The Art of Sport with Katie Russell Newland — in the June Issue of Yankees Magazine
May 27, 2021 — For the Art of Sport Q&A in the June issue, I had a lengthy conversation with Katie Russell Newland, a career educator who recently published an inspirational book titled “A Season with Mom.” Newland and her mother — who shared a love of baseball — dreamed of visiting all of the major league parks together. Before that dream could become a reality, Newland’s mother passed away from cancer. A few years later, Newland was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma and melanoma, but after entering remission a year later, she embarked on the journey. The pages of Newland’s memoir are filled with letters that she wrote to her late mother about her experience at each of the major-league stadiums. This heart-warming book goes far beyond baseball and the stadiums that the game is played in.
In our conversation, the New Orleans native (who grew up next to NFL legend Peyton Manning) spoke about what she learned about herself and about life from the 30,000-mile road trip.
“I learned that I needed to be present,” she said from her home in Austin, Texas. “I’ve always been so worried about the future, that I have neglected the present. I think the beauty of baseball is that it allows you to be in the present moment. It doesn’t matter if you have a huge meeting coming up in three days or if you were just fired or you have laundry pilling up or if you’re dealing with illness, in that moment of a baseball game, you’re present. You can escape your reality and be with the fans and the sport. We are often more focused on the outcome than the process. The journey taught me that the gifts in life are in the process, not the outcome.”
When I was reading the book and preparing for the interview, I found so many of Newland’s words to be inspirational. The quote that had the most significant impact on me read, “Even if the wait is longer than you’d hoped, dreams can come true.” It resonated with me because I could relate to it. There are dreams I’m still chasing, and Newland’s quote reminded me that they can still come true. In the interview, I asked Newland about the importance of not giving up on dreams even if it seem like the window has closed on them.
“I felt like my dream of going to all of the major league stadiums died when my mom passed away,” Newland said. “Obviously, there was no way that we were going to realize that dream together. But dreams can be reimagined, and they don’t have to look exactly like they did when you dreamt them in the first place. I think it’s important for people to remember that in their most challenging seasons of life — like during the COVID-19 pandemic, when so many people lost loved ones and were laid off from their jobs — the dreams that they had before all of that can still happen. It might not look exactly how you envisioned it, but it will be exactly the way it was intended to be. It’s not so much about the exact details of how it gets worked out that matters, because often times, the universe has something way bigger planned for you than you can even imagine. Remembering that dreams can still happen even if it’s been a long time is so important.”
Check out my entire conversation with Newland in the June Issue of Yankees Magazine. The June edition will be on sale beginning on May 31 at Yankee Stadium and on newsstands in and around New York City. You can subscribe to Yankees Magazine now at www.yankees.com/publications or by calling (800) GO-YANKS.
— Alfred Santasiere III
