About Me

I live for the games. Ever since I was old enough to remember, I have loved sports. I’ve just always loved the competition. That’s who I am and who I’ll always be.

My name is Reid. I’m a husband to a beautiful wife who is a high school math teacher. I’m a thankful father to two wonderful children. My wife and I are gracious parents to one girl and one boy. We live in the suburbs of Chicago. Life is good and we’re extremely lucky. The Lord has blessed us above and beyond.

I’ve had several careers in my life but have never been grabbed by any of them, until now. I think I have finally found my calling as a writer. Although I have many interests, my life has always been about family, faith, and sports. I love athletics. I enjoyed playing baseball, football, and basketball on high school teams and have continued playing these sports along with golf as an adult. I’m a gigantic fan of sports teams and players. I’m astounded by the skill of professional athletes. I mean really, how good are these guys! I’m a firm believer in the “backyard rule”. These pros make it look so easy but don’t be fooled. If you think you too could do what they do, go out in your backyard and try it. Trust me. They are truly professionals, spending 10,000+ hours at perfecting their craft.

On top of just being a fan of athletics in general, I cheer for the following teams: Nebraska Cornhuskers football, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bears, Illinois Fighting Illini basketball and other sports, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Blackhawks, Notre Dame football, Netherlands national soccer, and many other assorted teams. However, don’t be fooled. I wear my heart on my sleeve for those top 5 or 6 teams. When I say I’m a fan, I’m not kidding around. I try to watch every game for those first four teams. In fact, I think I’ve seen every Nebraska game for at least a decade now. I watch old games on YouTube in my spare time. I subscribe to two Huskers magazine for gosh sakes and we live 480 miles from Omaha! I’ve seen Nebraska Huskers games in person for the last 7 seasons and I don’t want to give up that streak anytime soon. Go Big Red! GBR! As for the White Sox, I believe my streak of attending at least one game at Comiskey Park goes all the way back to 1982. I know….nuts! Go Sox!

I started writing this blog in Spring 2016 and was published for the first time in September ’16 as I was asked to be the Chicago Bears beat writer for FootballNation.net. In 2017 I wrote for a site called ArmchairAllAmericans.com. I’m currently looking for another site that is a better fit for my interests and writing style. This blog is just the beginning of my writing career! Future plans include being published in national magazines and even writing a book or two.

Why “Dutch Lion”? I’m Dutch from my father’s side. He was 100% Dutch-American and I’m 50% Dutch. My extended family is more into their Dutch background. They lived in South Holland, Illinois and go to Holland, Michigan for vacation. For me it was always more of a background identity because we lived on the North Side of Chicago in Lake Zurich, IL. There aren’t many ‘wooden shoes’ up here. But then a funny thing happened………in 2010 I started watching World Cup soccer. Sure the USA team is cool, but the Netherlands national team grabbed me. I love the Dutch! How about that amazing soccer history in Amsterdam with Ajax and the Dutch National team! KNVB is what it’s all about. Hup Holland Hup! Then about five years ago I took it a step further. I now sport a Dutch lion tattoo. I’m working on retrieving the Wiersema family tree but in the meantime this blog serves as a tribute to all the Wiersema forefathers of generations past.

So let’s see what happens as we journey together! I appreciate all the followers, likes, and comments. Feel free to contact me via email at: wiersema1@yahoo.com. I love hearing from the fans.

I can hear the “Dutch Lion” roaring which means it’s time to wrap this up! Never forget, we’re all in this lion’s den together………..and this den is the home of the “Dutch Lion”!