One of the most important things about working in the sport industry is building connections with people who are already in the field. Even though sports is a massive industry, a lot of opportunities come from relationships and mentorship. For this assignment, I connected with someone who had already played an important role in my life and athletic career.

My sport professional penpal is Glenn Holland from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I originally met Glenn during my senior year of high school when I was recovering from Tommy John surgery. At the time, I was going through the long rehabilitation process after the surgery, and Glenn helped guide me through a lot of that recovery. Anyone who has gone through an injury like that knows how difficult the rehab process can be, both physically and mentally. Having someone there who understands the process and knows how to help athletes recover safely makes a huge difference.

Glenn works in sports performance and rehabilitation, where he helps athletes recover from injuries and get back to performing at their best. His work focuses on things like developing rehab programs, rebuilding strength, and making sure athletes return to competition safely. It’s a role that a lot of people may not always think about when they watch sports, but it’s extremely important for athletes who are trying to get back on the field after an injury.

For this assignment, I reached out to Glenn and explained that I’m currently a student at Old Dominion University studying sport communication. I told him about the assignment and asked if he would be willing to be my professional contact for the semester so I could learn more about his experience working in sports. Because he helped me during a really important time in my baseball career, I thought he would be a great person to reconnect with and learn from.

Fortunately, Glenn was happy to help and agreed to be my sport professional penpal for the semester. I’m really looking forward to continuing the conversation with him and learning more about his experiences working with athletes and being part of the sports world professionally.

This connection is meaningful to me because Glenn was someone who helped me get through one of the toughest parts of my baseball career. Being able to reconnect with him now as a college student interested in the sport industry makes this assignment feel a lot more personal, and I’m excited to learn from someone who has already made a positive impact on my life.