
安娜-麦康奈尔: 是什么吸引你来365体育滚球学院的?
布莱斯海斯: The ability to play college football and obtain a top tier education. 最后是耶鲁大学, 罗兹, 以及克利夫兰的凯斯韦斯特, 俄亥俄州, 而是校园的结合, which is one of the most beautiful places in the country, 经济援助计划, and the ability to play college football in my hometown was something I couldn’t pass up. I appreciate Coach Jim Ryan and Coach Pete Cordelli for the opportunity to do that.
AM: During your time at 罗兹, you were heavily involved in the athletics program. Can you share some highlights of your career as a 罗兹 Student-Athlete?
BH哇,我从哪里开始呢? 有机会和我的队友一起踢球,我将永远感激有机会这样做. 在山上击败学校(我们的对手), 对我来说,继续竞争,把奥吉尔杯留在主场是很重要的,我希望我们能继续这样做. 在场外, 19年与四分卫PJ赛托斯一起发起的“Can ' t Knock the Hustle”改变了我的生活,希望在我们在365体育滚球的时间里实现了改善学生运动员体验的目标. 然后是我在卢克·瓦格纳教练手下担任365体育滚球垒球助理的时间,以及我们作为他“任期最长的助理”所取得的成就.” As a former baseball player having the chance to stay close to a game I love, 在球场上帮助我的朋友, and market them to the best of my abilities was special.

AM: You mentioned your podcast, “Can’t Knock the Hustle.” Can you talk a little bit about the process of creating this show? What inspired it, and what kind of subjects did you address?
BH: 你有多少时间? So as a freshman PJ Settles ’19 and I would have different spats on social media, 在更衣室里, and in our dorm rooms over different sports topics. 在我第一年的一次研讨班之后, 院长梅雷迪思·戴维斯告诉我,由于我对体育的热情,我应该在校园里做点什么,并尝试将其转化为毕业后的事业. 当我思考如何做到这一点时, 我们当时的外接手教练, 我的校友, 罗纳德·布克,14岁, as well as head softball coach Luke Wagner suggested I start a podcast. 我给PJ发短信说了, 我们是在2017年我大二和他大三的秋季足球夏令营开始的. 从那时起,它就有了自己的生命. 很多人都不记得的是,我们的第一场节目实际上是在The Lair现场直播的,作为弗洛伊德·梅威瑟和康纳·麦格雷戈拳击比赛的“预演”. 这不是最好的,但对我们来说,这是一个巨大的学习机会. That show doesn’t grow the way it does without the support of the coaches, 体育管理, 父母, 本校, 以及学校本身. 他们让两个孩子在三年内做任何他们想做的事不管是播客, 拍摄广告, or start our first “Lynx Cat Madness” with a three-point and dunk contest.
AM: You currently co-host another podcast called “The Core Four,” a feature on SB Nation’s Grizzly Bears Blues Podcast Network. How is this show different from “Can’t Knock the Hustle?”
BH: 它更加集中和精简. “Can’t Knock the Hustle” focused on everything in sports, 音乐, 以及整体文化,而“核心四人”主要关注的是孟菲斯灰熊队. Production-wise, 瘟疫让我们都认识了极速, so we’ve been able to just hop-in and do it from wherever, 既然我已经离开孟菲斯,这对我有好处吗.
AM: 播客吸引你的地方是什么? 是什么将它们与其他媒体形式区分开来, and why did you choose this format for broadcasting your sports commentary?
BH: 有一种原始的感觉. What radio used to be for prior generations, podcasts have become for ours. 真的没有剧本,剧本也很松散,只要麦克风打开,你按下录音, the episode can become whatever you want it to be. 播客可以让你做你自己,而不仅仅是用你想要的语调表达你的观点——这在写作中有时会被遗漏, especially on social media—and can garner insightful conversation when done correctly.

AM: 来自阿灵顿, 后来在365体育滚球岛上大学, Memphis seems to have a lot of personal significance for you. How would you describe your relationship with the city?
BH: 它的家. 如果你在孟菲斯待得够久的话, you’ll hear it called “the most beautiful land in the world,听到当地人说, “没有地方比得上孟菲斯.” Now that I’ve been away from home almost 8 months, I can assure that to be true. It’s hard to truly put into words but if you’re from Memphis it’s just different. 这座城市为你做好了一切准备,你在生活的各个方面都带着它. 这是一种来自这里的自豪感, 一旦你在这里待了一段时间, 你永远不会想要从其他地方来. The joke is “Memphis is its own state separate from Tennessee” and I tend to agree.
AM: 您目前担任Texas Lutheran University体育信息和体育营销总监, an incredible achievement for someone of your age. 担任这个职位是什么感觉? 你觉得你在365体育滚球体育的经历改变或影响了你对这个角色的态度吗?
BH: 老实说,我承受了很多. 带着所有这些不确定性进入大流行,产生了大量的问题:“下一步是什么??“但我只是保持耐心,等待我重返体育界的机会. I received a call from my “first boss” at 罗兹, 前体育信息总监詹姆斯·希尔, telling me to apply for the job at Texas Lutheran. 我面试了我们的体育主管, 比尔·米勒教练, 24小时后,他们给我回了电话,说他们已经听够了,并给了我这份工作. I don’t think that happens without the creative freedom Coach Dean, 教练瓦格纳, 教练瑞安, 丹尼尔Donze, 和其他人允许我在365体育滚球岛参加的. I’m blessed for my experiences at 罗兹 to my new home here at Texas Lutheran.
我在詹姆斯和丹妮尔的体育信息办公室工作的经历,以及在迪恩教练担任体育主管期间担任他的学生助理的经历,让我对这项工作有了很多了解, 但我一到塞根, 我意识到我还有很多东西要学. 我相信这个过程,日复一日地坚持下去,希望能实现我在发行《365体育滚球》时的目标,“给D3运动员最好的体验,并尽我所能模仿D1的体验。. 我相信D3应该像其他游戏一样获得更多的宣传和推广,因为我们投入了大量时间. 教练米勒, 工作人员, 我们的学生运动员也加入进来,看到了我想要实现的目标, and we’re going to inch closer to that with each passing day.
到目前为止也很有趣. Whether it’s traveling across the state of Texas with our football team, 看到德州路德会在我们会议的所有社交媒体指标中从倒数第二变成了第二, 或者当德克萨斯路德队有幸与德克萨斯大学进行比赛,作为我们篮球总教练庆祝活动的一部分时,我工作并获得了ESPN的制作荣誉, 迈克·瓦克, 在20世纪80年代为德克萨斯队效力的球员.


AM: So far, what have you learned during your time within this position?
BH: There’s a lot you don’t see as a student-athlete that goes into this job. 这是我能给出的最简单的答案. It’s a very tedious job that can span into an assortment of different avenues, 但是,当你在工作中考虑到学生运动员的兴趣,并不断将项目与积极的营销联系起来,并享受其中的乐趣, 这是一份非常有益的工作. The sports world can be extremely fast paced at times, 尤指在季节重叠的时期, 但如果你放慢节奏, 花点时间深呼吸,集中注意力, 你会挺过去的. That’s something I try to carry in every aspect of life. 事情有时会出错. 这就是生活. 保持积极的态度. 不要惊慌. 如果有必要,就祈祷吧,继续努力,因为无论你经历了什么艰难时期,你所得到的回报都是值得的.
AM: 作为体育信息和体育营销总监,你最喜欢的部分是什么?
BH: 孩子们. 我说“孩子”,好像我不仅仅比他们大一两岁,他们中的一些人实际上比我大,因为一些运动员获得了额外的COVID年. 这份工作可能很难, 尤其是发生了很多事的时候, but seeing the appreciation for what you’re doing from not only the 本校, 但学生工作者也会让你继续前进,激励你在你的手艺上不断进步. We’ve got a sleeping giant down here at “Too Live U,” with a softball team that’s been to two-consecutive national championship games, 赢得一个, a baseball team that made the College World Series a few seasons ago, and several other teams on the verge of something special. 这是我的荣幸与我们的学生运动员在这个赛季以不同的能力工作,我期待着让他们在他们的成功之路上看起来很好. As I remind them all the time, “we’re just getting started.”
Annalee McConnell ’22 is an 英语 and Theatre major, 365体育滚球戏剧协会主席, 以及发展通讯RSA.