My name is Claire M Coles and I LOVE sports!! But its taken me years to understand some of the rules, intricacies and why people even follow certain sports (it’s ok if you don’t like all of them!). I’m a collegiate athlete turned sports fanatic, but I haven’t always been this way….
You know the ‘My daddy taught me about Jesus and Pass Interference’ shirts? Oh ya, that’s me! My dad started me out right: introducing me to college football. I grew up in Texas and still live here, and for those of you who don’t know, in Texas football = life! My dad went to the University of Oklahoma and is a huge Sooner fan, which he instilled in me. It’s still hard to beat going up to an OU game in Norman, especially in the fall. The atmosphere, the colors, the people; as a kid, I loved it all. The first ‘potty word’ I was allowed to say was “Texas sucks” and only in the Cotton Bowl on that infamous weekend in October. I am still a season ticket holder and go to ~3 games per year, including OU/TX. Don’t worry this site will be as unbiased as I can manage!
Later, as I competed in little league sports through high school, I fell in love with the Olympics. All the hard work and dedication the athletes put into their sport got me hooked at a young age. It’s the one time every 4 years (or 2 if you follow winter and summer) that the world comes together, lays aside their differences and supports their athletes. I love the patriotism. It’s also a buffet to a sports junkie with so many different/unusual sports to watch and learn about. Every Olympic year, I find a new event that excites me.
I eventually decided to pursue college athletics and after much deliberation and touring of colleges, I decided on OU competing for the ‘Crimson and Cream’ in Track and Field – an easy choice given my upbringing! My career had its fair share of ups and downs but I loved every minute (ok not every practice and every lap/stair/snatch but I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything). I held the OU record in the Pentathlon for 10 years before it was broken in February of 2023.
I have since continued expanding my sports knowledge mainly through watching games and asking dumb questions. After working in the golf industry for a while, that has also become a specialty of mine. I now work for the college athletics powerhouse, LEARFIELD, which has given me an interesting insight into some of the hot topics like NIL. Some sports are still new to me, like hockey, which is not a popular sport in Texas. But that’s the beauty of sports; sports bring people together and gives them something to bond over or start a conversation. Most people are excited to help and gush about their team. It’s thanks to many people like that, that I have this blog. So cheers to yall!
I welcome any questions; there are no actual dumb questions – that’s the point of this site! I hope you enjoy the blog!
– Claire M Coles
