LEWISTOWN — Father’s Day has a way of pulling people back to the beginning. Not the beginning of high school careers or college seasons, but the real beginning — the first time a child tugged on a too-big jersey, the first time a father knelt in the grass to show them how to hold a bat, the first time they ran the bases with legs that wobbled more than they ran.

Those early moments, the ones that happen on quiet T-ball fields and sun-soaked Little League diamonds, are where the bond between a father and a young athlete first takes root.

And once it does, it grows. It grows through the years of youth leagues, through middle school gyms and high school stadiums, through long car rides home after tough losses and the celebrations after the good days. It grows through the hours spent practicing in the yard, the late-night talks about confidence and effort, the steady presence of a father who believes long before the child believes in themselves.

Father’s Day was Sunday, and that’s when these relationships burned brightest — when the memories of those early steps, those early cheers, those early lessons felt closest.

For families shaped by sports, the day becomes a reminder of the bond that forms when a father stands beside a child chasing a dream.

Sports don’t just create memories. They create a connection that feels almost impenetrable — a bond built on time, sacrifice, patience and love. For three current and former local athletes, that bond stretches from T-ball to Little League to high school and now college and beyond.

And for Marc and Aidan Attivo, it began long before the college mound.

Marc and Aidan Attivo: ‘He’s been watching sports all my life.’

When 19-year-old Aidan Attivo was small enough that his baseball cap nearly covered his eyes, his father Marc was already there — cheering, encouraging, teaching. The two of them moved through sports together, season after season, from wrestling mats to basketball courts to baseball fields. Marc wasn’t just present. He was a constant.

“I felt lucky to get to see him play beyond high school,” Marc said. “Getting to watch him play sports is my favorite thing that I get to do these days.”

Aidan has played baseball his entire life then wrestled for a year in elementary school and started playing basketball after that until the end of high school.

Now, Aidan is a pitcher at Lebanon Valley College, working out of the bullpen and carving out his place in the college game. Marc made it to most of his innings this season. When he couldn’t, he streamed every pitch, refusing to miss a moment.

“His away games are all streamed, so even if I wasn’t able to get there, I was still watching,” Marc said.

Aidan said that support shaped him from the very beginning.

“He’s been watching sports all my life, since I was in elementary school,” Aidan said. “He’s been the biggest influence on my sports since I was a kid. I pushed through any adversity I faced because of his influence on being such a great father to me.”

The lessons Marc passed down weren’t just about baseball mechanics or mound presence. They were about life — resilience, humility and perspective.

“He often reassures me that sports are more than just a game and teaches life lessons that carry along your entire life,” Aidan said. “What he says inspires me in a variety of ways.”

Father’s Day for the Attivos isn’t about gifts or grand gestures. It’s about time — the same time Marc invested in him from the beginning.

“Father’s Day means a lot as he has been the biggest role model for me my whole life,” Aidan said. “He sets the example for my future when I become a father someday.”

Grady and Ray Hoppel: “He was always present.”

For Grady Hoppel, the bond with his father Ray was built on baseball fields across Pennsylvania. Ray coached him in T-ball, travel ball and eventually at Mifflin County High School, where the 19-year-old became a standout before moving on to play at Division III Saint Vincent College.

Their relationship was shaped by long drives, dusty dugouts and the kind of conversations that only happen when the sun is setting behind an outfield fence.

“Having my dad as both a dad and a coach has been something I’ve always appreciated, even if I probably didn’t realize it fully when I was younger,” Grady said.

Only now, as a college athlete, does he fully understand the sacrifices. Ray also coached older daughter Gianna, who played softball at Mifflin County and later at Division III Penn State-Altoona.

“What stands out most to me now are the sacrifices he made that I didn’t always notice at the time,” he said. “Whether it was driving long distances, spending weekends at fields, helping me work on my hitting and pitching, or simply just being there no matter what, he was always present.”

Ray said coaching his son was one of the greatest joys of his life.

“It was definitely different because all his life I’ve been at least a member of the coaching staff,” Ray said. “Nothing has given me greater joy than to watch my kids play sports.”

Grady said being the coach’s kid wasn’t always easy — the expectations were higher, the pressure heavier — but now he sees the purpose behind it.

“Being coached by your dad isn’t always easy because he expects a lot from you,” he said. “But looking back, I know everything he did came from wanting me to succeed.”

Ray said the lessons learned through sports will stay with his children forever.

“It has taught them a whole slew of life lessons that will serve them well,” he said. “I will be forever proud of what he and my daughter have done throughout their athletic and academic lives.”

Kim and Gary Klingensmith: A legacy on the track

For Kim Klingensmith, the bond with her father Gary began on the track — first as a young athlete learning the sport, then as a high school standout coached by the man who believed in her more than anyone.

Gary, the legendary Juniata High School coach in track and field and football, guided her through her track career before she eventually took over the program when he retired.

“He is a model father,” Kim said. “Always my biggest supporter and always made me feel like I could accomplish whatever I tried.”

Gary pushed her because he saw her potential.

“When I say I always had to do more, I meant in practice,” Kim said. “I always had to do much more than the team did in the daily practice.”

When Gary stepped away from coaching, Kim stepped in — a daughter carrying forward the legacy of the man who taught her how to run, how to compete and how to believe in herself.

Three families. Three fathers. Three athletes who grew from T-ball to Little League to high school and college with their dads beside them every step of the way. The games end. The seasons change. But the love — the steady, patient, unconditional love — is what lasts.

On Father’s Day, that’s the story that mattered.