By Savannah Ahrens
How cool is my job!
I have experienced the NCBA/NCSA Spring Training Showcase as a player, and for the past five years as the Director of Operations. I have loved every single minute of it - even the 6AM mornings standing in the middle of a flooded field trying to convince the reluctant field crew that we could get all 15 games in that day.
As a player participating in the event, I don’t think I could have ever imagined all of the hard work and time that goes into planning and running Spring Training. What was once just a week of amazing weather, competitive softball and Spring Break memories with my best friends, is actually an entire year of planning for the staff. It's a whole month of 14+ hour workdays, praying for the perfect weather and earning irreversible tan lines. But on the same note, it is exactly where I want to be and extremely worth the sleep deprivation.
How cool is my job!
I have experienced the NCBA/NCSA Spring Training Showcase as a player, and for the past five years as the Director of Operations. I have loved every single minute of it - even the 6AM mornings standing in the middle of a flooded field trying to convince the reluctant field crew that we could get all 15 games in that day.
As a player participating in the event, I don’t think I could have ever imagined all of the hard work and time that goes into planning and running Spring Training. What was once just a week of amazing weather, competitive softball and Spring Break memories with my best friends, is actually an entire year of planning for the staff. It's a whole month of 14+ hour workdays, praying for the perfect weather and earning irreversible tan lines. But on the same note, it is exactly where I want to be and extremely worth the sleep deprivation.
Over the past five years the event has grown exponentially. It is so amazing to be able to share this experience with more and more teams every season! I take pride in how far the event has come, but I also take pride in sharing it all with college athletes who can experience it just like I did a few short years ago. Trust me, I know exactly how much fun you are having. All it takes is for a team to make one trip down to Florida and they are hooked. This year marks our tenth year in Tampa/Plant City and there are teams who will have attended all ten years.
Some of my favorite memories of Spring Training were not as a player, but as a staff member. I have been able to meet and work with some of the most amazing people. It is crazy how well you can get to know someone after working with them for an entire month straight, seeing them every morning at 7am and sometimes staying up ‘til midnight, only to wake up and do it again. I give a huge thanks to the local field and umpiring crews for supporting us throughout the years. You were there with us through the 1AM rain delay and "The Sprinkler Fiasco of 2012", and have supplied countless entertaining ejections. Thank you for introducing us to all of the amazing and obscure food delicacies of the Tampa/Plant City areas too. We would have lived off Burger King and Subway if it weren’t for all of you.
Speaking of Subway, another huge thanks goes out to all of our sponsors. I purposely do not eat Subway, Papa John’s or Domino’s during any month of the year except for March. All of your amazing deals for teams and staff have us enjoying your tasty treats daily. You would be surprised how creative things can get when you’ve had the same sub or pizza toppings for 31 days in a row. Thank you to all of our local sponsors for hosting Team Nights and giving teams discounts on the Player VIP Cards as well. You all really know the way to a college student’s heart - great beer and food at a discounted price!
In short, I love Spring Training for the experiences it's given me not only as an athlete, but as a member of the CollClubSports Team. I am so excited to continue sharing this experience with our teams and look forward to seeing the event grow even larger!
Some of my favorite memories of Spring Training were not as a player, but as a staff member. I have been able to meet and work with some of the most amazing people. It is crazy how well you can get to know someone after working with them for an entire month straight, seeing them every morning at 7am and sometimes staying up ‘til midnight, only to wake up and do it again. I give a huge thanks to the local field and umpiring crews for supporting us throughout the years. You were there with us through the 1AM rain delay and "The Sprinkler Fiasco of 2012", and have supplied countless entertaining ejections. Thank you for introducing us to all of the amazing and obscure food delicacies of the Tampa/Plant City areas too. We would have lived off Burger King and Subway if it weren’t for all of you.
Speaking of Subway, another huge thanks goes out to all of our sponsors. I purposely do not eat Subway, Papa John’s or Domino’s during any month of the year except for March. All of your amazing deals for teams and staff have us enjoying your tasty treats daily. You would be surprised how creative things can get when you’ve had the same sub or pizza toppings for 31 days in a row. Thank you to all of our local sponsors for hosting Team Nights and giving teams discounts on the Player VIP Cards as well. You all really know the way to a college student’s heart - great beer and food at a discounted price!
In short, I love Spring Training for the experiences it's given me not only as an athlete, but as a member of the CollClubSports Team. I am so excited to continue sharing this experience with our teams and look forward to seeing the event grow even larger!