Tucson Bonding

The program has officially started and the first day has flown by. With 42 students i've found as the hours move forward, we grow closer. Most of the students are from all over the country, with various intentions for their futures in some aspect related to sports. Its nice to finally be around a group of motivated students who all share the same passions as I have acquired over my time here in Tucson. 

What have I done so far? Well, we met first at Eller, our business college down in Tucson for U of A for some prep. Here we were able to meet most students, and meet our faculty and staff. With us on the trip are Brent Seebohm, Dan Wickman, Jim McClean, and Mary O'Mahoney(?). All four of the staff are well experienced in the sports field, and I am excited to see how their networks will be able to assist me in discovering the internship I am seeking for next summer. 

Last night, 6/22, we were treated to seeing the Tucson Padres minor league baseball game against the Las Vegas 51's. Although the game was quite empty and one could tell attendance wasn't something usually high in the past, the game was a good first start for our program. Fitted with a bbq dinner, and our own concourse level, we started first connections and tried to enjoy the game. 

Tucson Padres Game

What was great to see was the potential behind many of the up and coming players at the game. Most students weren't interested in the game, but for myself to see some of the future players of the MLB, it was intriguing enough to watch most at-bats. 

Today, we started our true team building activities: the UA Rec Center's Rope Course. Situated southeast of campus, the rope course was outfitted with various obstacles that presented team challenges to the students. For the program, we are divided into 6 teams, with 7 members each. So, for the ropes course, the teams were out on the wires together working together to make it from one side to the next. By working together we were forced to interact with our team and begin forming bonds beyond our "hi, what's your name". 

UA Ropes Course

So now, I sit back at our hotel, overlooking the Tucson Skyline with the other students. We are staying at the JW Mariott Starr Pass hotel, and have enjoyed the rest of the day at the pool and at their beautiful patio. Tomorrow morning we leave for Dallas, and a tour of the house that Jerry built: the Dallas Cowboys Football Stadium. After tomorrow, we start our convention at the NACMA convention for collegiate athletic directors and those in the sports career fields. Full of great opportunities to network and navigate through potential useful contacts, I look forward to making my own mark.