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Jim Peters

Jim Peters was keeping standings on his little chalkboard from the time he could print and keeping kickball stats in grade school at St. Bridget's.

He graduated from Andrean (Class of 1981) and Purdue (1985), where he met and worked with current Porter County Assistant Sports Editor Greg Smith. He spent the first 10 or so years of his professional career at a chain of Northwest Indiana weeklies that covered Merrillville, Andrean, Hobart, Portage, Lake Station and River Forest before catching on at the Times in the summer of 1998.

He's a big fan of all things Purdue (his dog is named Painter) and most of Chicago, being a member of the long-suffering Cubs fandom. He says his current hairstyle (or lack thereof) is a result of a promise made to a youth basketball team several years ago for making the championship games.

He loves sports and working with kids and if school didn't start so darn early, he might have been a teacher/coach (leaving that to his wife, Anita, the principal at Queen of All Saints School in Michigan City, who has allowed him to live his passion).

"I am eternally indebted to her for that," Peters said.

Peters' daughter Carolyn and son CJ are students at Purdue North Central and his son Cameron is at Portage High School. They are all into sports. Like they had a choice!

Reach Jim Peters at (219) 548-4363 or james.peters@nwi.com

JIM PETERS: Eight's the magic number for the PCC

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

Could a return to the Porter County Conference be in the offing for Westville?

JIM PETERS: Little guys have big dreams, too

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

With an enrollment of 100 or so students, LaCrosse High School has about the same number of kids walking the hall as a school like Valparaiso has on its boys track team.

JIM PETERS: Taking a swing at the local baseball sectionals

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

I've always thought those of us with column privileges who make predictions are gluttons for punishment, so I've never been big on putting prognostications in print.

JIM PETERS: DAC baseball tourney? Maybe, probably not

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

I love the Porter County Conference baseball tournament.

JIM PETERS: Rael hopes to begin the healing at Portage

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

If you're a Portage football player, especially a junior, you could probably use a hug right about now.

JIM PETERS: Where does Portage go from here?

By Jim Peters Prep Beat

My, how quickly fortunes change.

JIM PETERS: Mishler's tourney proposal: Play 'em both

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

Is there a place in Indiana where we can all exist in harmony?

JIM PETERS: A little time can go a long way

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

Youth sports parents have a bad reputation, and it's not totally unjustified. Thankfully, for every grown-up not behaving their age on the field or court, there are people like the late Rich Wendt.

JIM PETERS: Whirlwind journey lands Marquette's Solanke at Stetson

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

MICHIGAN CITY | It's been a whirlwind year for Marquette's Leke Solanke.

JIM PETERS: Kappes, Portage getting up to speed

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

When Portage's John Kappes called Don Reed a couple of years ago about getting back into track coaching, the former Calumet College head man and Chesterton assistant politely declined.

JIM PETERS: Arkansas got it right in firing Petrino

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

Arkansas got it right, thank goodness.

JIM PETERS: Seven is the magic number for Kouts' Keller

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

Chatting with Stephen Keller after the basketball regional semifinals at Triton, I made a remark about the Kouts senior clearing 7 feet in the high jump this spring.

JIM PETERS: Never too early to look ahead

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

As we put a bow on the Indiana high school basketball season with our all-area and "of the year" honors, I'm already thinking ahead to what's in store for 2012-13.

JIM PETERS: Hebron grad Poncsak joins Journey of Hope

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

The longest distance Brett Poncsak has ridden a bike is about 30 miles.

JIM PETERS: Bowman falls flat on the big stage

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

INDIANAPOLIS | Seize the moment or let the moment seize you.

JIM PETERS: Warm weather putting baseball teams ahead of the game

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

High school baseball practice started 11 days ago and area teams have been able to do something they don't usually have the luxury of in March.

JIM PETERS: Former Portage gymnastics coach enjoying team's success

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

As principals go, Caren Swickard is in tune with gymnastics more than most.

JIM PETERS: Karras starts fishing club at Michigan City High School

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

Many of us know Jeff Karras best for his fiery sideline demeanor on the football field.

JIM PETERS: James, 59ers look back, look ahead

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

PLYMOUTH | As Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu once said, and Andrean coach/modern-day sage Carson Cunningham has surely repeated, a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.

JIM PETERS: Win or lose, Kouts' Bradley will get his closure

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

For all but four boys basketball teams in the state of Indiana, their season is going to end with a loss.

JIM PETERS: Drew the player matures into Drew the head coach at VU

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

VALPARAISO | Great players don't always make great coaches.

JIM PETERS: Hobart senior gymnastics trio finish what they started

By Jim Peters Prep Beat

A typical high school uneven bars routine lasts around 60 seconds.

JIM PETERS: Foster's '90, '94 teams remain the Hebron hoops benchmark

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

As Hebron's magical season moves into March, its run is bringing back memories of past Hawks glory for an assistant coach at Westville.

JIM PETERS: As sectional approaches, beware of 'Dogs

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

Go ahead, you can say it. It's OK. The Class 4A Michigan City Sectional's a little down this season.

JIM PETERS: Big weekend in store of area wrestlers at state

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

I'm not big on making predictions in print, but calling for a big weekend for Northwest Indiana wrestlers in the state wrestling finals is about as hard of a guess as saying the sun is going to rise in the morning.

JIM PETERS: Calumet wrestling coach Wadkins to receive prestigious Thom award

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

The litany of names reads like a who's who of Indiana high school wrestling.

JIM PETERS: Boone's poor postseason fortunes continue

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

With a combined record of 61-7, Boone Grove has fashioned the best won-loss mark in Northwest Indiana girls basketball over the last three years.

JIM PETERS: McDonald was old school through and through

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

Blunt, demanding, no-nonsense. Jim McDonald had a basketball coaching style you don't see much of in an age of political correctness.

JIM PETERS: Coaches association to hold team wrestling tournament

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

Feeling down about the end of the team state tournament, my wrestling friend?

JIM PETERS: Tsirtsis starts quest for No. 4

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

It's an exclusive club, with just seven wrestlers, only four of whom hail from the modern era. In about three weeks, the group could welcome a newcomer and its second Tsirtsis.

JIM PETERS: Hebron pair take to Web to boost school image

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

Accusations of harassment involving boys basketball players made back in November cast a pall over Hebron High School.

JIM PETERS: Billy Maldonado at home in Dixie

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

It's 58 degrees and sunny in Atlanta today. There's plenty that Billy Maldonado misses about home, but the wintry weather isn't one of them. The two-time wrestling state champion at E.C. Central moved to the A-T-L, his wife Sandra's hometown,…

JIM PETERS: Munster grad has front office dreams

By Jim Peters jim.peters@nwi.com, (219) 548-4363

If you've seen Moneyball, you know who Billy Beane is.

JIM PETERS: L.C. grad part of Silver Anniversary women's basketball team

By Jim Peters Prep Beat

In the early 1980s, a sixth-grader at Grimmer Middle School was convinced by a friend to try out for the seventh-grade girls basketball team. On April 28, 1987 L.C. grad Sharon (Geary) Franks will be honored as part of the Indiana Basketball …

JIM PETERS: Region Bengals fan basking in the playoff glow

By Jim Peters Times Columnist

As a Cincinnati Bengals fan in Northwest Indiana, it's rare that I have the occasion to gloat amidst the mass of Bears and, in recent years, Colts backers.