I grew up as a sports nut.

Ever since I was little, my dad started my sister and I out on watching all the big league sports.

I learned at a young age what it meant to win and how bad it felt to lose.

When I became a reporter here at The Express, my passion trickled down to the high school level.

But more importantly than what my family and I were watching on television was the time we were spending together.

I saw that very same thing Thursday at Bowman Field in Williamsport as Dan Lazorka proudly watched his daughters, Amber and Kirsten, and his son, Jeremy, take part in an exhibition game against the U.S. Olympic Softball team.

Sports brought them together as a family.

And I’m willing to bet that the sport of softball has taught them more than just the fundamentals of the game.

“I love it,” said Kirsten, a College Misericordia graduate along with her older sister, Amber.