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News
News
IRON RIVER— After a lengthy gap in in-person sports coverage, the Iron County Reporter is excited to announce that Patrick Browne has joined its team as a freelance sports reporter.
A native of Plymouth, Browne spent his career in education and educational administration, starting at St. Patrick Elementary and Middle School in Wadsworth, Illi before serving as principal at Humility Elementary/Middle School in Beach Park, Illi. He retired in 2022 as principal of Notre Dame Academy High School in Green Bay,Wis.
“I was the eighth of nine children, youngest of the five boys, and grew up, you know, playing sports and doing some studying,” Browne said, chuckling.
In addition to competing as an ultramarathon runner in his free time, Browne also coached basketball, track, softball and soccer during his career, as well as served as a middle school athletic director.
“I’ve spent the last 33 years going to watch athletic contests anyway, and I’ve always enjoyed that because it was a chance to see the students in a different way than sitting in the classroom,” he said. “...I think it shows, when they’re really into something, who they are.”
He also emphasized his respect for the people who coach student athletes.
“Coaches are some of the most giving people in the world that are hardly ever recognized,” Browne said, noting that coaches meet with their teams almost daily for minimal monetary compensation. “Those people are just givers and I’ve always been fascinated by the people that could do that. I know at one time I was a coach, but as I think about it now, I’m like, ‘Wow, could I really go back and do that?’”
Browne met his wife of 33 years, Vicki, while a student at St. Norbert College in Green Bay and ultimately went on to earn his masters degree in school administration from John Carroll University in Ohio.
His family has generational ties to Chicagoan Lake, where he and Vicki now reside. His grandmother, Carol Ross, grew up in Iron River and eventually returned to the area after Browne’s mother was born.
Browne’s grandfather, who met Ross while working as a mining doctor in Iron River, maintained a practice in Flint while his family lived here for the better air quality.
“They bought property on Chicagoan Lake, I think the first place they bought was in 1929,” Browne said. “Our family has really been, except for a short period of time, consistently on this lake, since that time — not in the same cabin, but at the same lake.”
Despite his ties to the area, Browne says his weekends and summers haven’t afforded him the opportunity to integrate into the fabric of Iron County in the way he hopes to now as a resident. He sees sports reporting as a way to not just connect with his own personal passions but also as a way to connect with his community. Plus, he’s already been attending games as a spectator.
“[Iron County] is a smaller community and I want to highlight the kids because I know that athletics, especially in this area, are something that can really bring people together and really get them excited about their schools,” Browne said. “Being an educator is not always easy, so when you have teams that are being touted or being recognized, everybody feels better. I think it adds to the culture of the school.”
And while Browne said he’s eager to cover a championship game for the local teams, he also noted that for him, student athletics have always been about more than wins or losses.
“I’m not overly critical as a person,” he said “I can see the good in just about anything. So, even if we lose 100 to nothing, I’m gonna point out something that was really good.”