great! They never seem to work!” — and allow these stories to let us think we are not living a life as fulfilling as others’ lives. When really, we may have had […]

George Whitfield Hall-of-Famers inducted

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Everyday heroes: Montgomery, Flowers, Hesmer among latest to enter George Whitfield’s hall of fame

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As part of his role with North Carolina Baseball Museum, Kent Montgomery has recognized and honored hundreds of distinguished visitors and celebrities over the years to the institution’s annual events, the Wilson Hot Stove banquet and the Celebrity Golf Tournament. Now it’s time for the former longtime director of Wilson Parks and Recreation Department to sit down and be honored […]

Winter got you down? Keep moving

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Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD, is a form of depression thought to happen to people most often in the fall and winter when days are shorter and dark hours are longer.  My mom (an absolute beach lover) used to tell me that she definitely did not feel like herself during the winter months. But, at the time, I […]

Changes for 06 Explosion girls, but another trip to USYS National Championship Series within reach

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A third straight trip to the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship Series is still very much in play for the Wilson Youth Soccer Association U18/U19 Girls this summer but the times are definitely changing for the 06 Explosion. A pivotal National League P.R.O. event awaits in Tampa, Florida – site of this year’s National Championship Series – for the team, […]

Lending a hand will reduce stress

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When I look back to some of the more successful teams on which I have played, there are a few things they share: good athletes, good team chemistry, shared values. However, there is something often overlooked, too — they each had very service-oriented teammates in the background. Think about it: If you have been a part of a successful team, […]

Mudcats’ move tops year’s area sports stories

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The top sports story of 2023 in The Wilson Times readership area was one that ran nearly all year and is one of the top news stories of the year as well. If you haven’t heard by now, the Carolina Mudcats professional baseball team is coming to Wilson to play in a new downtown stadium that will open in 2026. […]

Relish the moments, big and small, for the joy they bring

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Have you ever experienced a really big win before? Can you remember what it felt like to celebrate with your teammates and coaches and the pure joy that fulfilled you? If you were not into sports, can you remember feeling that way after something else? Maybe a loved one paid you a surprise visit and you were simply overcome with […]


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