Introduction
This page exists as an extension to the in-the-field learning experiences the Tiffin University Sport Mentorship Program seeks to explore. In addition to my 182 hours with Otterbein Athletics, I carried out another 40.75 hours with Reynoldsburg Athletics. It is to be noted, that while I already work in the school district, these hours logged were outside the scope of my existing Behavioral Paraprofessional, Football Coach, and Softball Coach contracts. My supervisor for the hours with RHS is Jacob Perkins, Athletic Director at Reynoldsburg High School. He can be contacted at [email protected] and (614) 330-1005.
Organizational Profile: Reynoldsburg Raider Athletics
Reynoldsburg High School is the only school in the Reynoldsburg City School District in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. RHS is divided into two buildings- Livingston Campus and Summit Campus. Each building houses two academies: eStem & Encore (Summit), BELL & HS2 (Livingston). Enrollment at RHS is approximately 2,000 students from grades 9-12 (Reynoldsburg City Schools, 2017).
Nicknamed the "Raiders" and wearing purple and gold, Reynoldsburg teams compete in Division I of the Ohio High School Athletics Association. Reynoldsburg one of 32 public schools that make up the membership of the Ohio Capital Conference. Reynoldsburg, along with five others, make up the Ohio Division of the OCC. OCC-Ohio members include: Reynoldsburg Raiders, Gahanna Lincoln Lions, Grove City Greyhounds, Lancaster Golden Gales, Pickerington Central Tigers, and Pickerington North Panthers. Reynoldsburg offers 23 Varsity sports throughout the school year (Athletic Dept Info, 2017). |
Winter Athletics Site Supervisor
Thursday, January 26th, 2017 - Reynoldsburg Varsity Wrestling vs. Gahanna (5:00pm-8:30pm)
For today I'll be helping with the wrestling program for the first time ever. We are hosting Gahanna in the field house at Livingston. This was a difference from all other home wrestling meets, as they're normally held in the main gym at Livingston. Tonight, however, the main gym was being used for the joint rivalry basketball games between the Waggoner Road Jr High Raiders and the Baldwin Road Jr High Raiders. This is a big deal each year and always gets the house packed with a fun rivalry between classmates. Anyways back to wrestling: We had to cart over the movable bleachers around the wrestling mat and make sure patrons knew were the concessions and bathrooms were. Once The mat, benches, bleachers, and signs were all in place, I was ready to get the ticket table and cash box set up. I then was posted in the front of the field house for the remainder of the evening, attempting to catch glimpses of the wrestling matches whenever I heard excitement coming from the crowd. Jake was spending his time down at the main gym with the crazy basketball game, but came to check on me a few times at the wrestling table. This did not draw a very large crowd, and he seemed a little disappointed in the lack of ticket sales. When my duties with wrestling were over, I wandered down to the main gym and watched the last few minutes of the 8th grade basketball game, which actually went into overtime.
For today I'll be helping with the wrestling program for the first time ever. We are hosting Gahanna in the field house at Livingston. This was a difference from all other home wrestling meets, as they're normally held in the main gym at Livingston. Tonight, however, the main gym was being used for the joint rivalry basketball games between the Waggoner Road Jr High Raiders and the Baldwin Road Jr High Raiders. This is a big deal each year and always gets the house packed with a fun rivalry between classmates. Anyways back to wrestling: We had to cart over the movable bleachers around the wrestling mat and make sure patrons knew were the concessions and bathrooms were. Once The mat, benches, bleachers, and signs were all in place, I was ready to get the ticket table and cash box set up. I then was posted in the front of the field house for the remainder of the evening, attempting to catch glimpses of the wrestling matches whenever I heard excitement coming from the crowd. Jake was spending his time down at the main gym with the crazy basketball game, but came to check on me a few times at the wrestling table. This did not draw a very large crowd, and he seemed a little disappointed in the lack of ticket sales. When my duties with wrestling were over, I wandered down to the main gym and watched the last few minutes of the 8th grade basketball game, which actually went into overtime.
Thursday, January 19th, 2017 - Reynoldsburg Waggoner Jr High Basketball vs. Lancaster Ewing (4:40pm-8:20pm)
Tonight marks the last home game of the 16/17 basketball season at Waggoner Road Jr High School. Today I got to the school and set up on my own, but Mitch came by with the cash box soon after. This was the only game of the season with a 5:30 scheduled start time, a half an hour back from the norm since Lancaster Ewing has a longer trip than our other opponents. Tonight was the hottest it got with fans and officials all season. Mitchell actually ended up stopping the game momentarily to point the father out and ask him to leave. It was a Reynoldsburg parent during the 8th grade game. The father did not escalate it further and was likely embarrassed it had to get to this. Thankfully this was the last home game of the season and we would not have to deal with him again. We notified Jake of this situation and gave him the guy's name. As tends to be the pattern for much of the season, our 7th graders lost in a snoozer and the 8th grade team was able to pull out a close win. As Mitchell and I locked up the gym, he thanked me for my help this season.
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Thursday, January 12th, 2017 - Reynoldsburg Waggoner Jr High Basketball vs. Groveport South (4:30pm-7:50pm)
For the first time in three attempts, we played a team from Groveport and actually started on time. Valerie was back with concessions and I'm beginning to think that me running this by myself is the new norm. I don't mind at all, this site supervising is something I think I've got down now. The only things I'd be nervous about are breaking up a fight or dealing with a mad parent that's been tossed from the gym. But luckily I haven't had to face either of those. The 7th graders lost on a crazy 28-27 sloppy battle and 8th graders won in a 41-21 blowout.
For the first time in three attempts, we played a team from Groveport and actually started on time. Valerie was back with concessions and I'm beginning to think that me running this by myself is the new norm. I don't mind at all, this site supervising is something I think I've got down now. The only things I'd be nervous about are breaking up a fight or dealing with a mad parent that's been tossed from the gym. But luckily I haven't had to face either of those. The 7th graders lost on a crazy 28-27 sloppy battle and 8th graders won in a 41-21 blowout.
Thursday, January 5th, 2017 - Reynoldsburg Waggoner Jr High Basketball vs. Groveport North (4:10pm-8:00pm)
Again tonight I was on my own. And again we had a Groveport team arrive late. This time was more understandable though, as roads were slushy and just pretty nasty in general. The game started about 35 minutes late, once everything was said and done. Valerie, the lady that runs our concessions, called in earlier that day to let us know she was sick and wouldn't be there. Since fans had gotten used to concessions the past few games, I again was hearing complaints and grumbling about the vending machines and water fountains being our only food and drink offerings. The 7th grade team lost 38-22 and then the 8th graders followed that up with a tight win though.
Again tonight I was on my own. And again we had a Groveport team arrive late. This time was more understandable though, as roads were slushy and just pretty nasty in general. The game started about 35 minutes late, once everything was said and done. Valerie, the lady that runs our concessions, called in earlier that day to let us know she was sick and wouldn't be there. Since fans had gotten used to concessions the past few games, I again was hearing complaints and grumbling about the vending machines and water fountains being our only food and drink offerings. The 7th grade team lost 38-22 and then the 8th graders followed that up with a tight win though.
Wednesday, December 14th, 2016 - Reynoldsburg Waggoner Jr High Basketball vs. Gahanna South (4:30pm-8:00pm)
For tonight's games, I would be on my own for the first time this season. Jake was out of town in Florida and Mitch had his own JV Women's Basketball game to coach. Mitch stopped by Summit High School, where I work, at the end of the day to drop off the cash box with stamps and tickets. The games tonight went a little better than normal, with our 7th graders winning by 6 and the 8th graders losing by only 2. This was the first home win for our 7th graders. Both games were exciting, and it was a big crowd considering how close Gahanna is to us. A few of the parents got a little fired up with the referees, especially considering the excitement of the game. However, I was glad it didn't intensify so I did not have to intervene. The 7th grade game started exactly on time, which was nice for a change. In my postgame cleanup, I found a cell phone in the bleachers. No one claimed it, so I left it in the physical ed offices and notified Jake and Mitch. For my first day on my own, this set of games went as smoothly as I could have hoped!
For tonight's games, I would be on my own for the first time this season. Jake was out of town in Florida and Mitch had his own JV Women's Basketball game to coach. Mitch stopped by Summit High School, where I work, at the end of the day to drop off the cash box with stamps and tickets. The games tonight went a little better than normal, with our 7th graders winning by 6 and the 8th graders losing by only 2. This was the first home win for our 7th graders. Both games were exciting, and it was a big crowd considering how close Gahanna is to us. A few of the parents got a little fired up with the referees, especially considering the excitement of the game. However, I was glad it didn't intensify so I did not have to intervene. The 7th grade game started exactly on time, which was nice for a change. In my postgame cleanup, I found a cell phone in the bleachers. No one claimed it, so I left it in the physical ed offices and notified Jake and Mitch. For my first day on my own, this set of games went as smoothly as I could have hoped!
Thursday, December 8th, 2016 - Reynoldsburg Waggoner Jr High Basketball vs. Groveport Central (4:20pm-8:40pm)
Tonight the big thing was two players on our 8th grade team were suspended for fighting earlier that day in school. The coach knew there was a disruption, but did not know that the kids would not be available for the game until I informed him. Coach Anthony was disappointed, but not shocked. Tonight the 7th grade game was supposed to start at 5:00pm, but they hadn't even shown up by then. Mitch was starting to scramble, looking up his contact information for Groveport. I had the ticket table ready to go, and had even taken money from a couple of the away parents, so we knew this was not a scheduling mistake. Mitch got ahold of the AD and heard they had a bussing mix-up, but they were on the way. At 5:18, a full 18 minutes after the game was set to start, they finally rolled up. The referees were specifically not amused with this. By the time they got dressed and warmed up, the first game didn't get started until 5:47. Also, we had finally made contact with the PTO, so tonight marked the first time we were able to offer concessions. Tonight was not great in terms of ticket sales. The frigid weather and lack of traveling fans were the biggest culprits. There's no way we hit our $140 goal tonight. Post-game bleacher clean up took a little bit longer for me, though, considering the addition of the concession stand. Mitch and I locked up the school and were shocked to get out of there before 9pm. We both had a feeling the refs called a loose game and swallowed their whistles to keep the clock moving since we started so late. Just like last week, we lost game #1 but won game #2.
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Thursday, December 1st, 2016 - Reynoldsburg Waggoner Jr High Basketball vs. Canal Winchester (4:30pm-8:00pm)
Two days later, we were back at it. This time Jake was busy with wrestling and women's basketball, so it was just Mitch and I. Jake had informed us that in the past the Waggoner PTO (parents organization) handled concession stand duties. He reached out to them, but had not yet heard back so we were again without concessions. Anyways, nothing too excited happened in tonight's shift. We had a great turnout and made over $250 in ticket sales. Apparently the goal, as Jake explained, for ticket sales at these Jr High basketball games is to make enough to pay for the officials. The officials get paid $35 per game, so with two officials and two games that means the goal is to hit the $140 mark. Jake was happy to hear we went well above that tonight. The only thing that stood out about tonight was a cheerleading mom looking for her daughter's lost cell phone. I looked all over, including under the bleachers for her, but to no avail. Not long after the conclusion of the second game she notified me that the phone was found on the sidewalk just outside the school. Our 8th graders won a tight game, but our 7th graders got blown out by 20.
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Tuesday, November 29th, 2016 - Reynoldsburg Waggoner Jr High Basketball vs. Pickerington Ridgeview (4:15pm-8:20pm)
For these site supervisor duties, I'll usually be working directly with Jake Perkins (Reynoldsburg High School Athletic Director) or Mitchell Ewing (Reynoldsburg Jr High Athletic Director and JV Women's Basketball Coach). Today I showed up to Waggoner Road Jr High a little after 4pm to get started helping with the new season of 7th & 8th grade basketball. This was the first home game so everyone was excited. I showed up to find Jake in the gym, and he explained to me what the plan was. Today was a 5:00pm start time for the 7th grade game, so I got to work. I helped roll out the scores table and get the scoreboard hooked up. We turned it on and made sure everything looked good. Then Jake and I set up the ticketing table, where I'd be most the rest of the night. By 4:30 both officials had shown up, so we took them to their locker room and gave them the contract to sign and return. Mitchell then arrived, this was actually the first time meeting him. Soon after Jake introduced us, the Pickerington bus pulled up with our opponents for the evening. I made sure the coaches knew where the locker rooms were and got situated at the ticket table. As the teams warmed up, parents and patrons started to file in, so I collected $4 from every adult and $2 from every student and senior. After the first game got started, Jake had to run to another school event, so it was Mitch and I the rest of the night. The first game rolled on, without issue, and then another wave of parents arrived just before the start of game #2. I stayed stationed at the ticket table, while Mitch roamed the building, talking to parents and delivering water bottles to the officials, among other things. A few parents were grumbling about the lack of a concession stand, so I brought it up with Mitch, but he said he's not sure why there wasn't one. At the conclusion of the 1st quarter of game #2, I closed up the ticket table and Mitch took the cash box out to his car, to be delivered to the athletic offices in the morning. As the 8th grade game neared conclusion, we began to clean up and roll the garbage cans out by the doors. Just like the first game, our 8th grade Raiders wound up losing by double digits. Once the game was over, Mitchell unplugged the scoreboard as I browsed the bleachers for trash. A half hour after the game, the last of the parents were gone and I walked out with Mitchell and the Reynoldsburg coaches.
Total Hours: 29.75 hours
2017 Polar Plunge - Raising Money for Special Olympics Ohio in the name of Reynoldsburg Athletics
The Columbus Polar Plunge is a community fundraising event benefitting Special Olympics Ohio. This is the 15th annual plunge in Columbus, and is hosted by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio. In 2017 there will be nine events like this throughout the state, with all proceeds benefitting the over 26,000 athletes involved in Special Olympics Ohio (Event Information, 2017).
How the event is run is this:
- People sign up to jump as an individual or as a part of a group to take the plunge a few weeks or months in advance of the event
- You then collect donations (Note: all donations benefit Special Olympics Ohio and every plunger must collect $75 minimum)
- You can recruit people to join or donate via social media, email, text, or just getting the word out there from conversations
- You show up on jump day, ready to go in some ridiculous outfit (You're jumping into a freezing pool in Ohio in February, after all)
- Your online + cash donations are calculated, you're given a prize based on that monetary level, and you're given a pass to get into the Zoo
- When your name or group is called, it's time to walk up the steps, try not to think about how cold you're about to be, and take the plunge!
My personal story of getting involved with the plunge goes back to the December of 2013, when I heard some friends talking about this upcoming fundraising event. I knew nothing about the Polar Plunge, but once I heard it was put on by Special Olympics Ohio, I immediately became intrigued. I have coached and volunteered for Special Olympics Ohio in the past, specifically in basketball and bowling from 2011-2012. So fast-forward to 2014, I was rearing to do some good and collected nearly $250 in donations. I jumped with a group of friends and soccer fans. We were all dressed in Columbus Crew apparel and took the plunge on a frigid February afternoon, snow falling and all. It was a super fun time with friends, creating memories and making a difference in the lives of others.
In December 2016, I saw a reminder come across my email about the Columbus Polar Plunge. I'd only participated in it once before, but it was an amazing experience. Soon after, I made the decision to take the plunge and start my own group, in honor of Reynoldsburg Athletics and Reynoldsburg Special Olympics. I talked it over with a few people who were in support or said they'd donate and I went forward with it. I made the group page, signed myself up, and pledged to raise money for Special Olympics Ohio. I sent out blasts on my personal Facebook and Twitter pages, asking people to join or donate. I posted in Facebook groups and even sent an email blast out to the entire staff of Reynoldsburg City Schools. You can see that message below.
The results of my efforts and everyone involved are listed below. While I fell way short of my goal of involving a large group of the Reynoldsburg Raider family, I still was able to make a considerable affect on the 2017 Columbus Polar Plunge. The RHS Plunge team was comprised of Nick Brobeck (Livingston Parapro & 8th Grade Football Coach) and Jake Perkins (RHS Athletic Director), along with myself. See below for the final donation tallies, my hours logged, and some pictures from the plunge!
Estimated Preparation/Organizing/Recruiting: 7 hours from Jan-Feb
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Time at Event on Saturday, February 18th: Noon-4pm, 4 hours
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Personal Money Raised: $380
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Event Raised: $90,074 online (not including day-of cash donations)
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Reynoldsburg Team Raised: $750 (including $20 day-of donations)
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Reynoldsburg Team Rank: 18th overall of 71 total Polar Plunge Teams
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References:
Athletic Dept Info. (2017). RHS Athletics: Go Raiders. Retrieved from http://reynoldsburgraiders.org
Event Information. (2017). Special Olympics Ohio: 2017 Columbus Polar Plunge presented by The Basement Doctor. Retrieved from http://sooh.kintera.org/faf/help/helpEventInfo.asp?ievent=1166504&lis=1&kntae1166504=CB29FB8654CF4162B5AD8382DAEAFF02
Goals. (n.d.). Reynoldsburg City Schools: Learners today, leaders tomorrow. Retrieved from http://www.reyn.org/Goals.aspx
Reynoldsburg High School. (2017). Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynoldsburg_High_School
Event Information. (2017). Special Olympics Ohio: 2017 Columbus Polar Plunge presented by The Basement Doctor. Retrieved from http://sooh.kintera.org/faf/help/helpEventInfo.asp?ievent=1166504&lis=1&kntae1166504=CB29FB8654CF4162B5AD8382DAEAFF02
Goals. (n.d.). Reynoldsburg City Schools: Learners today, leaders tomorrow. Retrieved from http://www.reyn.org/Goals.aspx
Reynoldsburg High School. (2017). Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynoldsburg_High_School