Creating a winning game plan – whether in business or in sports – requires the right mix of identity, focus, incentives and passion. Just ask Bunky Harkleroad, coach of the fast-paced women’s basketball team at Sacramento State.

In December, the Sacramento City Council unanimously approved a preliminary term sheet to finance and build an MLS stadium at the Sacramento Railyards, drawing the region closer than ever to bringing a major professional sport to the city since the Kings set up shop 30 years ago. If it seems like this has happened seemingly overnight, that is because in many ways, it has.

It’s been quite a year! Now that the champagne has been popped, gone flat and you’ve had time to recover, take a look at our most widely read local stories from 2015:

New app wimZr’s main focus is people. The interface is straightforward. You view the profiles of people going to the same place. If you like them, click “Connect Me.” If you want to pass, click “Next Time.” If the person you like likes you back, you can start talking. For upcoming events, you can scan guest lists and either connect one-on-one or openly in a public forum.

Last year we reported on efforts for a planned regional sports complex in Roseville (Kickstarter by Laurie Lauletta-Boshart, May 2014). In July, the project scored big when it brought on award-winning design and architecture firm LPA.

Artists in hard hats toured the Golden 1 Center construction site during the first week of September to get a first-hand look at the locations selected for four public art projects. Shelly Willis, executive director of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, led four orientation sessions for the 17 artists who have been selected to submit proposals in late October.

Sacramento has always been a soccer town. From the tremendous growth of youth soccer to the days of professional indoor and semi-pro teams, the game has long had roots in the heart of the Capital Region. With 13 million Americans playing the game, soccer has exploded in the last decade and is the third most played team sport behind basketball and baseball. Sacramento Republic FC is capitalizing on that fútbol frenzy, now boasting an elite youth academy program.

Yoga instructors keep so many of us fit, grounded, mindful, focused and from going postal. Which is why I decided to put my professional talents to work on a market research project for yogapreneurs. The notion was solidified over coffee with one of my favorite yogis who agreed that what yogapreneurs need is what they can’t afford: the strategy and market insights to support their passion-fueled careers.

Short on water for your grass? Just add paint, says Bill Schaffer, owner of Brown Lawn Green in Dixon. The idea for his business started as a joke. With California in the midst of a historic drought, Schaffer commented to his girlfriend that people would have to start painting their lawns if they wanted them to be green again. When the state introduced strict new rules concerning water use, he realized he might be onto something.

Everyone has an opinion about the Golden 1 Center, the new home of the Sacramento Kings. But everyone also agrees on one thing: the new facility is transforming downtown Sacramento.