Hello Midcoast, how are we all doing today?

Good? Not so good? Perhaps somewhere in between?

You certainly wouldn’t be in the minority there.

These are no doubt different times we find ourselves in, with “new norms” introducing themselves on a near-daily basis.

We’ve all had to make many changes — some minor, others not so much — to make it through these challenging times.

And, if you’re like me, the struggle can be compounded without sports around us. Sports are a needed distraction in any time.

Who doesn’t miss watching the Red Sox (albeit without ailing ace Chris Sale and the traded Mookie Betts)? Who would really enjoy watching the Celtics and the Bruins down the stretch and into the playoffs?

The coronavirus has impacted sports at all levels, from professional to youth.

It’s also anyone’s guess as to when they may return.

Some youth leagues are planning a cautious June reopening and there’ve been rumblings of pro sports making a comeback at some point this summer, provided they can safely do so.

And while there is no high school spring sports, there’s optimism there will be a fall season, whatever that may look like.

Changes have also come to The Times Record as well.

Longtime sports editor Bob Conn has left the building and will begin his next chapter in Pennsylvania. Bob and his small staff were fixtures in the local Midcoast sports scene over the years, and his impact here is palpable.

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone more embedded in the sports scene here than Bob.

It is my hope, as new sports editor, that we will continue and expand upon local sports coverage that you, the reader, deserve.

When sports returns, we at The Times Record will be there and have you covered.

I became sports editor of the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel in 2014, and have been fortunate to work with a dedicated, talented and hard-working staff in the last six years. In this time, we’ve enhanced our local coverage, in print and online. We’ve changed the way we’ve covered local sports, too, offering more insights and observations that often complement the dissemination of information.

It’s my goal to help infuse the sports pages of  The Times Record with more thought-provoking content.

We will tap into our many resources to help provide the best coverage we can.

Staff writer Adam Robinson will help lead that charge, and I know he is up to the challenge as well.

As a Midcoast resident of 12 years, I’ve long treasured The Times Record, and producing a strong sports section is of paramount importance. Hey, it’s personal, you know?

Some changes you will notice right away, others will take time.

But if you value local sports in the Midcoast, The Times Record will still be your go-to source.

Furthermore, if you have a great story idea, share it with us! We’d love to hear from you.

In the meantime, stay safe, be well and hopefully soon we will meet on a field or a court or a course near you.