Bye Bye Bruins

Background

So, I started at Belmont in the fall of 2020. I was required to work internship hours to receive credit, so that I could graduate. My first year I was a Game Operations

intern for basically all sports at Belmont. This included basketball, volleyball, tennis, soccer, baseball, and softball. After that ended, I was scrambling to find something for the next year. So, I reach out to Coach Jarvis, seeing if he has anything. He told me that I could be a manager for the team which included hitting fungos, throwing BP, setting up practice, breaking down practice, and cleaning up the trash at Rose Park. Throughout the fall, I learned a lot from Andrew Rankin (the manager/data analytics guy). I learned how to dial in machines, figure out what Bauer Units are, set up Trackman, and more. Then, he just had to go and get a job with the Rome Braves. I was left to step up into a Director of Operations Role and work with other managers that we had on staff. When the spring came around, I had no idea how challenging this would be for me in my life. However, like my momma says, "If you commit to something, you're going to finish it. I'm so thankful that I did and here's a reflection of what it was like.

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Reflection

There was a lot asked of me. One practice would consist of being there a couple of hours before, setting up BP, dialing in machines, working on food orders if we were traveling, and doing whatever was needed of me while things were going on. Game days consisted of all the regular BP set up, putting up pads, putting up flags, hanging banners, cleaning out

dugouts, and bat testing. Travel weekends were the toughest because I had to load up all the equipment in my truck, take it over to another facility, load it on the bus, I had to handle the food that the guys were eating, go buy groceries, make sure Stone Selby had his goldfish and water, and make sure everyone had the equipment they needed when we got to the field. There were times I didn't want to continue. I already had a job lined up, I wasn't making any money, and I was ready for something new. The reason I stuck around to see it through is because of the people I got to work with. I learned so much coaching knowledge from AJ Gaura, Aaron Smith, and of course Coach Jarvis. They were tough on me but only prepared me for what is to come in Georgia. I learned even more from the guys on the team. I mean yes, they were extremely difficult to deal with at times, but goodness are they a team that I needed to learn from. We just wrapped our season up, finishing runner-up in the OVC Tournament. I saw this team come back from 7 down and walk it off.

Not a single player or coach ever thought they were out of the game. Bench players would come into the game and execute the role that was asked of them. Not one starter pouted, but they cheered on the guy that replaced them. Every player comes in the dugout, regardless of what they did at the plate, and says exactly what they saw. I learned that resiliency is a real thing in this special game. Those men today stood and stared at the other team dog piling. All I heard all week from those guys, as my heart rate was consistently at 160 bpm, was that it's just a game. I'm glad they thought so, but you could see that it's more than that when everyone is crying and sharing hugs after. They taught me about family, passion, and giving everything you can give without having anything left. They also showed me what character looks like. Those guys didn't have to stay back and pick up the trash in the dugout, but they did. They didn't have to play Mafia on the bus one last time, but they did. They didn't have to give me a hug and tell me thank you for all I had done, but they did. I love this team and will never forget this year with them.

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Thank You

Fellas, if you see this, I want to say thank you. Thank you for making me a Bruin fan for life. Thank y'all for taking me in and making me a part of the team. I never got a Senior Day at Maryville, and I got one at Rose Park. You guys made it feel like home, and I couldn't be more thankful that I got to share an amazing season with you guys. To the staff, thank you for growing me. I've developed so much as a coach from what I learned from y'all. Thank you for challenging me, supporting me, and preparing me for my future. To my managers, I love y'all. Thanks for putting in the hours of hard work to make the season what it was. Go on and be great next year! Belmont, I love you and thank you for these incredible two years.

Pictures

Questions

• What have you learned from a specific team? How did one team change your outlook on your mindset?

• Have you ever wanted to quit something but decided not to? What was the result?