1. We were teammates at Canisius so I know you played 4 years of D1 Baseball. Were you always a catcher? Did you play any other sports growing up?
Yes, I’ve always primarily been a catcher in baseball, growing up I also played football and basketball; but I had to make the tough decision to focus exclusively on Baseball at the beginning of my sophomore year of high school. I knew baseball was “my ticket” to play at the next level.
2. I know you are currently the head baseball coach at Iona. Can you tell me about your journey to get there? I know getting there must have been about perseverance.
After graduating from Canisius I eventually landed a job in sales, which I enjoyed since my schedule was flexible and meant I could also continue coaching in my spare time; but I knew sales was not in my long term plan. I eventually decided to take a leap of faith and took a volunteer coaching position at Butler University in Indianapolis. I was determined to follow my dreams and was lucky enough to work my way back towards the east coast to be closer to my family. There were a lot of long nights and sacrifices, but it all paid off in the end.
3. What is a normal day like for you? Can you walk me through it?
95% of my job as a baseball coach is actually not related to baseball. A lot of my time is spent on recruitment and academics (both problems and successes). I am also responsible for organizing fundraisers, attending dinners, as well as speaking engagements or interviews such as this. Game days are a little more structured, but if we do not have a game we normally have practices and weight lifting. There really isn’t a “normal” day, but most importantly I get to do something I love everyday. 4. What do you look for when you are recruiting a potential D1 baseball player? That’s a tough question since there are so many layers. Once you get beyond their athletic ability, I also look at grades. I have to be able to trust my athletes to handle their business on and off the field. It also tells me a lot about their work ethic. One of the biggest things I pay attention to is how a recruit interacts with their parents. I can tell a lot based on body language, tone, respect, and maturity based on their interactions with their parents. There are a lot of parallels between coaches and parents.
5. Do you think your athletes are prepared for success after they graduate? Yes I think so. I don’t necessarily think they have all the skills they would have if they could pursue internships or part time jobs. What they do have are valuable experiences and well developed soft skills. Specifically, they have strong time management, communication skills, leadership qualities, collegiality, and attention to detail. All those intangibles really separate athletes and prepare them for success in a professional work environment. Hard skills you can go out and take a course on to become proficient relatively quickly, but soft skills are harder to develop. As you move up the corporate ladder it’s less about those hard skills and more about how you handle people and situations.
6. I have done a few interviews now and athletes generally seem to have trouble finding work after graduating. Why do you think that is?
I think employers fear the unknown. If you look at an athlete's resume and compare it to another resume which has some work experience, they will go with the resume with work experience since they can call those references. I recently got a call regarding a character reference for a former player since he didn’t have any other references. I could speak on his work ethic, attitude, etc. This employer got it, but many employers don’t and simply don’t understand what athletes have to bring to the table.
7. What skills did you gain through baseball and sports in general, that have helped make you a successful coach?
Mental and physical toughness. In sports, coaches often test your limits. That really toughened me up and prepared me for life. Teamwork and the ability to work effectively as a team is probably the other single most important skill baseball taught me.
8. I read some articles that your little brother, who played for the Toronto Blue Jay’s last season, has won a world series, and a gold glove award, still goes to you for advice. Can you tell me a bit about that special relationship?
Growing up we did everything together, and we spent most of our time outside playing sports together. I’d like to think I know him just as well as he knows himself, so only when he asks, I give him my honest response. I also like to “pick his brain” and get access to new or cutting edge developments, which I can also put into application. For example, we shifted our defensive positioning during practices that really confused our hitters, and could give us an edge on our competition.
9. Is there anything Iona and other schools or athletics departments doing to support diversity and inclusion?
There are a few different initiatives that are helping raise awareness throughout the conference, but ultimately there is no tolerance for hatred and racism. Being part of diverse baseball teams in the past, it has really helped cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation for our differences. I was lucky and sports opened up my eyes very early on.
10. What advice would you have for others transitioning from athletics to another field?
Follow your passion and don’t give up. If I had followed my passion sooner, I would have two more years of coaching experience, instead those first years were spent in sales. You will struggle, but if you see it through, your hard work will pay off. You don't know how long it will be, but your next break is right around the corner. Athletes are built to persevere.
11. What resources or do you wish you had available to you when you were still playing collegiate sports?
Since I did not have prior work experience, I think interview preparation is key. How to answer questions, body language, and that every question has a purpose. Just like in sports, practice makes perfect.
Commenti