VALLEY SPORTS REPORT MARKS 13TH ANNIVERSARY (2022-08-10)

Thirteen years ago today, Valley Sports Report was born, and it’s been quite a ride.

I've been blessed to have covered four school districts whose teams and individual athletes have won countless league and district / section titles, as well as a few team state titles, and a host of individual state gold.

The number of Division I athletes the four "little Valley schools" have produced in recent years is truly mind-blowing.

The majority of the Valley teams have been led by coaches who have kept the numbers high in their programs, and have maintained a winning tradition.

All this has made my job quite a bit easier, and resulted in rabid fan bases in the four Valley school districts, which has led to consistent, and constantly-expanding viewership numbers for the site.

So to the student-athletes, the coaches, the athletic directors, and readers I’d like to say “thank you.”

I’ve also been blessed with a tremendously loyal advertising base. Even during the Covid shutdown, VSR lost just one advertiser.

I’d like to thank the Valley Bowling Center and John H. Murray & Sons — both with us since Day 1, as well as longtime supporters Williams Auto Group, Dandy Mini Marts, First Citizens Community Bank, Gannon Associates, Sutryk & Sons, Tioga State Bank, Croft Lumber, Austin Excavation, Guthrie Community Credit Union, Beeman’s Restaurant & Lounge, The Club at Shepard Hills, Visions Federal Credit Union, and Choice 102.

Over the years, we've added loyal advertisers like Ted Clark's Busy Market, Owen Insurance Agency, Coaches Pizza, Tomasso's Restaurant & Golf Course, Waverly Wine & Liquor, Kinsley Chiropractic, Camco Manufacturing, B's Tavern, and WJ Graphics & Sporting Goods.

In the last few years, we've added Guthrie Sports Medicine, Decatur Automotive, Allstate (Aaron Lounsbury), Hal Fish Heating and Air Conditioning, Sam's Bar & Grill, 2 Rivers Insurance, At Your Door Dog Grooming, Traveling Portraits, Valley Eye Care Associates, Naglee Moving & Storage, Simmons-Rockwell, Cayuga Health, Angry Burrito, Shores Sisters, Bodine Motors, Hotel Bradford, Stars & Stripes, Wineglass Marathon, and Howard Hanna.

We currently have 44 advertisers, and room for just a few more.

One thing I can't stress enough is the importance of doing business locally. We are very fortunate to have the options we have in the Valley, and spending your money in the Valley is the best way to ensure we maintain our quality of life.

I had dreams when I started this site, but I’m not sure I could have envisioned what VSR has grown into, or the other four sites it has spawned.

I have four incredibly talented people running the other four sites in Brian Fees (Southern Tier Sports Report), Chris Manning (Northern Tier Sports Report), Tim Taylor (Tioga County Sports Report), and Lance Larcom (Northern Tier West Sports Report), and I could not be more thankful for the time and effort they put into their Web sites to make them as successful as they are.

I have to thank my parents—Elizabeth and the late Jim Birney — for their help in getting VSR started. I couldn't have done it without them.

My father passed away five years ago, and not a day goes by that I don't think about him and the life lessons I learned through his actions, while my mother's zest for life continues to be a source of inspiration.

While my parents were a crucial part of getting Valley Sports Report started, it's my wife — Nikki Birney, who has been a key component in the success and expansion of "The Sports Reports."

She has given me the confidence to expand, and also the support to work the long hours to make it happen. The growth of VSR, and the launch of four more sites would not have been possible without her.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again because it is the absolute truth: she is not only my muse, my harshest critic, and biggest fan, but she is my sounding board, my voice of reason, and the smartest person I know. She pushes me to be better in every facet of life, and does not allow my hectic schedule to effect our life together.

And then there are the kids. Andrew and his wife Jessica, whose daughter Natalie celebrates her sixth birthday later this week, son Nathan will be 4 in December, and son Nolan will turn 1 in November. ... Alex and his wife Rebecca ... Emily, a recent grad of SUNY Potsdam ... James, a senior at St. Bonaventure ... Cassie, a sophomore at St. Bonaventure, and Patrick, a senior at Tioga. They are the reason I do what I do, and they all have great things ahead of them.

I also need to thank a small group of photographers whose work with the camera bring more quality photos to the pages of Valley Sports Report than I could have ever managed by myself. My thanks goes out to Dave Alliger and Matt Patton, as well as Mike Lubertowicz, Chela Bubniak, Shannon McCarty, Christina Rossi,  Christina Kreykenbohm, and Lori Vascoe.

For me, this site is mainly about the student-athletes and the fans, the majority of whom view the site multiple times per day, so I offer a huge "thank you" to both.

The 14th year of high school sports coverage for VSR begins Monday, and I’m looking forward to another historic year.

I continued to be amazed by the support this site continues to receive. I look forward to the future, and I hope to see a lot of familiar faces on the sidelines, and in the stands this fall, winter, and spring.