Stories From Sports

I can’t remember a time when sports weren’t a dominant force in my life. Whether through participation, consumption, or sheer fanaticism, they’ve always held a sacred place in my heart.

As the grandson of Dennis Grapenthin—former Wilson Sporting Goods executive and Vice President of the company’s American Football Division—and a multi-sport athlete myself in high school, I’ve long understood that sports aren’t just games. They’re culture. They’re connection. They’re stories.

At DePaul University, I found a way to merge my love of storytelling with my love of sports. Writing for The DePaulia, I covered the Women’s Volleyball beat during one of the most unusual seasons in collegiate history—an abbreviated 2021 spring season, delayed by the pandemic, where players competed in masks and crowds were absent. I watched matches on my laptop, tracked stats in real time, and reported on athletes adapting to unprecedented conditions.

Beyond volleyball, I covered a 2021 Bears draft piece and wrote a speculative column about the team’s potential relocation to Arlington Heights—just weeks before the news broke that ownership was seriously considering the move. My favorite, though, was a heartfelt column on Cubs Opening Day in 2022: a tribute to Wrigley Field, and the generational devotion of Chicago’s baseball faithful.