Chad Capellman spoke with Jon Solomon, Editorial Director, Sports & Society Program at the Aspen Institute. Jon came to the Institute after a sportswriting career that included stops at The Birmingham (Ala.) News and in South Carolina at the State in Columbia and the Independent-Mail in Anderson.
Most recently, Jon worked as a national college football reporter at CBSSports.com and was vice president of the Football Writers Association of America. At The Birmingham (Ala.) News, Jon twice won Associated Press Sports Editors awards for investigative stories.
Jon shared his perspective on the giants of college football, Clemson and Alabama -- both of which he covered, on the role of college sports in states with no major professional sports teams and how even trees aren't always safe during heated rivalries.
Jon also talked about the transition away from a sportswriting career, and the important work done in general by the Aspen Institute, and in particular in the Sports and Society Program. Jon spoke of some enduring take-aways from the recently completed Project Play Summit, and as kind enough to offer some thoughtful, first-person insights into how parents can better equip themselves to best support their children's approach to playing sports.
