I wrote the following story for the Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer in Raleigh; it appeared in both papers on Oct. 23, 2012. It reappears here, with links. For a personal take on F3, check out this post from yesterday’s blog.

They tiptoe out of the house before sunup and gather at neighborhood parks.

They refer to each other by nickname. They play hard in the dark and are done before most of us begin our day. They’re male, their average age is early 40s and most are professionals. read more