Back for the First Time

Today marks the one year anniversary of my last post.  The past year of silence was not planned but in those 365 days I feel that I've learned a lot more about myself than I ever thought I could in a year's time. 

If there was a theme for my life up to this point it would almost certainly be to the tune of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" but for the first time in a long time I feel like clarity may not be too far over the horizon. 

My internship with The Southern Conference has been a wonderful experience and I have learned many new things including the complexities behind the curtain of a live television broadcast to some simple tricks in Photoshop and Premiere Pro to assist in my graphic design and editing.  Perhaps the most important thing that I'm learning though is what I want my life to consist of in the coming years.  For a great while, I have sought an opportunity at an intercollegiate athletic conference, preferably in the Southeast.  The SoCon marks my second such opportunity and it is interesting to compare this experience from my previous stop at the OVC.  As one may expect, the offices have their similarities and their differences and its been an eye opening adventure for me.  These specific opportunites, coupled with my brief stint in the Southwest have helped develop a clearer picture of what I want to do and where I would like to do it.  The time spent in Arizona, while however brief, has given me some great perspective and I consider it to be some of the best months I've experienced and I would consider myself fortunate to return to that part of the country. 

From where I now stand, I couldn't possibly predict what the next few months have in store but I'm starting to feel as though I'm ready to make some pretty significant decisions that will impact the next few years of my life.  I've started studying to retake the GMAT and finish my MBA coursework.  I have rediscovered my passion for basketball.  I've also been ripe with frustration and disgust at various aspects of collegiate athletics these days.  The University of Miami and Penn State situations launched me into an introspective search to determine if I want to hitch my wagon to an industry that allows these atrocities to flourish. 

I don't know what the future holds or if said future will continue in athletics, but I would be willing to bet that the next few months of my life will take me down a few turns that I may or may not be prepared for and I'm going to make an effort to document them on Fresh 35. 

Forty Days and Forty Nights

Time is a funny thing. We live and die by time. Its easy to lose and impossible to get back. Time is the undefeated heavy weight, stalking us in the opposite corner of the ring. Time is fleeting and the most common feeling towards time is that we all wish there was more if it.

My time in Arizona is ending. This coming week I will undertake a journey that dwarfs my previous journey to the Desert. Before the sun rises on Tuesday, I will be in my car, with all of my possessions in tow, heading for South Carolina to start the next chapter in this saga.

I think Morgan Freeman said it best when his character, Red from The Shawshank Redemption, recites the line: "I find I'm so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think its the excitement only a free man can feel. A free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain."

What is it that has gotten me so excited you might be asking. What about my job with the cardinals? Just what in the hell is going on?? These are all good questions and the answer is simple. Last Tuesday I was offered an opportunity to get back into intercollegiate athletics at the conference level at the Southern Conference and I accepted without hesitation. Although my stint with the Cardinals was only a couple of months long and challenging due to factors outside of my control (I'm looking at you Derek Anderson) I had a great experience, met some great people and learned a lot. However, the plan had always been to move out here temporarily until an opportunity more in line with what I wanted opened and one finally did.

The position will be in Multimedia Services, which is similar to the work I was doing with the OVC last year. Its technically another internship but its paid w/ overtime. Finally, I'll be getting compensated for what I love to do. They asked me to start the first week in February, which leaves little time to waste seeing as the drive from Phoenix to Spartanburg, South Carolina will be in the neighborhood of 30 hours. I've learned just how tiring driving all day can be after my move in October, which is why I've decided to break this trip up and stay the weekend in Nashville, catching up with old friends and meeting new ones, most likely named Bud Light.

Before I leave Arizona, I'm trying to take in as much as I can. I was finally able to hike a mountain this weekend. The experience of seeing the city of phoenix from an elevation of 2,000+ feet was incredible. I would encourage any of you who read this blog to get out wherever you can and experience some of the beautiful and amazing things offered by nature. Although it wasn't because I'm leaving soon, I also was able to attend the Insight Bowl this December which featured my beloved University of Iowa Hawkeyes and the neighboring Missouri Tigers. The experience was a great one and what made the occasion even more exceptional was my buddy from college, Phil, was able to come down from St. Louis to not only join me, but provide some bomb ass tickets, courtesy of Anheuser Busch.

There are countless other experiences down here that have been new and enjoyable and I can say without a doubt this has been the very best winter I have ever had. I've met some great people and reconnected with others. I was able to experience a way of life that always seemed like a dream to me (70 degree weather in January?! Thank You AZ!). Now I'm leaving it all behind in the pursuit of a new challenge. But while I'm still here I can't help but think of all the things in the coming weeks and months that I will be missing out on. If only there was more time.

See ya in the Eastern Time Zone

Fresh 35 Does Work Son

Alright, so I've been in Arizona for a touch over three weeks now. You may or may not be wondering what I have been doing with my abundant free time and if your not, than you're a jerk entitled to your own opinion (even if its the wrong one...).

When I haven't been getting beat in racquetball or training for Pat's Run, which is a 4.2 mile run held in Tempe on April 16, 2010 to raise money for the Tillman Foundation, I've been spending most of my days in the living room. Its rather depressing that I'm here in this new, beautiful climate and haven't really taken the time to explore it very much. I have, however, met up with a high school friend on the other side of town so I've at least seen more of the city since the previous post. Additionally, I went to an Arizona Cardinals football game this past Sunday, which proved to be an event and not because of the football either. Suffice it to say one of our tailgaters got a little out of hand in the pregame festivities and was kicked out of the stadium before he could reach his seats - fortunately for me and one of the other guys in our group, we were a few steps behind and therefore were not associated with him and stayed to watch the game. In my defense, I'm broke as hell and I paid a scalper for my ticket, I wasn't about to miss out on my first NFL game experience, with one of my favorite teams no less, because some guy couldn't control himself at the tailgate.

So, if you take out the work outs, racquetball and a few weekend activities thus far, I've had a fair amount of free time on my hands. A high priority has obviously been to find a job and I went out in search of work after I got settled. Tired of retail and other operations that, in no way, have anything to do with my degree, I concluded that those would be a last resort option. I stopped in at a few golf courses to inquire about pro shop help since the busy season for Arizona golf courses is now upon us (snow birds and all...). I also asked at the racquetball facilities we've been frequenting and a new gym is opening near the house so I checked with them as well.

Before moving out here, I sent out emails and checked in with some people I've met through networking and other stops in life. One such connection was my current roommate who had a friend working for the Cardinals ticket sales staff. As luck would have it, she was leaving the position soon but before she did, she was kind enough to pass on my resume. I attempted to make contact with all the local contacts I had been given prior to leaving Iowa at this point as well. I wasn't having much success getting a hold of anyone and the pro shop idea didn't seem to be gaining any traction when I finally received a call from the Cardinals organization. The gentleman on the other end, Ron, wanted to know if I was still interested in talking to him about the ticket sales position. Of course I said yes, even though I wasn't entirely sure what the position was all about. Before I moved, I was basically looking for an in any way I could get it, so if that meant sending my resume along to the Cards ticket operations without really knowing what, if any, opportunities were available, I was all for it. Ron and I scheduled a time for an interview and I was happy to finally have a lead.

The next week I interviewed with Ron and learned more about the position - seeking out prospective clientele, placing calls to potential customers, etc. The interview was pretty standard (where do you see yourself in 5 years, strengths, weaknesses, and so on) and we ended the conversation with a plan to have a decision by the end of the week. Friday came and Ron asked if I was still interested. I was and we moved forward in the process. I was to fill out some paper work so they could run a background check on me. After sending that information back over I had to wait until Tuesday the following week to officially be extended an offer which I received while in the weight room at the Chicago White Sox spring training facility.

I accepted and will begin working with the Arizona Cardinals ticket sales staff on November 30th. It somehow seems oddly appropriate that after years of endless planning and a resume comprised primarily of intercollegiate athletics experience that I would find my first job in a field I have no experience with, in an industry I always considered secondary to where I wanted to work, and all after I moved over a thousand miles away on a whim. Funny how life works sometimes.

This is the start of a new chapter to be certain, but certainly not the end of the book or this Act in the show for that matter. This is Fresh 35: An Intern's Foray Into the Business of Intercollegiate Athletics. Intercollegiate, not professional. We're making progress team, but we aren't there yet. Clearly this opportunity will provide me with the opportunity to be a little more selective in new opportunities while gaining some valuable experience in a field that is absolutely critical to the success of any athletic organization - professional, intercollegiate or otherwise. As I stated in my interview with Ron, in order to reach my goal of one day becoming a senior administrator, I find it crucial that I experience as many aspects to athletics that I can so whenever I'm calling the shots, I can draw from personal experience and will be able to relate to problems and concerns from whoever is working that position then by saying, I've been there, I understand, lets work together to find a solution.

I was asked after my round of unsuccessful interviews this summer if I had learned anything from the experience. I wasn't sure at the time, but the more I thought about it, the more I began to think the variety of my experiences were crippling, rather than enhancing my chances with these employers. In every case, it was always the same reason they chose another. "This person had more experience in sports information." or "He had more graphic design experience." I began to think maybe I should have focused in on one area rather than trying to broaden my experience, which was frustrating to think. It wasn't until that I remembered my long term goals and aspirations that I again became confident in my professional and educational choices. Variety and broad horizons enhance rather than detract in almost every aspect of life in my opinion and its because I still feel strongly about that fact, I know, while this is a great step for me personally, it is only a means to an end.

With that, I'm off to get beat in more racquetball...

More later

Fresh 35 Soaks Up the Sun

I have reached the valley of the sun. The trip was a long but successful journey starting Tuesday morning when I said my "fare thee wells" to my parents and headed off to see what was in store for me.

It didn't take long for that smile to fade...trust me

The drive from home to Estes Park, Colorado took 13 hours if you count the time change. The car was filled with clothes, a computer, a few odds and end, a cooler with food and drink and an increasing feeling of boredom.

The reason I chose to leave at 7am and drive through colorado was so I could see the sunset behind the mountains. First of all I have never seen a mountain range in person before and coupling that with a sunset is a sure fire way to pump some energy into a long, drawn out drive, among other things. Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas and cloud cover prevented me from seeing the rockies until the following morning. So, I, in fact, did think the rocky mountains should be a lot rockier than this...damn you John Denver!

Damn you cloud cover!

Even though I didn't see the mountains on my approach, it wasn't long until I was in them, driving through a twisting canyon in a light snow. After 12 hours of driving I was ready to be done with this leg of the trip, but all the sharp turns and lack of light kept me on my toes as I slowly, but surely, made my way into Estes Park.

I met a friend from college at the Stanley Hotel where she was working behind the bar. I ordered a beer and a burger and started to wind down. We caught up over my dinner and I even socialized with the locals a little bit. One of them suggested that I take the southern route the next day because I-70 through colorado had a few closings on Tuesday. I had thought by the time I leave late Wednesday morning, the roads through the mountain should be clear enough to drive through since the weather Wednesday was supposed to be much more favorable. We decided to keep an eye on the situation and I would make a decision the following morning.

During the process of catching up with my friend, I inquired about the Stanley Hotel and was surprised to find it had such a famous back story. Apparently, Stephen King stayed there for a brief time and the hotel became the inspiration for this book The Shining. I read through a pamphlet about the hotel and Mr. King wasn't the only famous guest at the Stanley, there was a list dedicated to celebrities who stayed there.

The Stanley Hotel pamphlet

The trip had finally started catching up to me and my friend was nice enough to let me crash at her place while she was still working. I headed to her place with every intention of waiting for her to get back before going to bed, but it wasnt happening and I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

The next morning we got breakfast at a small, local diner and said our goodbyes. After investigating the road conditions that morning, I figured it would take longer, but would in all likelihood be safer. The new route took me south through colorado into new mexico, where I'd eventually head west into arizona. The southern route was about 100 miles longer but all I had to do was drive, so its not like I was in any real hurry.

After breakfast and before I hit the road, I stopped at a safeway to grab a couple sandwiches to throw in the cooler for lunch and dinner. I finally got a good look at some of the mountain peaks in the parking lot...

Some cloud cover but it was beautiful to me

This portion of the trip was easily the best. I drove out of the mountains and into Boulder, Denver, and Fort Collins, smiling all the while at the majestic scenes out of my window. I am thoroughly convinced that I would love to live in colorado now that I've seen it with my own eyes. Words simply don't do it justice.

Driving out of Estes Park

The rest of the trip through CO, NM and AZ was rather uneventful. I saw a grass fire in New Mexico and was actually really surprised and how gorgeous NM was. The sun set as I was nearing the NM, AZ border which somewhat made up for not seeing the sun set the previous day, though I'm sure the sun setting over the few mountains in NM had nothing on the Rockies, but it was cool all the same.

Perhaps the worst part of the trip was when I reached into my cooler for a sandwich and found that the ice from the previous day had melted even though it had spent the night in below freezing temperatures which left my sandwiches water logged. If it wasn't that, it was that I had to drive through the state of Arizona in the dark which wasn't difficult, but I would have loved to see how it compared with CO and NM.

I finally arrived at my destination roughly 15 hours later which sets the entire time behind the wheel at 28 hours. Turns out that extra 100 miles made a difference. I was glad to have finally arrived and showed my appreciation by passing out on the couch. I never knew sitting behind the wheel of a car for so long could make you so tired.

Now its me and Biasotti, the basketball manager who I worked under back in college, living together and doin our thing. We play racquetball, work out at the white sox training facility and have a few tv series we're starting to get into - Boardwalk Empire anyone? The weather out here is fantastic, the scenery is gorgeous and the town is new. What a phenomenal place to live.

The road through my neighborhood to the house

Now my search for a job begins, but that's a post for another time.

More Later

Moving Day

The time has finally arrived. After much thought and deliberation of what the next step should be, I am ready to set forth down the next path. Every time I go out on a seemingly new adventure I'm reminded of The Road Not Taken, the legendary poem by Robert Frost. I presume everyone travels their own path, that which they feel is different than the path of everyone else, but when I look around and see friends getting married, some already married and with children, I really begin to reflect on how my own path certainly feels more like the second one described by Mr. Frost. My hope is that by taking the road less traveled, it will make all the difference for me as well. I'm confident it will.

The actual road i'm traveling is here. Plan is to split the trip in two, 12 hour days behind the wheel of my Altima. Wish me luck.

More later

Fresh 35 Hits the Job Trail

A dream of mine has always been to live in the state of North Carolina. I've never actually been there, so its difficult to know for certain if I would enjoy living there, but from what everyone has told me, the variety of attractions the state has to offer and the sheer majestic of mountains, oceans and forests, its hard to assume I wouldn't feel right at home there. As luck would have it, a week before moving West, an employment opportunity has opened up in the state of North Carolina.

Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem has recently posted a position in their athletic office as an Assistant Director, Event Management and Facilities. The full position description can be viewed here. Suffice it to say, between my internships at North Texas, Quincy (twice), the Ohio Valley Conference office, my stint as a basketball manager and assisting in game operations during the Missouri Valley Conference's men's basketball championship in 2009, I feel confident in saying that I'm qualified for this position. I successfully applied on Friday the 22nd and instantaneously my mind began comprehending what it would be like to move more than a thousand miles West in the coming days only to move a couple thousand miles East only a few short weeks later. While that fact doesn't sound appealing, I hope that I'm fortunate enough to get to that decision, because I would obviously take the job and move across the country (again) to settle into something I've been working toward for so long.

Elsewhere, Illinois State University in Normal had a job posting similar to that of WF this week. Director of Events and Game Operations is the other most recent job opening I feel qualified enough to pursue and subsequently applied for. ISU write up is here. Bloomington-Normal doesn't excite me quite like Winston-Salem, but again, I'll pretty much go wherever to get that first job. While I am against cold weather, I am not against family and since ISU is only a few hours from home the list of pros outweigh the cons.

Neither job closes until November so assuming they stay on their predicted schedule, it will be a few weeks before I hear anything one way or another on these opportunities.

In other news, I undertook my final Iowa tailgate for a while this past weekend. All in all, the weekend was a success if you excuse the tiny fact that Iowa's special teams unit crapped the bed again and lost a game that could have easily been won. Had a blast hanging with my brother and recent addition to the family, sister in law. I played Tiger Woods on the Wii for the first time ever and after a 5 holes of looking like Michael J Fox swinging a golf club (too soon?) I was able to stage an epic comeback at Sawgrass and steal the improbable win from my bro. Fun times were had by all and I look forward to the next tailgate, whenever the hell that may be for me.

Weather forecast calls for snow in Colorado this week so while travel plans remain the same, I'm keeping a weathered eye on the weather channel - pun intended...

More later

Go West Young Man!

After much thought of what my next professional move should be after failing to land a job or internship during the past few months I have decided to take my talents to the Desert! By the way, thanks for the new catch phrase LeBron. While what talents I do possess remain unnoticed by any hiring entity at this point, its clearly in my best interest to stay involved in athletics in some capacity, however minute it may prove to be, so that my resume avoids any glaring holes from unrelated work.

The plan is to pack my 4 door sedan with clothes, computers and optimism and hit the road at the end of October. The trek from Bettendorf, Iowa to Phoenix, Arizona, corn stalks to cacti, will likely take 2 or 3 days depending on how often I stop for gas, food, sleep, entertainment or sight seeing (rumor is there's a large canyon somewhere west of colorado? Anyone hear about this yet?). Upon my arrival I will begin to track down contacts I have been given from various friends and colleagues. While interviewing for a position with the Patriot League I learned my host for the interviews attended Arizona State and spent some time down there after graduation and he was more than happy to provide me with a few names tied to professional and collegiate athletics in the Phoenix area. Number one on my "to contact list" is a gentleman working with the Insight and Fiesta Bowls to inquire about volunteering for those bowl games as well as the BCS National Championship (if you consider that a national championship, but that post is for another day...) which will all be held in Phoenix from New Years Eve thru early January.

In the midst of my professional job search I felt compelled to find a part time job for some type of income and that came in July via the local Hobby Lobby. To make matters easier for myself I'm attempting to receive a transfer from the store in Bettendorf to one in the PHX area so I wont miss a beat financially. The plan, of course, is to get involved with one of the pro teams, ASU, the bowl games, spring training, or any other quasi related athletic team/organization but if this past summer has shown me anything its that I need to have a back up plan if no opportunities present themselves, which will take the form of Hobby Lobby. Perhaps there is a golf course looking for help which would also allow time for me to volunteer with the aforementioned athletic options so at the very least I'm staying involved in the business.

If a year ago you would have told me that I will be going to Phoenix with no job lined up I might have believed you, but I would have been skeptical. Certainly, nothing in life is ever promised and I've been learning that lesson over and over all too frequently as of late but it simply will not stop me from accomplishing the goals I've set for myself even if it requires me to take some old advice: "Go west young man!" Perhaps its there that I finally find what I'm looking for and that, I'm certain, will be worth more than its weight in gold.