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.

Fail

Alot has happened since my last post. Let's recap.

My year with the OVC ended in June after the annual spring meetings. At the conclusion of basketball season I began applying for full time (and one legit internship with the Big Ten) positions across the country in athletic departments and conference offices.

Spring approached and Fall has arrived and throughout that time frame I thought for sure I would be on to my next adventure, whatever that might be. Alas, I have come up empty in my pursuit for gainful employment.

The list of offenders fall in to three categories: "Thank You For Applying", "Token Interview", and "Bridesmaid Extraordinaire".

Thank You For Applying consists of schools and conferences that I applied to and never got more than an email wishing me well on my career search, but not before telling me how terrible of a candidate I was. A few notable rejections came from the WCC, WAC, Utah, Colorado, Arizona State and a few others.

The Token Interview group at least let me talk to them about how awesome I am before they ultimately decided I had to be lying because why else would they pass on a chance to hire me? These included Conference USA, Oregon, The Peach Belt, and a few others still.

Lastly, Bridesmaid Extraordinaire is the group that let it be known that I'm talented, have a bright future and would fit in GREAT with their group but still thought I'd be better served with a helping of humble pie. Its normal to hear laughing on the other end of your rejection call right...right??? These lovely suitors were The Big Ten, Missouri Valley Conference, A10 and the Patriot League.

Some hired former interns, others NCAA interns and still others *hired illegal immigrants just to spite me. I'm lookin at you ASU! Regardless of who was ultimately chosen for these positions ahead of me I'm still optimistic that my future lies in intercollegiate athletics.

Its back to the drawing board for me now that school has started up again and job openings have slowed to a crawl. Should I go back to grad school and finish my masters? How about moving to a warm climate to be a bar tender until more openings reveal themselves? Oh, I know, I could live rent free in my parent's basement! The basement is probably the classier and more prestigious of the options.

Wherever life takes me, I'll be sure to update the masses (all 4 of you).

I would like to apologize to my three (possibly?) faithful followers. We're approaching tourney time here at the OVC and I've been rather busy.

I dont think I ever personally stood on one of these....sweet, sweet misery

This past weekend was the OVC Indoor Track & Field Championship held at Tennessee State in Nashville. So, while it was here in town and I didn't have to travel, it was still a big time consumer. I brought work with me to the championship remembering that when I ran track in high school, there was plenty of down time during a meet. Turns out, there is no down time when you're filming everything in an effort to make a highlight tape of the event. But I digress, being at the championship made me realize a few things, most noticeably, just how much I miss running track. You wouldn't think one would miss running just to run but I miss the sprints even though I was never that great at it.

Now we start the late push towards the basketball tournament. First round games actually kick off this evening at a few campuses around the league. The winners will then come to Nashville to play the semi-finals and finals this Friday and Saturday. It should be a fun weekend but we'll definitely be busy. Last year, I helped w/ the Missouri Valley championship and that was four days of sore feet and sleepless nights, this year it will only be a two day extravaganza. We do have to get to the arena at 3am friday morning which none of us are looking forward to.

I'm going to try to give a few updates during the championship this weekend. I'm planning on making a video, chronicling what we, as a staff, do in preparation for our tournament and I'll definitely post that here.

Lastly, if you're looking for more reading material, may I recommend driveto225.blogspot.com. If you're looking for some motivation to get in shape (or to run sprints again like myself) this new blog may be able to get you fired up to get started.

tell a friend

Fresh 35 Meets the Press

The Ohio Valley Conference announced today that they would be changing the format of their men's and women's basketball championship. The press conference was held in the conference room at the conference office. Click here to go to ovcsports.com where there is sure to be plenty of information about it, or click here to go to the ovc's blog to read about and see pictures of the event.

This was my first press conference actually and it was pretty interesting. I filmed the event with the conferences digital camera and intend to use some of the footage for this weeks OVC Insider show that we've been doing for a few weeks now. The abbreviated summary of the press conference is that the OVC is moving all 16 teams (8 men's, 8 women's) to one location, Nashville Municipal Auditorium, over a 4 day span rather than the current format of the first round on campus sites and the final 6 teams in Nashville. In one weeks time the OVC basketball championship will be held at the Sommet Center in downtown Nashville which will bring an end to its current format.

Speaking of the tournament next week, there is an indoor track and field championship this weekend held at Tennessee State. I'll be working that event with the camcorder in hand as I attempt to capture the event on film, or micro chips - wherever the footage goes now since they don't really use film anymore.

I ran track in high school so I'm fairly excited to get back in the environment, even if it is only indoor. After that though, I'll be filming a behind the scenes look at what our staff goes through in setting up our basketball tournament. Basically the Nashville Predators have a game the Thursday before our tournament so we'll be in the arena at 3 in the morning setting the arena to our specifications in preparation for the first tip at noon Friday. I'm not overly excited to be waking up at the time I was just going to sleep this past weekend, but I will be excited to put that behind the scenes piece together because it should be a pretty interesting look inside what we're doing for the biggest event of our year.

Also, Murray State won their bracket buster game this weekend giving them a 17 game win streak which is also the longest in the nation so....yea, no big deal...more importantly however is that while watching the telecast of the game, I discovered arguably the greatest play by play and color commentator tandem ever. Dan McLaughlin of St. Louis Cardinals fame and the occasional ovc men's basketball announcer and Brooke Weisbrod. HELLO. Looking at her bio on her website, linked above, she calls a lot of women's games, does some college football work with the MAC and SEC and calls men's games on the Big East Network. I'm going to see what it takes to get her on press row at our tournament where I will sweep her off her feet and ride off into the sunset.

Tell a friend, but not about Brooke...I don't need any more competition than what I already have!

Fresh 35 Gets Scandalous

So...Tiger, how 'bout that speech. I wouldn't wanna be in your shoes so I give you plenty of cred for gettin up in front of the nation to talk about your mistakes. Side note, if I'm a sponsor I'm tryin like hell to get a commercial immediately before the press conference because next to this years super bowl, this was probably the most watched event of the year.

Along the lines of the Tiger scandal, I wanna know when LeBron James is going to have a scandal or some off the court problem? The trend currently implies that if you're going to be a big athletic celebrity you have to have your issues. Tiger obviously, Kobe and his affair, Jordan had some negative press in his day (gambling, father's murder, etc.) Arod has had his business all over the press. Basically, if you're not gettin negative press at some point in your career, you ain't legit! I can only imagine what LeBron can do to top all of this.

Also, have you heard about the English Soccer player having an affair with his teammates wife?!?! Now THAT is scandalous.

Tell a friend people!

Hook em Big XI

Friday morning I blogged about conference expansion over on the OVC's official blog ovcinsider.blogspot.com and since I'm too lazy and it wouldn't make any sense, to write a similar post on the topic here I'll just link it so you can give it a read.

I try to stay impartial on the OVC blog but since this is Fresh 35, I don't mind tellin ya - I don't want the big ten to expand UNLESS they can pull in a texas or a notre dame. I'll let it be known right now that I strongly dislike all things fighting irish but I'm also no fool and realize what the addition of their school would mean for the conference which is why I support that addition. I also support the addition of Texas, as crazy as that sounds on the surface. I used inaccurate information in the OVC blog about Texas turning down the Big Ten before they went to the Big 12. It wasn't until later that night I discovered that the Big Ten was interested in bringing Texas on but it couldn't pull the trigger since they had just brought in Penn State when Texas approached the Big Ten. Those restrictions no longer apply and I think it would be a good fit.

Pat Atwell, the former AD at Quincy when I was an undergrad used to talk about the fear of "super conferences" I listened to his thoughts on the topic but never really thought it would happen, but events have been put in motion recently and I think we will start to see the formation of super conferences, starting with the big ten. This is why I think the time is perfect for the Big Ten to approach Texas, Notre Dame and a third party yet to be identified where they'll proposition them with the ever growing big ten network platform which has helped Northwestern make more television revenue than both Texas and Notre Dame. The only way adding teams to a conference makes sense is if the schools coming in can bring enough television revenue with them to add to the collective pot rather than split it up in smaller quantities due to more teams. It's because of that aspect that I think we will see the big ten move to 14 teams and create new television markets in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and likely the entire Southwest and pick up a national following with the addition of Notre Dame and a market yet to be determined...maybe st. louis and kansas city with mizzou, maybe some of new york with syracuse.

Once that happens, look for Colorado to bounce from the big 12 and if the Big Ten takes Mizzou and Texas the Big 12 will be down to 9 teams and who knows where they would go, possibly TCU, which would likely upset the northern schools. They may make a play for Arkansas in the SEC, formerly of the Big 8 and the SEC may make a move for the Florida schools in the ACC. I have also read rumors of Oklahoma and other Big 12 teams jumping to the SEC if their league crumbles.

I don't have any idea what will happen one way or the other but I love speculating about it and I, for one, hope to see it happen. Selfishly, bringing Texas into the Big Ten makes it more difficult for Iowa but I don't care, I'm in the camp that to be the best you have to beat the best, so bring em on. I've long argued t hat the Big Ten is the best conference in collegiate athletics and its hard to argue that because there are so many intagibles involved, but I usually argue its more than just athletic performance. If they Big XI can pull off landing a couple of these big fishes than I think they will solidify my argument for me. That said - Hook em Big Ten.

Overnight Celebrity???

The OVC brought in a new intern at the start of the semester to work in media relations. In a collaborative effort, we created a webisode series. The show is called OVC Insider and its more or less a few minutes of us talking about whats going on in the League. Viki has been doing a great job in the show and with the prep work for it, she definitely steals the spotlight, which is a good thing becasue more of her and less of my ugly mug will probably send our ratings through the roof (YouTube views count as ratings right???).

But I digress, you can watch the latest webisode below and let us know your thoughts. I'm willing to bet after you see it for yourself, you'll realize that Ron Burgandy isnt the only one who hangs out with Merlin Olsen on occasion. Let's be honest for a second - I have many leather bound books, and people are starting to know me. It would be foolish to think I wasn't a big deal.

I'm beginning to think if Twista made a guest appearance on the show that we might be able to re-celebritize (?) him since he's clearly fallen off - guess that overnight celebrity promise came with a curfew. Anyway, check it out and feel free to leave comments w/ suggestions on how we can make it better. We're always accepting reccomendations for improvements.

In other news, Iowa basketball beat Northwestern last night which potentially ruins their shot at their first ever NCAA tournament birth. If, and only if, they fail to make the tourney because of that loss will I be satisfied with it. That win would garner a little bit of payback after NW has savagely employed the Pat Fitzgerald game plan of knocking Iowa's best football player out of the game the last two years to steal two victories. The football team will get their revenge soon, but if we can screw their chances of dancing than I'm all for it. Bring on Purdon't and the best player in the country, Chris Kramer! (Final Four sleeper this year btw)

OVC Insider - We do Big Boy things in this office

Fresh 35 Does Rifle

The Ohio Valley Conference Rifle Championship is this weekend on the campus of Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. Evidently, the OVC is the only Division I conference to sponsor rifle. Rifle is also a mixed gender sport, so that's unique. I've never seen a rifle competition before in my life so this is sure to be...interesting, to say the least... I'm currently set up in a 25x15 brick room with no windows, beneath the football stadium. I can hear the crack of the rifles on the other side of the wall.

No Bruce, WE'VE got weapons

I wonder if the shooters visualize the targets as ex boyfriends or maybe that girl at the party last weekend who perfected the art of the tease but never delivered...regardless, I'm sure firing a rifle is a great way to relieve some stress and frustration.

Bruce Pearl misspoke when he said Tennessee's got weapons. Clearly the OVC's got weapons...don't mess with us yall....we're gunnin for ya - literally - okay, not literally, but you get the point. Good luck to all the shooters this weekend.

You Don't KNOW Me

"You Don't KNOW Me" is a chance for you to GET to know me. This week's posts will consist of relevant information from my life over the last decade, from high school to right now.

Monday - High School, Tuesday - Undergrad, Wednesday - Post Grad Internship, Thursday - Grad School, Friday - May 09 - Now

Part Five: On My Way

The Ohio Valley Conference offers non-paid internships each semester and during the summer. When I came on board with the OVC in June 2009, I was ready to make my mark. I was working with Jenn in Championships which I was thrilled about. There wasn't a whole lot to do in the summer, but there was plenty to keep me busy and plenty to learn.

The first time I approached the conference office and saw the OVC seal hanging on the wall behind the front desk I had to stop for a moment to reflect on all that I had been through over the past 9 years to get to this point. I was finally getting my opportunity at a conference office. I've always believed good things happen to those who work hard and this has only strengthened those beliefs.

Entrance to OVC Office

August was approaching which meant the start of a new academic year. My summer internship was drawing to a close. I spoke with Jenn about possibly staying on board for the fall internship, or even the entire year if she was alright with it. I was doing well enough that she thought me staying on board all year would make things easier for her and I would obviously get a lot out of it as well. I asked if I would be able to accompany her at all the championships throughout the year and Jenn was all for it.

Conference USA, in Irving, Texas had a posting for a Championships Intern for their academic year that I applied for earlier in the summer because I was unsure of how everything would turn out at the OVC. The C-USA internship was paid and since it was in Irving, I would be back in the Dallas area where I already knew some people. They called me for an interview, which went well, and the final selection once again came down to me and one other person. I told Jenn about the interview and we talked about my future with the OVC a little more in depth. At the OVC I would have the opportunity to have my hands in a lot more and work every championship event, where as C-USA only brought their interns to one or two championships. I decided that even if C-USA offered me the position, I would turn it down because I thought I would get more out of the OVC.Turns out, C-USA went with the other candidate anyway so everything worked out well.

I moved to Nashville the last week in May 2009 and started working for the OVC the first week in June. The last 8 months have been some of the most rewarding in my short professional career. I always had the inclination that I would enjoy conference work. The desire to help build a league rather than a single institution coupled with the thrill of amateur athletics at their finest has met my expectations. It's not very often that high expectations are met, but not only has the work met my expectations, it's exceeded them. I love what I'm doing with the OVC and the people I'm fortunate to work with are all great individuals and I look forward to continuing life long friendships with all of them once my time here is complete.

The only draw back is the financial aspect. Going back to what I said in yesterday's post about having a great friend in Josh that has allowed me to stay on with him for the duration of the internship has really made all of this possible and without his support and blessing I'm not sure what I would have done. We've worked out an agreement on rent and other expenses and I looked for a part time job as soon as I got settled. I looked into temporary employment services, agencies, I walked in to retail jobs, I've looked for work with golf clubs, sought opportunities through conference connections - the whole gamut and the only promising lead was (hate to admit this) Bed, Bath & Beyond.

I remember walking into the store 25 minutes from where I stay in Nashville thinking, "I'll apply there because of the women who are sure to come through." I got the job and I was right, women do come through, but they're often twice my elder...talk about your all time back fires. The work itself is easy, but the minimum wage, distance from home, working 4-11PM and other facets of the job make it challenging at times. I think the biggest issue is that I've finally found what I want to do in terms of work, due to my time with the conference, yet I'm stuck putting freight away at Bed, Bath & Beyond to support myself. It comes with the territory and what I'm gaining in experience at the OVC more than makes up for the lack of financial help - I'm confident it will work itself out down the road, again, good things happen to those who work hard.

Its been ten years since I started my formal education in 2000 at Pleasant Valley High School. By the time I was a Junior I already knew I wanted to work in collegiate athletics. I chose a college that best suited my career aspirations instead of the University I grew up admiring and always saw myself attending. I moved to Texas and turned down my first real job offer. I completed half my MBA work in one of the most frustrating and stressful years of my life. I did all of this in pursuit of an opportunity at a conference office. The time working with OVC has been amazing and I enjoy every day I go to work there. Even though I feel I've accomplished a lot in this last decade just to get to this point, there is one thought that continually resounds in my head as my internship begins down the final stretch. I haven't accomplished anything. I haven't arrived. This is a starting point. All the work it has taken to get here was necessary but the conclusion of this internship will mark a new beginning, a fresh 35, if you will, into the business of collegiate athletics.

I'm not sure what the next step is but I know I'm going to make every effort to enjoy the ride. My hope is that this week long intro has allowed you the chance to see where I'm coming from and give you a reason to follow me on this ride because if the next decade is anything like the past ten years, than I know its going to be one hell of a ride so feel free to take up residency on this blog and share your thoughts, feelings, and your own personal stories if you've got em and hopefully together we can find our way down the winding road of intercollegiate athletics.

Tell a friend

You Don't KNOW Me

"You Don't KNOW Me" is a chance for you to GET to know me. This week's posts will consist of relevant information from my life over the past decade from high school to right now.
Monday - High School, Tuesday - College, Wednesay - Post Grad Internship, Thursday - Grad School, Friday - May 09 - Now

Part 4: There & Back Again

The best thing about my time at Quincy University as an under grad was the friendships I made. There are many things that can make college challenging for someone and whenever I was going through something, I had plenty of friends to help pick me up. Upon my return to QU, most of the friends I made from 2003-2007 had moved on. Due to graduations and defections, most of the younger guys from the basketball team had left. My two assistant managers were still on campus as well as a former player who was finishing up his last semester in the fall. Aside from those three, the only existing relationships I had with any students were a few players from the women's basketball team. I wasn't too bothered by it because I viewed myself as part of the staff and didn't want to run around a small campus with the current students, making a fool of myself. I had my fun the first time around, I didn't need to relive the glory days.

Mike and I picked up where we left off and I hit the ground running. I was in charge of all aspects of the intramural program. The two biggest challenges with running the school's intramural program was getting students signed up for events, and getting them to show up for events. Everyone thinks it would be fun to do this event or that event, so they sign up, but inevitably a few teams always fall by the way side and it ends up throwing a wrench in the scheduling. That was easily the biggest headache for me.

The work load wasn't bad and I was familiar with the way we ran our intramurals, so that aspect of my year wasnt overly challenging. The stress I encountered that year came from everything else. I don't want people to think I'm just a whiner and complainer because I'm very lucky to have experienced all that I have and very appreciative of Mike and Quincy for giving me the opportunity to work on my MBA, but that was easily the toughest year I've ever had. The school took care of room and board, I had a free meal plan and no tuition. That's a hell of a deal when you're looking at the cost of getting your masters from a private institution. All benefits aside, I still needed money for my personal expenses so I looked for a part time job and found one working at a Hibbett Sports in the Quincy Mall (They've got it all...). I made minimum wage and only worked a few mornings a week since all my classes were at night and rarely on weekends because the majority of the intramural events took place on the weekends.

Quincy offered an accelerated Masters program and you could very easily earn your degree in one calendar year. Evidently my Sport MANAGEMENT degree didn't fulfill all the prerequisite requirements for all the MBA classes so I was forced to take a few under grad classes as well as a class at a local community college in order to be eligible for the 2nd trimester in the MBA program. Another problem arose when you look at the conflicting schedules. The MBA courses were on a trimester schedule and the undergrad classes were semester. During the first trimester I took one MBA class, two undergrad classes through quincy (they would only pay for 3 at a time) and one class at the community college. Once the first trimester ended, I gained three MBA classes in addition to my three undergrad classes. Between working with intramurals, a part time job, 2 afternoon undergrad classes, 4 night classes, intramural events after the night classes and on the weekends, you wold be safe in saying I was a little busy.

I was still pretty bummed about how I blew the interview for the Missouri Valley Conference internship when Mr. Elgin called me one september afternoon. I was surprised that it was Doug calling and even more surprised when I learned it was about a job opening in their office. The job was in Championships - the mother ship was calling me home! Doug was surprised himself when he learned that I was no longer in Texas and back at Quincy workings towards my MBA. I had never had any set plan about when I would go back to school. I always assumed I would wait until I was settled in a job somewhere and chip away at a few classes each year but clearly, I was open to going back full time and much sooner as well. So when I learned there may be a job at the MVC, the last thing I was worried about was my MBA - there would be time for that later I thought. Turns out, I put the cart before of the horse again and the position went to someone else. Doug hadn't realized I had made a commitment to my alma mater and felt bad for dangling the carrot. I have to admit, losing out on that job hurt, but it wasn't all for naught. Doug invited me down to St. Louis to help with their conference championship tournament in the March and I jumped at the chance to do so.

The academic year drug on and the weather turned cold - to say I missed the warmth of Texas would be an understatement. During the short time I was wrestling with the idea of potentially leaving school for a job with The Valley, I found out that if you have 60% of the course work completed at Quincy, you can transfer in the other 40% and get your degree. If I passed all of my classes that year I would be sitting at 60%. I could stay on for the summer, paying my own way of course, and get that number up to 90% and finish the degree the following fall or Mike was open to letting me come back in the same capacity the following year and I could skip the summer work and finish the 40% the next year. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I was always told it never hurts to apply for other opportunities so apply is what I did.

I had made contact with Jennifer Brost at the Ohio Valley Conference in the Nashville, Tennessee area at some point prior. I usually try to keep up with contacts I make because the old adage: "it's not what you know but who you know" may not be 100% accurate, but there is certainly some truth to it. I put out the feelers about what opportunities were available at the OVC and many other conferences for that matter. I was pleasantly surprised with the responses I was getting this time around. I started contacting championship personnel in conference offices directly with a quick run down of who I was, what I've done and what I'd like to do. I found that making these connections was much easier and more rewarding the second time around. Jennifer and I kept up communication for a while and she asked if I would be interested in interviewing for a spring internship with the OVC and I reluctantly passed because even though the MBA wasn't necessarily my top priority, I thought I would have effectively wasted my year if I didn't follow through with completing at least 60% of the coursework. Jenn informed me that they were always looking for interns and they would be looking for a summer intern in the spring if I was interested.

Spring came and with it, the MVC basketball tournament in St. Louis. The experience of finally seeing first hand just how a conference office works coupled with the thrill of a tournament the caliber of the Missouri Valley Conference was an experience I'll remember for a long time. I worked hard that weekend, escorting cheerleaders and dancers from every participating school. I don't mind tellin ya, best job at the tournament. I finally met Doug in person, as well as Drew, the gentleman who had been chosen for the job I was called about. I never let it slip that I was called because, quite frankly, it was totally irrelevant by that time. He was doing a good job as far as I could tell and I started thinking that while that job would have been awesome, I wasn't sure just how ready I would have been to do it as well as he had. I also met the intern they chose instead of me and I have to admit, Bobby Thomas was a great choice. I'm not sure I would have done as great of a job as he had, but the great thing about it is I've learned a thing or two from all every person I've worked with and continue to learn little things that truly make a difference. Bobby and I built up a nice repore and I was pleased to see him become the next Director of Operations for the MVC after Drew left to persue new opportunities.

Spring break at Quincy happened to start the same weekend as the MVC tournament so I took a little vacation after my St. Louis stay to Dallas, Texas to visit some old friends. When I returned to the Mid-West I was ready figure out the next step. I applied for two conference internships that included my recent experience with the MVC. One application went to Brandon Neff at the Southern Conference in South Carolina for the 2009-10 year and the other was to Jenn, who was now going by Jennifer Gibbs after her marriage, at the Ohio Valley Conference for a summer internship. Both interviews went great, a far cry from the terrible interview I had a few months prior. It didn't take Jenn and the OVC long to decide what they wanted to do. After they completed their interviews I received an offer from her to participate in their summer internship. I accepted on what has been one of the happiest days in my life to date. Because the OVC gig was only a summer position and non paid, I waited to hear what happened on the SoCon front since their internship was a year long and paid. Brandon called within a week of the OVC news and informed me that it had come down to me and one other person and they went with the other candidate. No one likes rejection, so I wasn't thrilled to have been beaten out, but I can't begin to describe how excited I was to finally be getting my chance at a division I conference.

Between the busy schedule I kept at school, the run down house with mice, bats, and other fun creatures, the lack of a social outlet, and my general dislike with where I was living, I was thrilled to finally be rewarded with a long awaited opportunity. Things would get worse before they got better. My last class of the year began to spiral out of control. In hindsight I should have been more selective in who I partnered with in class projects and without revealing too many details, suffice it to say there was a problem with our final project which didn't help in a class that I was already struggling in. I only received one D in my entire academic career on any level. It just so happens that one D was in my last MBA class and because I wasn't able to maintain the set requirements, I never got credit for that class and left Quincy in May with only 50% of the required coursework needed to earn my MBA through Quincy.

I'm not sure how I'll go about finishing the degree but I know I'll finish it before the 5 year deadline I had when I started. Whether I take one more class through Quincy and transfer the rest in, or transfer the credits from Quincy to a different institution remains to be seen, but its a degree I set out to earn long ago and I have every intention of doing just that.

That May I moved out of Quincy, Illinois for the second time, excited about what adventures lay ahead. A bit of goodluck came way of a life long friend living in Nashville who permitted me to stay at his place for the duration of the summer internship. The term "brother" is tossed around a lot to describe close friendships and Josh Guinn and I have personified that term since we met in 3rd grade back in Iowa. His support and friendship has been imperative to my success at the OVC. If it weren't for Josh's kindness and support, it's very likely there would not be a part five of this series to discuss, but because he's my boy and all, there is a part five and we'll dive into that and wrap this puppy up tomorrow.

Thanks for checkin in today and I'll hollar at you tomorrow on Fresh 35. As always, tell a friend.

You Don't KNOW Me

"You Don't KNOW Me" is a chance for you to get GET to know me. This week's posts will consist of relevant information from my life over the past decade from high school to right now.
Monday - High School, Tuesday - Undergrad, Wednesday - Post Grad Internship, Thursday - Grad School, Friday - May 09 - Now

Part 3: Mean, Green & A Brand New Scene

During my senior of year at Quincy I applied for an internship with the NCAA office in Indianapolis. I didn't get the any of the internships they offer, nor did I even get a call - there may have been a rejection letter, I don't remember. On a side note, I had applied for a lot of internships and jobs in the field by this time and accumulated a lot of rejection letters - all of which I still have - nothing motivates you like being told you're not good enough. I like to joke that I didn't get the NCAA internship because I'm a white male but the truth of the matter is, everyone one of those interns selected had far more experience than I did. "Get as much practical experience that you can." Those words spoken to me more than 5 years ago continued to ring true.

After my NCAA set back, I began searching the NCAA job market website and applied for dozens of internships around the country from Oregon to South Florida. I've never enjoyed the cold weather that the mid-west harbors for half the year so in a perfect world I would find something in the South, but I wasn't opposed to living in the North West or the Colorado area. I've never been west of Nebraska, but I hear its gorgeous once you get into the mountains, so I would have been open to moving there. I found that the process of selecting an intern is a long and tedious one if you're on the outside looking in. I would apply for something shortly after it was posted and wait 2 or 3 months in some instances before hearing anything back. I knew I had accomplished some things in my short time in athletics but I more or less assumed I would be fighting an uphill battle to land a good internship. I know my mother was drinking the Kool-Aid because she assumed I would be able to walk out of Quincy with a degree and right into a job somewhere, sadly that was not the case.

I started working as a bartender on a river boat cruise called The Twilight which ran from Le Claire, Iowa, up river to Dubuque, Iowa. We would stay over night in Dubuque at our little company owned house while the passengers enjoyed some gambling and water sports in a new hotel right on the river. The next day we would re-board and sail back to LeClaire. It was fun at first becaue it was new and informational but it quickly lost its luster and I was getting more and more discouraged as the rejection letters piled up. It wasn't until I received a call one morning while in Dubuque from John Gibson at the University of North Texas that my luck began to change.

My Sport Management professor, Ivan, always talked about the easiest way to break into the industry is through ticket sales or concessions. I took his advice and applied for just about every ticket job I saw posted. There was only one concessions job that I remember seeing and even though I was never particularly fond of the idea of working with food, I knew I needed to get on somewhere and beggers can't be choosers. John and I set up an interview and it wasn't a few days later that I received another call, this time from the ticket office at Oklahoma State. I was not able to take that call since I was working at the time and after I tried to get back with them we ended up playing phone tag so nothing ever materialized but it didn't matter because my interview with John went great and I was optimistic he would offer me the position. After he concluded his interviews we spoke again and sure enough, John asked me to move to Denton, Texas to help with his concessions opeartion starting that August.

I was finally in the door somewhere and it felt great. I was excited about the move to a new state, (Texas of all places - in the Dallas Metroplex) to get a new start. My Dad was in Dallas on business one week over the summer and I flew down to meet him and look for an apartment, which we did without too many headaches. Shortly after returning home, we rented a U-Haul, loaded my stuff and set off for the Lone Star State. The drive took two days and was pretty miserable but the excitement of what lay ahead kept me in high spirits.

I started working the first week in August, 2007 and it was hot - just the way I like it. I was going to be in charge of hiring a staff and managing them at our soccer and softball games, managing program sellers at all football games, managing one of the three stands used at men's and women's basketball games, graduations, and other various events held at the UNT Coliseum, I helped with track, and ran the stands at the spring football game. As the year wore on I was given more responsibility and started ordering the product we were selling. I dealt with all the money in our account, helped with promotional efforts, and there was even a little towel laundry to make me feel right at home. The biggest event I was able to plan happened to be the highest revenue earner of the year; a dance competition that fields teams from all over the world. It was three days without sleep, but it was a great opportunity to get some real world experience.

There were some hard times at North Texas. I learned first hand just how time consuming it can be to work in an athletic department. At Quincy I was involved only with the men's basketball team, so while it was a time commitment, there was at least an off season where things weren't as hectic. When I was working in concessions, I had to cater to almost every sport, which meant my nights and weekends were booked for the majority of the year. There were a few people I called on for guidance and perspective but one person stood out for me again.

I don't know how many times Doug Elgin and I spoke on the phone or through email since I first made contact with him in college but there has been no more important conversation than one I had with him while I was at North Texas. I explained to him how its great working for a school, I really love the atmosphere, the people are great, etc. but I still had this desire to see what a conference job would be like. He began to tell me about how he first got involved in conference work and the conversation lasted well over 30 minutes, which I still find remarkable since we had never formally met, only through emails and phone calls. The talk really helped and it only strengthened my desire to get involved in conference work before it was too late. I know how way leads on to way and I was worried that if I'm not able to at least try conference work before long, I may never have the chance to do so.

In March, John informed me that he had been offered a position at Texas A&M in College Station, which is where he was from originally, working in a similar capacity. It was a dream of his to work for A&M and he took the job after much thought. John is an honorable man and he didn't want anyone thinking that he was turning his back on North Texas because he really had done a great job of building the concessions operations and had plans in place to enhance them once their new football stadium is complete, but the opportunity to get closer to home and work for his dream school was too compelling. In April, John was gone and I was in charge of the concessions operations after only 8 months of experience. I was excited for the opportunity and wanted to show everyone that I was capable of running the stands just as well, if not better than John. They posted a job opening for the position which received plenty of feedback and applicants. I put in my application and I must have proven my worth during that interim period because I was offered the job.

There was an interesting turn of events that began to take place after John left. I was unsure how everything would play out and began sending out resumes and applying for jobs, graduate assistant positions and internships for the next year. I kept in close contact with the man I worked for at my first internship at the Quincy Health & Fitness Center, Mike Davis. I told Mike about everything that had been happening and he told me there may be an opportunity opening up at Quincy to be his graduate assistant and run the Intramural program. I was heavily involved in the intramural program as a student, both as a participant but also because alot of the work I did during my summer internship was for intramurals. Shortly after discovering that, I received an email from a gentleman at the Missouri Valley Conference indicating they were looking for an intern because, as stated in yesterday's post, the Women's Final Four was being hosted by the MVC the next year.

I was 23 years old when I was asked if I wanted to be the next Director of Concessions for North Texas. The thought of being a Director of anything at a D1 program at that point in my life thrilled me and had it not been for the email I received from The Valley a few days prior, I may still be in Texas instead of where I'm at now, writing this blog but becasue the MVC sought out me, I felt that I had a great chance at the opportunity to work with them and I turned down the first real job offer I ever had. My parents have always supported whatever it was I wanted to do, so they didn't say anything, but I know they would have liked for me to be earning a steady salary, instead I threw caution to the wind and walked away from a sure thing in pursuit of a what had gradually become a dream of mine.

I haven't regretted turning down the job for one day but I sure questioned myself after I interviewed for the internship with the MVC. I prepared for the phone interview just as I had with all my prior interviews but I wanted this one so badly. Once I got on the call, I completely bombed. After their third question, they had heard enough and within 5 minutes of the interview I was already eliminated. I was pissed! I worked so hard to get to that point and pissed it down my leg in a matter of minutes. All I ever wanted was an opportunity. I have always felt confident that if I can get an interivew, I can close the deal. This interview with the MVC though was hands down the worst interview of my life. I didn't know what to do but time was running out.

North Texas brought someone in to replace John and I agreed to stay on through July to help get her acclimated. In desperation, I turned to Mike Davis who had been sitting on his graduate assistant position, waiting to hear how things shook out with the MVC. Once I told him that the MVC was no longer an option he offered me the position and I took it. I had always planned on getting my Masters so I didn't consider this a step back, even if it did mean going back to the city that I was thrilled to be leaving a year ago.

Nearly one year to the day that I moved to Texas, I moved back home. There were still a few matter that needed to be cleared up in terms of being Mike's Graduate Assistant. I had to write an essay and take the GMAT, which terrified me since school started in 2 weeks and I hadn't opened a textbook in over a year. I studied as much as I could in a span of 10 days and drove to Iowa City one afternoon to take the test. Math has never been a strong point for me so I was worried the math section of the test would ruin me, but thankfully the I did well enough in the grammar section to offset the math portion and I passed on the first try. I got word to the Masters Program Chair at Quincy right away and prepared to move back in only a couple days.

When I pulled up to the old, beat up, University owned house I would be living at in Quincy for the next year I remember thinking I would be in for a long year. Did I make the right decision in turning down the job offer? As I said, I've never regretted it, but I sure did question it occasionally.

My year in North Texas was incredible. I got great work experience and met some amazing people along the way. It was the first time I was able to work with other interns and we all had a lot of similiarities and all of us were busting our ass to break into the business. The internship paid 1,000 a month so I was able to support myself a little bit, but I sure wasn't living like a King. My apartment was an efficiency setup and only 500 sq. ft. The monthly rent was just over $500 a month, so my money didn't go far. It was comforting to know I wasn't alone though. I was able to cultivate a friendship that is as strong as any friend I ever made growing up or in college. A fellow intern and friend, Alan Thornton, who coincidentally was also offered a position at North Texas and accepted it, helped to acclimate me to a new setting. Texas was great, but it was far from home, so to make a friend who was also in a similar scenario was a big help.

I was starting to fill up my resume with quality work. The desire to work for a conference still held a tight grip on me and I wasn't sure if I would ever get the opportunity to work for one. Was I starting back at square one in Quincy? What was the next step? Check back tomorrow to find out how I handled a very trying year.

You Don't KNOW Me

"You Don't KNOW Me" is a chance for you to GET to know me. This week's posts will consist of relevant information from my life over the past decade from high school to right now.

Monday - High School, Tuesday - Undergrad, Wednesday - Post Grad Internship, Thursday, Grad School, Friday - May 09 - Now

Part Two: Q-Town

Quincy University is a small, Franciscan University located in Quincy, Illinois. It's located on the Mississippi river and roughly 2 hours north of St. Louis. The city of Quincy left something to be desired during my time there, but I managed. I am well aware of the stereotypes that exist about Iowa - nothing but farmers, whole lotta corn, etc. and while I won't say thats not the case, there are large cities in the state and I happen to be from one. The Quad Cities, made up of two cities in Eastern Iowa (Davenport & Bettendorf) and two in Western Illinois (Moline & Rock Island). The 4 cities run together to create one metropolitan area, housing around 377,000 people, so while it's not New York, it sure as hell isn't a corn field either. Moving to Quincy, which houses only 40,000 by comparison, was a change of pace for me that I didn't particularly enjoy. In an effort to stress my discontent to my mother, I once remarked, facetiously, "they don't even have a Best Buy here!" They must be growing though because the day I was driving home as a graduate, Best Buy opened their doors in Quincy.

So while the town wasn't my favorite, I knew it would only be four short years and I would spend the majority of my time on campus so it wouldn't be as bad as I tried to make it seem. I already knew what I was going to be studying so I tried to schedule other classes that would best compliment my Sport Management degree. I took alot of small business and entrepreneur classes which really tied in nicely. My very first class freshman year was a new program the school had started called FYE or freshman year experience. I guess the concept makes sense - try to acclimate kids to college life - but in reality, the class was without any real substance. The only great thing about it was the teacher I had been assigned to. Pat Atwell was the Athletic Director of the Quincy Hawks and every week our class would congregate in the conference room of the athletic department to talk about whatever it was that Coach Atwell (he was the baseball coach prior to his time as AD) deemed relevant. I also took a class in the sport management curriculum with Coach Atwell, which I was happy to do. If there was any one person at the University that I thought I should get to know, Coach Atwell was it.

Towards the end of my freshman year it was brought to my attention that I wasnt really getting any practical experience in the field like Ol' Bob had told me to do a few years prior. Sure, I was going to class and doing well in them but I wasn't really involved in anything else. Having participated in three sports for four years of high school and rarely having much free time, I saw college as a chance to just be a student and live that fantasy college life - roll out of bed, go to class, go to parties, go to bed, rinse, repeat. It was a nice thought, but the love I have for the game of basketball eventually won out.

There were times I would be in the HFC (health & fitness center) playing pick up games or working out and would see the men's team practicing. I usually stared for a lil while, disecting what they were doing, comparing my old practice routines to theirs and so on. A friend of mine saw me and remarked how he could tell I missed it just by looking at me. He was right too, I did miss it. I talked with my former high school coach about what it was to be a manager on a college basketball staff because I didn't want to be stuck doing laundry and getting water for players during games or any of the other things that don't look all that appealing, if at all. Unfortunately, laundry came with the gig, but he convinced me that I would be great at it and there were so many other positives to it that I would be foolish to not try it. Shortly after the conversation with my former coach, I talked to my neighbor next door in our dorm, who was on the team about being a manager and he told me they could probably use the help. The next day I walked into the coach's office and asked if I could help. He responded with a big smile and "Yes. Where ya been all year!?"

I waited for the season to end before I ever talked to head coach Marty Bell, but there was plenty of work to be done after the season wraped up. My own experience consisted of moving on to track after basketball season; in college, I was introduced to year round basketball and if I thought high school basketball as a player was a time commitment, I was in for a rude awakening as a manager on a college staff.

The only other manager at the time was Bryant Biasotti. Bia took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. He would tell me which players wouldn't look at me as "just a manager" and who I should be weary of. He passed on more than a few crappy jobs to me but I figured I would need to know how to do all of it anyway since he was a senior and I would be running the show the next two years. I still give him a hard time about that, but he always had my back. When our new assistant coach came down on me for encouraging the players during an individual session, (apparently I wasn't allowed to talk when a coach was on the floor??) it was Bia who marched up to Coach Bell's office and told him he wasn't going to have his managers treated that way. The whole thing may have been blown out of proportion, but the gesture meant alot. Bia and I still talk almost daily about all kinds of things but inevitably we fall back into a discussion about who was the better manager almost monthly. There's nothing wrong with being number 2 Bia...

I was starting to get involved and it was with good people. Things were going in the right direction and I could tell the decision to join on with the basketball team was going to pay dividends down the road. It must have been after my first March with the team my Sophomore year that I started to see myself working in a different capacity than that of Athletic Director. I'm not entirely sure when the thought crept into my head but I'm almost positive it happened shortly after our conference basketball tournament and subsequent NCAA division II tournament game. The allure of the championship atmosphere was too great. The highs and lows experienced at a championship venue are unlike any I have ever had. The idea of working for a conference office had never resided in my mind up to that point and now, it's the only thing I want to do. Once I fully grasped the concept of a conference office planning and hosting multiple championship events all year I knew I had to find a way to be a part of it. I had no way of knowing if it was something I would ultimately like or not because I had never even considered it before and definitely had no experience with it, but I was determined to find out.

After our season ended in the NCAA tournament, I began doing research for my required internship in the field. I was aware that there probably wasn't a whole lot going on in a conference office in the summer, but that was the only time I had to complete one and since I knew I didn't need to do my internship until the summer before my senior year, I thought it would be wise to call various conference offices and put out some feelers about summer internships. Hell, I didn't know if conferences even offered internships - the whole conference office venue was foreign to me, but I desperately wanted to find out what it was like in a conference so I could compare it to a university's athletic department, which I was getting pretty familiar with at Quincy.

I always try to plan ahead, and the internship search was no different. I made a list of about twenty division I or II conferences around the country with names, addresses, phone numbers, email address - everything, and started calling each conference in search of an answer to a simple question: "Do you have an internship program?" I wasn't exacty sure who I should be trying to contact in these offices, it's not like their websites say "So & So, Associate Commissioner of Something - contact for internship information" so I did my best and aimed for someone with a high ranking title who I assumed would be in the know. I even tried to get in touch with the commissioners themselves at one point because of all the run around I was getting. Not one conference ever answered my question straight up. That is, until Fall of my Junior year when I was eating dinner in my apartment and my phone rang. The caller on the line was the commissioner of the Missouri Valley Conference, Doug Elgin.

The Valley offices are located in St. Louis and being that STL was only a 2 hour drive from campus it was the most logical place for me to intern. What's more, Coach Bell came from Drake University, which is a member in the the MVC and knew Doug well enough to pass on a good word about me. The Valley also hosted the 2005 Final Four, which I attended with my father. Unfortunately, as I suspected there wasn't much to do during the summer so there was no opportunity readily available. I was told that they do have interns and that I should apply for the following year because The Valley was going to be hosting an NCAA Men's Regional. My mouth was watering at the thought of working with the MVC as they hosted the one of regionals the only problem was that I was going to be a senior so it would not be possible. The silver lining though was that they would be hosting the Women's Final Four in 2009. Doug told me he was impressed by me and respected me for having the courage to contact him directly about a job. We've since kept in touch and he has proven to be a great mentor to me in my pursuit of a career in intercollegiate athletics.

with my pops at the 2005 final four

Ultimately, I was not able to secure an internship with a conference. Coach Atwell set me up with a guy from the Detroit Pistons, which would have been a fun summer in Auburn Hills, but the work was a lot of cold calling and sales which didn't interest me. He told me that he would put me in touch with the basketball operations staff though which I was excited about. The time to select my internship was drawing closer though, and by the time I heard back from the Pistons's operations guy, I had already commited to working with the director of our Health & Fitness Center and being a man of my word, I didn't want to go back on my agreement even if working with an NBA club would have been a great experience.

The internship at the HFC was educational, but it was directed more at running a health club or community gym than anything I was interested in, which was a given going in. The internship did help set up an opportunity a few years down the road however, so I'm glad I did it on more than one level.

In all, I'm glad I chose Quincy to study Sport Management. Ivan Paul, the Sport Management professor, left shortly after I graduated which made me thankful I attended when I did. In addition, the basketball team won a regular season championship, competed in 3 conference tournaments and 3 NCAA tournaments in my 3 years with the program, a first in school history. I know I never attempted a shot (which is probably why we were successful), but I like to pretend I was the reason for the success when arguing with Bia. If i had gone to a school like Iowa, I probably would have had a hard time getting involved with the basketball team and certainly wouldn't have been in charge as early as I was at Quincy. The experiences I had and the contacts I made while in school proved to outweigh the drab environment I found myself in. I wasn't sure what the next step would be but I was certain I would need another internship before I could land a job. A few months later I learned where I would be spending the next year and I couldn't have been more excited for a new opportunity to prove my worth.

Tomorrow's post will deal with that next step and shouldnt be quite as long. A lot happened in the 4 years at Quincy so I apologize if the post ran a little long.

Thanks for stopping in today and as always, tell a friend

You Don't KNOW Me

"You Don't KNOW Me" is a chance for you to GET to know me. This week's posts will consist of relevant information from my life over the past decade from high school to right now.
Monday - High School, Tuesday - Undergrad, Wednesday - Post Grad Internship, Thursday - Grad School, Friday - May 09 - Now

Part One: Midwest Swing

Our story begins at Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, Iowa - home of the Spartans. I was just a young kid tryin to deal with the social awkwardness and anxieties that every adolescent faces. Whether we admit it or not, starting high school is a big deal and it was no different for me. It didn't take long for me to adjust though and I found my routine almost instantly. The constant for me in those days has proven to be the same constant for me my entire life - sports.

I ran cross country, played basketball and sprinted in track all four years of high school. Growing up I participated in all kinds of sports including football, golf, floor and roller hockey, bowling, soccer - you name it, chances are I've tried it. It can be cliche, but sports really were my life. If I wasn't out playing a sport, odds were pretty good that I was watching one.

Some things never change either. When I was growing up, Saturdays meant one thing - Iowa football, which is still entirely too true today. This was near the end of Hayden Fry's run as head coach. I still rememeber vividly leaving for Iowa City first thing in the morning to tailgate. It was only an hour long drive, which seemed like a long time for a young fanatic anxious to see his Hawkeyes play. I can still hear the trumpet player behind us in the North Endzone of Kinnick Stadium playing his little tune that the marching band has now taken as if it were their own. I played trumpet in elementary school and that man is absolutley the reason why. I can still smell the free pork burgers on melrose and melrose. The taste of a cold Coca~Cola in an Iowa cup is still on my tongue. I can still see Tim Dwight racing along the sidelines for a touchdown while all of us in the stands celebrate. I lived and died Iowa football then, in fact, I still do. Iowa doesn't have any professional sports teams so for a state with the population the size of Iowa, the Hawkeye football program was it. Being in Iowa City was my first look at what big time athletics was like and even though I didn't know it at the time, it impacted my life in a way few things ever have.

I don't know if alot of people can pinpoint the exact moment they figured out what they want to do with their life but I can. I was playing my NCAA football 2k-something on dreamcast and I was in AD mode, which meant nothing to me other than it was a dynasty mode. After playing a while though, it finally clicked - some people actually have jobs where they run college athletics. Boom, done. The light turned on and everything clicked. I told my mother about my recent revelation and she must have thought it was a decent idea because she came home a few days later with a few books about jobs in sports. We flipped through the books to get an idea of what jobs were out there but nothing really jumped off the page in terms of an ideal job title. It wasn't long after the epiphany that I had to figure out what I wanted to do for our school's job shadow program. We were fortunate in that there was one administrator who's soul responsibility was to line up job shadowing opportunities for students. I came to her with my request. It consisted of one name and one name only. "I want to shadow Iowa Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby." I told her. I'm sure the request for a high profile athletic administrator was one of the very first she had received in that field. I was skeptical that she would have the ability to pull it off but to my surprise she did just that and one day in the spring my parents drove me to Iowa City in the morning to hang out with Bob Bowlsby for half a day and see just what it was to be an AD, at a Big Ten program no less. I was ecstatic.

I can probably point to this experience as the reason I chose to pursue a career in intercollegiate athletics. I met Iowa football head coach Kirk Ferentz and stood by as he, Bob, contractors, administrators and I all toured a potential site for a new training table for the football team. I received an in depth tour of Carver-Hawkeye arena where the basketball, wrestling and volleyball teams compete. I met then Iowa basketball head coach Steve Alford. For a young hawkeye fanatic, the trip was not only educational it was AWESOME!! Before our morning together concluded, Bob gave me the best professional advice I had ever received to date. It was incredibly simple and yet utterly essential if I wanted to get anywhere. "Get as much practical experience you can." He told me. I came home transcended. I had a new outlook and new drive. Frivilous things from my youth began to fall away and I started thinking about what I need to do to get to where Bob Bowlsby is. Also, Mr. Bowlsby was head of the NCAA Tournament selection committee in 2005 which is clearly the sweetest committee one can head.

So after seeing first hand how an AD spends their time I was focused on figuring out how to become one myself. I spent spring break of my Junior year traveling around the midwest to look at schools with a sport management program. When I say midwest, I really mean within a 3 hour radius from my house because mama put her foot down. I finally settled on Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois (3 hours away...) due to the Sport Management professor, Ivan Paul. He brought enthusiasm and a clear passion for his craft and it was contagious. The other schools couldn't compete with Ivan and as much as I always wanted to go to Iowa where I could submerge myself in Iowa athletics almost daily, I thought I would be far better suited to go to school for the education rather than the smoking hot women and kick ass tailgates...besides, U of Iowa was only a 2 hour ride away and yes, we made the trip a few times.

So I was set. I had chosen my college and my course of study before I was a senior. I began looking at sports in a whole new way and had one goal in mind - become Iowa's next Athletic Director. Hey, I can dream, can't I? Regardless, that dream will not be coming to fruition any time soon since Bowlsby left Iowa for Stanford in 2006 and was replaced by Iowa's current AD, Gary Barta and because I no longer want to be an AD which I'll explain in tomorrow's college segment. By the time my senior year ended, I was ready for a change and to start walking down the path I had chosen. In august of 2003, I took my first step.

Check back tomorrow for part two and while you're at it...tell a friend