Tueday, May 19, 2009

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

FRANKLIN LAKES -- Welcome to The NJS.com Audio Spotlight, NorthJerseySports.com's ongoing original audio series.

Joining us today are Jeff Brown and Paul Vagianos, the fathers of two Bergen County county softball players who have had successfull high school careers. Jeff Brown in the father of Mallory Brown, Ramapo's starting shortstop who was a part of Ramapo's three straight Bergen County championship won from 2006-08, a run that included 17 straight tournament wins.

Paul Vagianos is the father of Allie Vagianos, the Ridgewood's starting pitcher for the last three seasons who led the Maroons to last season's Bergen County semifinals and back to the quarterfinals this year.

Jeff Brown (left) and Paul Vagianos talk about the end of a high school career from a father's perspective.

Both players are seniors and, no matter how far their respective teams go in the state tournament, this season and their high school careers will be over in the next week or two. And when that happens, it will also mark the end of the road for the two fathers, who have been fixtures in the stands and outfields of their daughters' high school career and going back even further when they were kids just learning the game.

In this Audio Spotlight we talk to Jeff Brown and Paul Vagianos about what it all means for parents who have spent countless hours watching their daughters play softball and how they will cope when they move on to college and take off the competitive cleats for the last time. Mallory Brown will attend Penn State next while Allie Vagianos will attend Elon College (NC) and neither will play college softball.

To hear the NJS.com Audio/Video Spotlight just click on the arrow in the media player above and keep us in mind when you have news to report. You can reach us at: editor@northjerseysports.com or 201.383.2024