In athletics, the sophomore slump refers to a negative trajectory on the heels of an impressive first performance.

Quarterbacks, point guards, pitchers, goalies and any other athlete can be affected by a sophomore slump. The phrase does not discriminate between sports.

The logic behind the idea is simple. After an impressive, perhaps overly impressive, freshman campaign, an athlete is often expected to regress in his or her second season. This can be expected for any number of reasons.

Maybe the expectations have risen unfairly thanks to an abnormally impressive first effort, maybe the athlete has become overly confident in their abilities and stops pushing themselves to get better. The specific reason matters less than the result that manifests from the reason.

This happens often enough that the moniker ‘sophomore slump’ has developed to explain the phenomenon.

The phrase can, however, be used in areas outside of the athletic realm. The most obvious secondary use of this phrase can be found in the business world.

After an impressive first project, the expectations naturally rise higher for a second effort. Such is to be expected. When the second effort does not deliver like the first, momentum begins to fade and public perception regarding the quality and validity of the work will begin to shift quickly.

We at the LaGrange Daily News are hoping our second issue of LaGrange Living avoids such a moniker. Our second issue, which we will send to press on Thursday, Sept. 7, will hit mailboxes approximately Sept. 18, and we are very excited for what our second installment will offer.

This is not to say or assume our first effort was flawless. It was not. There were elements that could have been improved and aspects that should have been neater. However, we were proud of the effort and end result, and hope to build off of this moving forward.

Stories in our second issue will deal with both the old and new from around LaGrange and Troup County.

One of the more anticipated business openings in Troup County of late, Wild Leap Brew Co., is our cover story for our second edition. The brewery is set to open on Sept. 23, and the origin story of the soon-to-be staple of downtown is laid out for all to read in this magazine.

We will also have stories from long-established landmarks, such as the Cart Barn as well as Hills & Dales.

An art feature will focus on the booming art collection of Wes and Missy Cochran, and a fashion story will lay out the upcoming fall styles to ensure you are en vogue this season.

In addition, we will have a plethora of photos highlighting local people from community events.

All in all, we understand expectations for our second edition have risen in light of our first issue. We are hopeful and confident our sophomore effort is as good, if not better, than our freshman attempt.