To the editor:

A few years ago, I saw a Bill Self interview, and I loosely quote: “KU basketball is way too important for way too many people.” To be clear, I am one of those people. As a baby boomer who grew up in the 1950s and 1960s in Russell, Kan., this resonated with me and I recall:

• The Kansas-Missouri basketball game in 1961 that I watched on a snowy television and saw Wayne Hightower, Bill Bridges and others get pounded by Missouri players and fans. The look on Bill’s and Wayne’s faces after the brawl ended were hard to describe but as an 11-year-old kid this was incredibly important in making me a better person, although I had a long way to go at the time.

• In the summer of 1966 a young basketball coach by the name of Bob Frederick was hired in Russell and for two years demonstrated to me what leadership, principles and character meant to high school students and athletes. This was also incredibly important to me then as it is now.

I appreciate the information and coverage provided by the Journal-World for all sports, including KU basketball. The stats for active NBA players is great to see as would stats for international players still in the game.

I see a lot of Coach Frederick’s persona in Coach Self, which makes KU basketball even more important to me as I know his players move on in life forever changed as people from his influence. The Journal-World does a great job when publishing human interest stories about former KU athletes and their lives after sports. Please consider doing more of these and on a more regular basis for all men’s and women’s sports.