Personal Narrative: My Experience At Vanderbilt Athletics

At this point in the semester, I am five weeks into my practicum. Throughout the past five weeks I have come to learn a lot from Tyler, the Sports Coordinator at the Y. One of the biggest surprises that I have learned from this experience is the amount of time and team effort it takes to be a sports coordinator. While at the Y I have helped Tyler run and supervise different sports programs for the youth and with every new program there is more and more work that goes into it. When I started at the Y, there was already a session in progress. Each session is eight weeks in duration and there are several programs within the session. Now that the previous session has ended Tyler is showing me how to create the next session. With this I have observed that there is a lot of team effort that goes into building these programs.

The Aggies and 'Dores are very similar with the Aggies slightly leading in points per game and defense. The Commodores hit a higher rate of 3-pointers and free throws than A&M. The visiting team also slightly edges the 'Dores in both rebounds and turnovers per game. While the Aggies lead in steals, Vanderbilt comes out on top in the blocks catergory. After solid competition, the Aggies have a staggering 12th ranked RPI.

Before coming to UGA, I was a huge LSU fan. My mother went to LSU, so I was exposed to LSU football at an early age. I loved watching LSU football on Saturdays, and still do. I would spend most of my Saturdays during the fall on the couch with my dad and brother watching LSU play. I remember how nervous I was for the 2008 BCS National Championship between LSU and Ohio State. That night was one of my most memorable nights. With my love of LSU football, I felt as if I could never learn to like another team.

Finally, Vanderbilt Athletics heavily benefits from the strength of the Vanderbilt brand when recruiting new student athletes, staff, and soliciting donations. This is demonstrating by their student athlete recruiting slogan, “The City. The Degree. The SEC.” This slogan acknowledges that Vanderbilt is the only school in the SEC that is located in a major city and according to US News & World Report, Vanderbilt is the highest ranked school in the SEC. These differentiating factors are heavily utilized when communicating with parents of potential recruits. The Director of Vanderbilt Athletics, Vice Chancellor David Williams, makes a promise to all players that if get recruited by a professional league or are injured, they can return to Vanderbilt later on and finish their degree. According to Vanderbilt Athletics, “as of spring of 2013, a total of 19 former Commodores have either received their degrees or are on track to graduate later this summer.” after leaving Vanderbilt to join the major leagues of their respective sports.

It was any other Ole Miss basketball game. I had gotten my box of popcorn and a huge, cold, fizzy coca-cola. I was in the same seat I always was, between my sister and my dad, and I had the same humongous guy sitting right in front of me. Even though I was only 7 and wasn’t actually sure what was going on, I still wanted to see what was happening! Of course, I wasn’t going to ask this person to move, I had no idea who he was but, that didn’t last much longer.

With a score of 44 to 37, the Varsity Football Team won against the Midway Panthers last Friday night at Waco.

November 14, 2015 was a day that I will never forget. It all started with a couple phone calls that I received and had to make a few weeks prior to November 14, 2015. During my summer of 2015, I received word that Rutgers University liked and was interested in me for baseball. I always saw the coaches and recruiting coordinators at my games, but never really knew that they were interested in me and wanted to keep watching me play. As the summer season ended I had to call the Rutgers Baseball Coach at a specific time so he would pick up. Due to NCAA recruiting rules, they could not call me, so that phone call had to be set up through the head coach of my travel team. Once I got hold of the coach, we talked for a few minutes and then he informed

It was great talking with you. I always enjoy meeting someone from SC. Plus you are a Gamecock fan like myself. I went to the A&M game last year when they came to town. Hopefully this season is better than the last one.

It was a little difficult to pick an event with my busy schedule and everything. I finally picked one though; it ended up being a female soccer game. The reason I choice this one is because I don’t really like watching sports, except paintball. Unfortunately, AUM doesn’t have a paintball team, and I didn’t want to watch men running around in shorts. The other reason I choice this event it was it at the home field, so I wouldn’t have to drive a distance to see it.

The clock winds down as time begins to run out for the Bulldogs. My skin was crawling, but not due to the cold breezes that flowed past, but because of the perturbed feelings that empowered my body. What were the possible thoughts running, no--racing through the minds of the players? My heart dashes in anticipation and pain for the team as the score reads 63-58. The Dog’s paint below their eyes stream down their face and smear, making it hard to figure out who wears the eye black and who just has a black eye from the rigorous fight. 1:27 reads on the clock. In my seat, I listen to the loud sounds of the Titans as they clash and collide for omnipotence. This game would be the end all be all for the world of college football for the season.

When I received the promotion to Director of Academics and the Assistant Athletic Director for Academics at Portland State I was required to keep the job responsibilities that were associated with my Academic Advisor position. This meant that not only was I responsible for job duties as an advisor but I was also given the responsibilities of the Academic department and supervising. I went from a case load of 150 students to over 300 and supervising a staff of just over 10. I had to learn to manage my time efficiently and effectively while being able to handle and manage crises that arose during the day or any impending deadlines. It was also not rare to receive requests from the University General Counsel, Athletic Director, NCAA, Compliance

Football at Dewitt High School is probably the biggest thing at our school. Friday nights, the town closes down and everyone is at the stadium. Being on varsity as a sophomore was a cool experience even tho I wasn't on at the beginning of the season. In my eyes football is the hardest sport for men athletes, the fear that someone is always behind you and that there is the constant fear that you wont be on your game for the scouts that are there. To get a D1 scholarship you must be a freak. The kids coming out of high school and into college are unreal. So many kids that have some talent, and their parents run with that idea of them getting a scholarship. I have seen with my own eyes kids break under the pressure of either their parents or other

The pressure was bearing down on me like nothing I’d ever experienced. My entire year, I thought, hinged on this one debate. My partner and I had put so much work into it, and I couldn’t bear letting him down. Then, everything fell apart as they announced the decision. “Congratulations to both teams for reaching the quarterfinals of the UGA Tournament, it is a 2-1 for the Affirmative from Gulliver.” We had lost. I lost. As soon as those words were delivered, my heart dropped into despair. Never mind that I had reached the quarterfinals, all the work and success that my partner and I had gone through felt erased with that big L.

What excites me about attending Loyola Blakefield is there sports programs. Also, the idea of them preparing me for my attendance, at one of my dream colleges. I attended a tryout on Loyola football field and it felt like I belong there, I am a great athlete, leader, a team player who can contribute to the sports program. From first grade to eighth, I have attended public school. The idea of attending a private all boys school is new to me; but I am ready to take on the challenge at Loyola

In an interview, former University of Connecticut (UConn) basketball star Shabazz Napier voiced his opinion on college athletes not getting paid to play. The interview was conducted just after UConn won a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship, in which Napier won the “most outstanding player” award. The interview conducted by Fox News was only one minute and thirty-five seconds long on TV, however in that short time frame, Napier skillfully used rhetoric to support his claims. An analysis through the lens of Aristotle’s three proofs, Ethos, Pathos and Logos demonstrates Napier’s aptitude to galvanize his audience to support his claims.