My name is Nathan Wahle and I am a junior in the Sport Management program here at Bowling Green. I am from Kettering, OH which is a suburb just outside of Dayton. Since I am from southern Ohio I am a Cincinnati Reds and Bengals fan. My favorite team I root for, though, is the University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball. Basketball has always been my favorite sport and Kentucky has always been my favorite team ever since I can remember.
Because basketball is my favorite sport, the past two years I have worked as a basketball manager for the Bowling Green men's basketball team here. I followed that up by completing my practicum with the men's basketball office and have really enjoyed every moment and relationship I have had a privelege of creating. Currently I am the Varsity Assistant boys' basketball coach for Maumee High School. It has been an incredible experience and I love every moment of spending time teaching, coaching, and building relationships with the kids I work with.
The male athlete that I would pay to watch play is Larry Bird. His nickname "Larry Legend" pretty much explains it all for why he would be an athlete worth paying to see. From the games I have seen of him on ESPN Classic, I think he played the game to its purest form. His jumpshot was so smooth and consistent, his passing was always crisp and right on the mark, his basketball IQ kept him a step ahead of his opponent, and his hustle provided inspiration for what hard work can provide. This all helped to contribute to Larry Bird winning three MVP awards and being a part of three NBA Championships with the Boston Celtics. His career is probably most highlighted by his rivalry (friendly) with Erving "Magic" Johnson. The rivalry began in college and then spilled over into the NBA where they met each other for quite a few NBA Championship matchups. These performances always provided fireworks and both players typically played up to their best ability. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson together helped revolutionized the game of basketball and that is why I would pay to see Bird play.
The female athlete I would pay to see is Mia Hamm. I feel as though she might be the best female athletes in all sports and she went a long way in setting the standard for women sports and showing that women can be dominant and exciting to watch and competitive as well. Mia Hamm's athleticism and skill electrified the sport of soccer as a whole not just from a women's side but overall. She was such competitor and she along with the US Women's World Cup team represented America so well and gave America something to really be proud of. Mia Hamm was the catalyst of that team and she was so exciting to watch because you felt like at any time she could bust out an incredible goal. She was reaching her prime right around when Michael Jordan was in his prime and at that time both of them were the leading sport role models for each gender. So for as exciting as Mia Hamm was to watch on television I can only imagine how exciting she would be to watch in person.
When I graduate from college I would like to go into coaching for the early part of my career and maybe become a high school athletic director. However, as I grow older I would like to get into a front office position and ideally a General Manager position for any professional sport organiztion.
Hi Nathan,
ReplyDeleteThis is a nicely written introduction for your blog. You mentioned that you would like to coach during the early part of your career, so I assume that you meant basketball since you said that was your favorite sport. Given that it is your favorite sport, it makes sense that you would be a big fan of Larry Bird. I was a Lakers' fan back in the 1980s and 1990s when their rivalry pretty much sustained the NBA so I remember many of their match-ups. I can also understand your interest in seeing Mia Hamm since she was really the face of the 1999 Women's World Cup team. I think she was associated with Jordan because of the commercial they did together.
This is a good start to your blog and I look forward to reading more of your entries.
Dr. Spencer
Yes as far as coaching goes I would only want to be involved with basketball. However, if or when I get a management position in sports I would not need to stay within basketball, because I have a passion for all sports but just have most knowledge in basketball. Unfortuantely Larry Bird did not play during my time but when I watch him on ESPN Classic or watch specials on him, he just represents the purest form of basketball and when I played in high school I tried to model my game after his. That Magic versus Bird matchup was definitely amazing every time. As for Mia Hamm, like you mentioned I remember vividly watching that 1999 World Cup with my mom and how fun it was to watch a sport with my mom because I usually only watched sports with my dad.
ReplyDeleteNathan Wahle