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Published in The Beverly Review on October 22, 2025
by Jim Lynch
Tim O'Brien, the longtime sports editor of The Beverly Review, was recently named Media Relations Person of the Year by the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA).
O'Brien, a Morgan Park native who has served as sports editor at The Review since 2016, said he is humbled and grateful for the recognition.
"I'm not in this for the individual accolades," O'Brien said. "But, it is cool to be recognized for something that I do take super-seriously and something I love to do."
According to Mike Manno, director of Hall of Fame Awards with the IHSBCA, the media relations award recognizes "an outstanding communications professional who's demonstrated exceptional skill, leadership and impact in media relations."
Individuals are nominated for the award all across the state by coaches, and nominees are reviewed by the IHSBCA Board of Directors.
Manno said O'Brien's nomination quickly stood out for his years of dedication and promotion of high school baseball across the South Side of Chicago.
"Tim has really done a lot for high school baseball over the majority of the years that he's been doing journalism," Manno said. "He's done a lot to showcase all of our athletes in that realm, and we're just very appreciative. We want to honor him for doing that."
O'Brien was nominated by longtime St. Laurence Baseball Coach Pete Lotus, who is now entering his 21st year with the Vikings. Lotus said his decision to nominate O'Brien stemmed from the reporter's professionalism and character.
"Tim is just a really good person," Lotus said. "I have always had great experiences and interactions with him, and it's not just limited to when he is covering our games. Maybe it's another St. Laurence event, but he always takes the time to come and say hello and ask about my kids. I respect that and appreciate that."
Lotus also praised O'Brien's work as a reporter —noting how he always finds a way to highlight the high school athletes no matter the score.
"There are times when I know we didn't play as well as we would have liked, but Tim always finds a way to find the positive," Lotus said. "He always finds a way to write positively and highlight the high school athletes, and I think that is a really unique trait."
O'Brien, a 2007 graduate of Indiana University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, previously worked for the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Southtown and the Herald- News in Joliet before joining The Beverly Review.
O'Brien covers area sports all year long, but he said the spring season is particularly demanding with baseball and softball being a top priority among nearly a dozen area schools.
"It's tricky because we have really good teams," he said. "It's tough to balance everything, but I know how much baseball means to the area and how many fans there are."
During the spring season, sports fans might find O'Brien at a baseball diamond in the afternoon before heading to a volleyball game at night. He works to cover the entire neighborhood across multiple sports and over a dozen teams each week.
"I try and cover all the good matchups and all the good rivalries," he said, "and try and spread the wealth as much as possible to all our different schools."
While the schedule might be demanding, O'Brien said the athletes often make the long hours worth it.
"We have some really good teams and some great athletes," he said. "It makes my job easy because there is always something good going on."
O'Brien, a Tinley Park resident, thanked his wife, Angie, his son, Daniel, and his parents, Gerry and Tracy, for all of their support over the years.
"My dad was the one who really got me interested in baseball growing up," O'Brien said. "He is the biggest White Sox fan I know. He loves baseball; that, luckily, was passed to me as well."
O'Brien's parents live in Morgan Park, and Gerry is the director of college counseling at Marian Catholic High School. Week after week, O'Brien said, his father is always keeping an eye on his work.
"Schedule permitting, he is one of the few people I can count on to read my stories each week," O'Brien said. "He is very connected with high school sports and is always keeping a tab on things. He is as big of a sports nerd as I am."
O'Brien will be recognized during a special Hall of Fame Banquet hosted by the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association in December.
For O'Brien, the recognition is extra meaningful coming from Lotus, who helped coach St. Laurence to a Class 3A state championship last June.
"Pete is one of the best; he has turned St. Laurence into one of the best programs in the state," O'Brien said. "For him to nominate me means a lot because I've known him for almost 20 years at this point. I really appreciate the nomination, winning the award was just kind of gravy at that point."
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 16, 2026 Media Contact Information: Carrie Skogsberg carrie.skogsberg@countryfinancial.com
COUNTRY Financial and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) are providing an opportunity for local high schools to win $5,000 to benefit their athletic department and student athletes through the “Sport Your School Giveaway.” Individuals can enter their school to win through May 30, 2026. This is the second time COUNTRY has held the Sport Your School Giveaway. Staunton High School was the winner of the first giveaway, which ran during the first half of the 2025-2026 school year. COUNTRY has been a sponsor of the IHSA for more than 50 years and is the presenting sponsor for 40 IHSA state championships for various high school sports throughout the 2025-2026 school year. “COUNTRY has a highly valued, longstanding relationship with the IHSA,” said Nikki Johnson, vice president of marketing at COUNTRY. “Schools are the lifeblood of our communities, and we are proud to be part of bringing championship opportunities to students and communities throughout the state.” Learn more and enter your school to win. Learn more about the partnership between COUNTRY and the IHSA.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 12, 2026 Media Contact Information: Bob Hubberts (847) 508-4995 bhubberts@firstillinoisrobotics.org
Chicago, Illinois – Creativity and science will come together this Saturday at the FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge Illinois State Championship at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, Illinois, where 56 teams of 9- to 14-year-old students and coaches will demonstrate their problem-solving skills, creative thinking, teamwork, competitive play, sportsmanship, and sense of community. The tournament is open to the public. The robot table competition portion of the event starts at Noon on Saturday, February 14th. More than 650,000 students in over 75 countries will participate in the FIRST® UNEARTHED season. Teams will have to program robots, using LEGO Education technology, to solve a set of missions on an obstacle course set on a thematic playing surface. For the UNEARTHED challenge students will unearth hidden treasures and piece together the past as they embark on this thrilling journey of discovery. Students will identify and research a problem related to the season theme and then design and create a possible solution. They will also identify a mission strategy and design, create, and code a robot to complete missions during a 2.5-minute Robot Game. The competition is judged in three areas: innovation project; robot design, and core values, which embody aspects of teamwork and good sportsmanship. Top robot game scores are also honored. FIRST LEGO League is an international program for 9- to 14-year-olds (ages vary by country) created in a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Group in 1998 to get students excited about science and technology – and teach them valuable career and life skills. Using LEGO® Education technologies and materials, students work alongside adult mentors to design, build, and program autonomous robots and create an innovative solution to a problem as part of their research project. After several intense weeks, the competition season culminates at high-energy, sports-like tournaments. Like any other organized “sport,” teams also fundraise, create a team identity, and go on field trips. The tournament is being run by FIRST Illinois Robotics, a 501 c3 organization focused on delivering FIRST programs in Illinois. Contact us for a list of the area schools and youth organizations with teams participating in the competition. About FIRST® FIRST® is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12) that can be facilitated in school, in structured after-school programs or by other organizations or groups of parents. Boosted by a global support system of volunteers, educators, and sponsors that include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, teams operate under a signature set of FIRST Core Values to conduct research, fundraise, design, build, and showcase their achievements during annual challenges. An international not-for-profit organization founded in 1989, FIRST has a proven impact on STEM learning, interest, and skill-building well beyond high school. Participants and alumni of FIRST programs gain access to education and career discovery opportunities, connections to exclusive scholarships and employers, and a place in the FIRST community for life. Learn more at firstinspires.org.
### To learn more about FIRST programs in Illinois, go to www.firstillinoisrobotics.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 7, 2026 Media Contact Information: Christopher Weishaar Digital Public relations Specialist (515) 273-7140 cweishaar@studentloan.org
WEST DES MOINES, IOWA (January 7, 2026) — Six high school seniors will each earn a scholarship valued at $1,500 through the 2026 ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship program. This program is sponsored by ISL Education Lending and is designed to make higher education more accessible while equipping students with essential financial literacy skills. Who Can Apply? All high school seniors attending school in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin are eligible to enter. No essay is required—making it simple and stress-free to apply. Parents Can Register Their Student Parents now have the option to register their student for the scholarship program, ensuring every eligible senior has the opportunity to participate. What Makes This Program Unique? Every participant will learn valuable financial literacy tips during the process, helping them prepare for life after high school. How to Apply Applications open on January 5, 2026, and close on April 30, 2026. Students and parents can apply online at www.iowastudentloan.org/Midwest. Winners will be announced in June 2026. Scholarship Details
Why It Matters “Student loan debt is a huge concern for new college students,” said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of ISL Education Lending. “As a nonprofit, we provide tools and resources to help high school seniors plan so they can reduce the amount of debt they need to take on while achieving their education goals. Students sign up for a chance at a $1,500 scholarship, and we take that opportunity to share information with them about our free resources.” Additional Resources Available In addition to offering student loans, ISL Education Lending has other resources for families planning for college and for students who intend to pursue advanced degrees. The Parent Handbook consists of valuable tips to help families of students in sixth through 12th grades prepare for success in college and other postsecondary options. Parents of students in eighth through 12th grades can also sign up to receive twice-monthly emailed tips on academic, college and career planning through the Student Planning Pointers for Parents program. The College Funding Forecaster helps families understand the total cost of four years of college based on a freshman-year financial aid offer. Information about these resources is available at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/SmartBorrowing.
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About ISL Education Lending Established in 1979 as Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation, a private, nonprofit organization, ISL Education Lending helps students and families obtain the resources necessary to succeed in postsecondary education. ISL has helped nearly 400,000 students pay for college, offering student loans and other products under the name ISL Education Lending. The organization, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, also provides an array of borrower benefits, financial literacy tools and community reinvestment programs, including support for free college planning services for students and their families. For more information, visit www.IowaStudentLoan.org.
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