O P I N I O N
‘I’ On Sports
By Ted Menswar Jr.
New feature added to Manchester Ink Link Sports. Local teacher, coach, part-time journalist Ted Menswar joins Manchester Ink Link to keep his I on sports .
Here are the 5 “W”s to introduce you to the new feature, ANOTHER “I” ON SPORTS…in Ink Link Sports.
WHO
I’m a life-long resident of the Queen City and a retired member of the English Department of Memorial
High School.
In addition to my 35 years in the classroom, I have spent more than 70 years on the baseball field, first as a player, then as a coach mentoring thousands of players from Little League, Pony League, Independent Ball (Travel Teams), Babe Ruth League, high school, and American Legion in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania (via internet), New Jersey (via internet) and Florida.
Now 82 years old, my physical skills are limited, but my mental skills are not. I can’t throw a baseball like I used to, but I can still handle the keys of a computer skillfully.
WHAT
Ink Link’s founder/publisher, Carol Robidoux, is adding a section to the area of Sports that I hope readers will find interesting, informative, and maybe even entertaining. Because I can no longer play alongside athletes and coaches, I now write stories about their lives. My I on sports. I’ve separated the stories into three “categories.”
“WHERE ARE THEY NOW?”
(The “subject” was an above-average athlete and/or coach years ago. His/Her name was often “in the news.” As time passed, so has the remembrance of him/her and when the subject’s name is mentioned, it’s often followed by the question “I wonder what ever happened to _______?”)
“SPOTLIGHT ON…”
(It’s not unusual for the subject’s name to surface in conversation. It’s also not unusual to see the person around the community. Though the person’s name was often heard when talking sports, most people don’t know the person’s “history”; they don’t know who or what influenced or “shaped” the person.)
“REMEMBERING…”
(The person featured was the subject of either of the previous two categories, but has passed away since the story was written. I’ve added this category because I want their stories, especially their names, to never be forgotten.)
WHEN
One story a week….on Tuesday.
WHERE
Sports section of Manchester Ink Link
WHY
If you’ve played sports or are a sports fan, you’ve probably heard the name of one or more of these athletes from New Hampshire who have each been the subject of a story I’ve written and I’ve penned more than 30.
- DON BELESKI
- NICK GABARDINA
- CELESTE BEAULIEU LAFOND
- BOB KERRIGAN
- MARK TELGE
Sadly, of the five I listed, two have already passed away… Nick in 2019 and Bob in 2024 – but their stories remain.
“They say we die twice.
Once when our breath leaves our body,
Once when the last person we know says our name.”
Nick was once my coach. Bob was once my teammate. I’ve included their stories because I never want them to be forgotten. For those of you who weren’t fortunate enough to cross their multiple paths, I’m hoping that here in Ink Link, through my stories, you will “meet” them…and, most importantly, will never forget their names.
In fact, that’s the “WHY” behind ALL of my stories.
The subject of the first story is DON BELESKI.
3 IMPORTANT ADDENDUMS:
- After reading his story, if there is something you would like to say about Don Beleski, please send it to me at tedmenswar@outlook.com. After a number of stories have been published, I’ll put together a page of responses referent to each person featured.
- Ever asked yourself the question “I wonder whatever happened to… (“big“ name in local sports)? Ever wanted the “spotlight” placed on the life of a local “legend”? Maybe I can help. Just send the person’s name and a way to contact him/her to me at tedmenswar@outlook.com and I’ll do my best to provide an answer.
- Help Keep Me/Us Going… If you enjoy the stories I write and you aren’t already an Ink Link VIP member, please consider joining the growing number of people who want local journalism to continue to flourish by adding some “bucks” to support our “bang.”
The link to become a VIP member is below:
Click here to become a VIP Today–>
- VIP Ally ($ 4.99 a month or a single payment of $49.99) = to donating the cost of a cup of coffee a month to support local journalism
- VIP Angel ($ 9.99 a month or a single payment of $99.99) = to donating the cost of a cheeseburger a month to support local journalism
- VIP Atlas ($19.99 a month or a single payment of $199) = to donating the cost of a single dinner a month to support local journalism.
Ted Menswar Jr. is a life-long resident of the Queen City and a retired member of the English Department of Memorial High School who has been involved in local sports for 70 years as a player, a coach, a mentor and a fan. He can be reached at tedmenswar@outlook.com