Initial Thoughts

Hello! Welcome to my blog for my summer program across the UK in search of my future in the sports industry. I will be updating this page as often as I can with my whereabouts and the amazing experiences that I will be embarking upon. 


From the moment I was a kid, sports has always fascinated me. It was never politicians or prominent figures that stood as heroes to myself, it was athletes. And as I have grown older, I have matured that fascination into something more passionate, more concrete to this world. 


Discovering what lies behind the intricate plays on the court, or the critical decisions every general manager has to make, or the marketing techniques for a worldwide sport; this is what inspires me now. The fascination remains, but in a way that can and will impact this world larger than my own ability to bounce a ball or throw a pigskin. I have a dream to be the man behind those tough decisions that can build and grow those same dreams for a kid that I once had.


And so now, I depart this Friday for 7 weeks to Europe to begin this dream of mine. During my time overseas I will be taking sports management classes, working various sporting events, meeting sports executives all the while paving the course of my future in this competitive business. Alongside me will be 42 other students and four teachers. I cannot wait to share with all of you this incredible trip and I encourage you to not only follow my blog, but in doing so, be inspired to follow your dreams. 


Before I end, I would like to thank everyone who helped make this possible. Over the past 6 months I have worked tirelessly to make my attendance on this program a reality. First, thank you to the following donors who have already made a huge difference in my life: Jean Grossman, Greg Byrne and Family, Steve Hilton, and Shiela Schwartz. Second, I would like to thank a family friend, Paula Hardison, who has taken me under her wing and helped with her unbelievable spirit and financial aid. I could not have done this without you. Third, I would like to thank the University of Arizona Alumni Association. I will touch on them more in my future posts, but for those of you who have graduated, or who are current Wildcats, this is an organization that can and will change your life. Their belief in my own self as a student and Wildcat has given me the undoubted supports of an alumni base across the world. Thank you.


And lastly, a huge thank you to both my mother, my grandparents, my uncle, and my sister. As a young boy, you did all you could to make my dream in sports a reality. Whether it was the training you supported me in, or the fact that you all never missed one of my basketball games, even while fighting your own battles; it has inspired me to reach farther than you could ever assist me with. To once again make this program and dream a tangible reality, its more than I could ever ask for. Thank you, and I Love You.


For those of you who want to know more about the program, please read the wonderful article just posted in UAnews! The program starts Friday and I look forward to my first update.


I'd also like to thank one of my best friends, and the future president of the United States, Stefani Jones for giving me the idea behind the title of my blog. Check out her trip to South Sudan!