FIRST PITCH: How We Spent Summer Vacation

   By the time this issue hits the web, and then the streets, there will already be some NorCal school districts who have begun their academic year. So long, Summer. We hardly knew ye. 

   Now, we could use this entire column to a Grandpa Simpson-like rant on how going back to school in July is just plain wrong. However, we will try to remain poised on the matter. 

   In the meantime, our summer here at SportStars HQ is still going. Barely. Our 2015 Football Preview will be in the works soon enough, and that’s when things get real around here. But before we turn everything over for the 2015-16 year, I wanted to talk a little bit about what we’ve been up to on our summer vacation. 

   The SportStars editorial braintrust had a meeting of the minds not long after the 4th of July. Lunch was had; ideas were exchanged; selfies were taken. It’s true, actually. But you’ll need to pick up the Football Preview (Ahem! Aug. 20.) for proof. Our meeting was to plan that Preview issue, but to also exchange some thoughts on some areas of the magazine that were due for a facelift. 

   The Locker Room was one of those area. We like to think of the Locker Room as a place for the athletes who read us. That’s the one place where we try to have fun, stay loose and focus on the content that will confuse the most parents. Our meeting of the minds felt it needed a new look and some fresh categories, and we’re proud debut the new look in this issue on pages 8 and 9. 

   There are a few popular holdover items, including the longstanding “Top 5” from our resident humorist, Bill Kolb, and the “Rapid Fire” interviews with athletes. Some of the new items will aim for interaction. 

   We’ll be highlighting some of the social media we see from the many athletes whom we follow. We’ll also be offering up goodies from the SportStars Prize Vault for various social media contests involving the Locker Room. One thing to pay attention is the actual number of the locker that our designer Mike DeCicco built for the new look. Each month, that number will signify something and we’ll offer up a hint. Tweet us at @SportStarsMag with the right answer and the hashtag #LockerNumber, and you could be a winner. The answer won’t always be a four-digit number, either. Sometimes the four numbers will represent two, two-digit numbers or four single-digits. For this issue, we’re putting the hint here on this page. See above/below/right/left.

   One last thing we’ve added to Locker Room is a periodical “Where Are They Now?” segment. After more than five years and 100 issues, we figure we have a past to celebrate now. There are plenty of athletes whom we cover that deserve an update on their athletic and career endeavors. 

   As many of you return to your own locker rooms this month. We hope you like the new one we’ve built here. Feel free to let us know. In the meantime, enjoy those last couple weeks of vacation. Unless of course you’re back at school. And in that case, we’re sorry.