Every year, in late winter, my dad takes out several little bags of tomato and pepper seeds that have been stored away since the fall. He sorts through each bag, filing through seeds that were brought from Italy in the early 1900’s. My dad will separate them and bury them in small planter’s boxes, ready for the greenhouse of a friend east of town. Over the next month or so, he periodically checks on them, but he’ll have faith and hope that they will sprout.
Come mid-spring, many of the seeds will have transformed and poked through the surface as plants. There may be boxes that just have dirt, without a sprout. Others will have strong stalks with the potential to produce great fruit. The plants are transported to the west side of town, where rows of Doc’s garden become occupied by around 30 tomato plants and 55 pepper plants.
My parents water and weed, stake and tie, and till and rake to provide the best environment for growth. Then, of course, they pray to God that those late-summer northeast Iowa thunderstorms spare the garden. It is not enough to just plant. A successful season requires care, water, sun, and faith. Over the course of the spring and summer, those plants will have great potential to produce fruit that helps make my mother’s outstanding salsa, the base to the Leo family tomato sauce, and a perfect condiment to go on Italian bread.
WATER WHAT YOU PLANT
When my friend Quinn gave me the opportunity to join him as a broadcaster of Iowa Athletics in 2020, the stands were empty, the crowd noise was pumped in, and games felt… strange. I met many people throughout my young broadcasting career, but to be surrounded by Iowa media and sports information personnel undoubtedly raised the bar.
Heading into that season, I was put in contact with Steve Roe, Iowa’s Associate AD of Athletic Communications, regarding credentials and any questions I may have. I probably emailed him too many times that first season. Quinn and I were preparing for kickoff of that first game in 2020 at Kinnick Stadium when we saw Steve approaching our booth. Time to straighten up our jackets and ties. Steve popped in, asked if we needed anything, and wished us luck on our call. For the next couple of years working for the student radio station, I would see Steve in the Kinnick Stadium press box and on the road at men’s basketball games.
As my summer drew to a close in 2022, I found myself having filled many planter’s boxes, without any sprout. I applied for radio play-by-play jobs all across the country. I did believe in my heart that I was ready for a jump like that. The majority of responses I received were that I was, in fact, not qualified for that jump. Sometimes, the natural reaction is anger or jealousy – an “oh I’ll show them” attitude. But I just do not have that gene in my body. I don’t have that cutthroat mentality.
I certainly felt disappointment, but not with those that did not choose me. Rather, disappointed that I had not elevated myself enough during the time I had broadcasting Iowa athletics. The dream of becoming the next voice of a university’s athletic programs would have to be put on hold for a year. Fresh off of earning my Master’s from Iowa in May, I was a couple days away from grabbing an application at the local gym and sporting goods store.
I spent most of that summer reflecting on my broadcasting experiences and all of the great people I met along the way. The relationships that I formed and maintained over the years at the student radio station. The analysis of every broadcast over that span and desire to improve for the next one. The hours and financial investment spent traveling across the Big Ten to broadcast the games. The preparation habits and tweaks to delivery. I had planted plenty of seeds in my broadcasting garden, but I didn’t have any sprouts.
REMEMBER TO SAY THANK YOU
The first message I received from my grandmother when I told her I was offered a job within the athletic department at Iowa: “Remember to say thank you.”
I’ve always had a hard time saying thank you. Well, the highest form of thank you. It’s easy to thank your mother for getting that stain out of your baseball pants or your father for helping you straighten your tie. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve often wondered: “how do I properly thank people that have done so much for me?”
When my phone started buzzing as I paced the aisles of Costco with my parents in July of 2022, I looked down and saw Steve’s name. “John, we just went over things and we would like to offer you the job to come work for us.”
I wasn’t sure what my job with the sports information department was going to be like. In fact, I had basically no idea. My mother had been sending me the job details and application information for months, but I stubbornly turned away because it wasn’t radio.
“I know this isn’t radio, but give it a thought,” Steve said.
I gave my full commitment to Steve and the sports information department at Iowa and began working in early August of 2022. Thank you, Steve.
COMMIT TO TAKING A CHANCE
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with growing watermelon in our garden. For years, we tried planting them, but they always turned out to be small and watery. My dad went to the local garden shop and asked a friend for some help finding decent watermelon seeds. That year, we gave planting watermelon another shot. Our first pick produced a large, dark green melon. When we cut it open at home, the fruit was gold in color. Similar to Hawkeye Gold. That was certainly a surprise and, we thought, a mistake. But when we tasted it, it turned out to be one of the best watermelon we had ever eaten.
Sometimes we plant seeds that, no matter how much water and sun we give them, are never meant to produce anything great. We could accept that result and settle for what comes from that seed. Or we can go to the local garden shop and try something new. And look, you might cut into the fruit from the new seed and find pure gold.
My job in the sports information department has been pure gold. Much like that watermelon from my childhood. The relationships I’ve been blessed with in the office have been one of the biggest highlights. I tell some of my closest friends and coworkers that I had plenty of friends before getting this job and that I didn’t necessarily need to add any more, but I chose to anyways. There’s something about being a Hawkeye that brings the best out in people.
I describe myself as a simple, old soul. It doesn’t take much to make me happy. All I seem to need are good relationships and a purpose. This job has provided both of those needs. Each day, I get to wake up, put on an Iowa polo or jacket, drive to Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and enter an office full of Hawkeyes. Our team is loaded with professional, passionate, and talented individuals that elevate each other on a daily basis. The feeling I get from seeing those people execute and succeed at their craft provides a high level of fulfillment.
NO PLACE I’D RATHER BE
While I started my role in the sports information department, I kept radio broadcasting in the back of my mind, in particular the new opening with the Iowa baseball team. My good friend and broadcasting colleague, Zach Mackey, had just accepted a position with Virginia Tech; a well-deserved step up! I knew there were plenty of capable broadcasters to fill Zach’s position and I wasn’t sure how to promote myself and get my foot in that door. My mentor, Gary Rima, had known Iowa’s head coach Rick Heller dating back to Rick’s early coaching days at Upper Iowa. That was my connection. Despite a broadcasting stint in the Northwoods League, I felt relatively unproven as a baseball broadcaster, but thought my passion could separate me. It wasn’t until late October when I got a text message from an unsaved number: “John, Rick Heller here. Give me a call when you get a break. Thanks!”
I called Coach right away and he told me I would be the next radio voice of his program.
This is where I circle back to saying thank you. I am still trying to find a way to properly thank Gary, Rick, and the supporters that helped me earn a spot on the Hawkeye Radio Network team.
February 17, 2023. My first official broadcast of Iowa Athletics. The real deal. Every broadcaster remembers their first call. I certainly cannot forget mine. A walk-off grand slam in extra innings — that nobody heard. My equipment died just as the ball was carrying over the Indiana State left fielder’s head and outfield wall. Couldn’t have been more dramatic.
I never really get nervous anymore, but do experience anxious energy. Let’s get started. Begin the broadcast, throw the first pitch. Sometimes I get lost looking so far ahead that I don’t appreciate the moment I am in, and typically that current moment is something that I used to look forward to in the past. Leading up to that first game of the baseball season, I went on many walks outside of our hotel in Florida. How did I earn this position? What did I do to deserve this?
It ended up being a stellar season for Iowa’s baseball team. An NCAA regional appearance for the first time in 6 years. A final record of 44-16. A Big Ten Title game appearance. All significant team highlights. It was an incredible ride that none of us wanted to end. Gaining so many new friends and inspirational people in my life made the first baseball season a gem. Coach Heller is a small town Iowa guy, like some of us, that has done things the right way for so long. We said on the air that Rick is like a father, brother and friend all in one – oh and he happens to be a great baseball coach. I was glad that we could help celebrate his 1,000th career win over the airwaves.
Recently, I’ve thought about the hidden blessings of not being selected for those jobs across the country. Some seeds were not meant to sprout, no matter how much water and sun I gave them. Sometimes you can plant a seed and not understand how great of fruit it will produce. Thankfully, I earned the opportunity to go to the local garden store and buy something else. Iowa – there’s no place I’d rather be.
JOHN E.
I remember hearing the name John Evans come up a lot when I was talking about the Iowa baseball radio job. I didn’t really know anything about him, but I guess I found him on Twitter one day. Okay, the man looks friendly enough and seems passionate about golf. Part of my phone call with Coach Heller included him telling me about John and how we would work together on the broadcasts. Sounded great to me!
John and I exchanged Twitter DMs for a while before the season and tried learning each other’s broadcast style. After I manned the first weekend of the season solo, John joined the broadcasts in week two down in Round Rock, Texas. What a weekend. The Hawks took down #1, and eventual College World Series Champion, LSU, in dominant fashion.
My broadcast partner was a rock star. His preparation and conversational tone fit perfectly with my style. The chemistry didn’t take much work; it was natural right from the start. John quickly became someone that I looked up to, simply because of the way he presented himself. Often times, the things I cherish the most about working with such great people is not work related at all. It’s moments like walking the streets of Mobile, Alabama, to find Mountain Dew and candy for the day. The “yeah, I’m not going to eat that, want to order a pizza?” nights. And on a deeper level, the times when you need a really good listener, like John, to talk to or text.
I think our greatest joy is the interaction with the fan base. We get the honor of bringing the game to the audience. In my opinion, it’s not our job to be experts and know-it-alls. That creates a sort of superiority complex that I don’t feel qualified to possess over the fans. Educated and well-informed, of course. Sincere and honest, yes. But our priority is making sure we provide the emotion, the facts, and the energy of the game to you so you’re able to feel it the way we get to feel it. John and I (I’ll speak for him, too) pride ourselves in being just as big of fans as you are. Sometimes that gets confused with being a homer in our profession.
Trust me when I say… when Indiana hit a walk-off home run off the left field foul pole… when we had to watch Maryland dog pile around the mound in Omaha… when Indiana State recorded the final out to end our season… we weren’t happy about that. What Hawkeye would be? But I tell ya what… when Kyle Huckstorf hit that bases clearing double against Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament … when Michael Seegers crushed one to the wall to score Coy Sarsfield from first base against North Carolina in the NCAA Regional… when Jack Whitlock got out of a bases loaded jam with nobody out against Michigan… we were right there with you — fist-pumping during breaks, checking our heart rates, and being proud Hawkeyes. John and I are looking forward to year two together on the Hawkeye Radio Network. The 2024 Iowa baseball team has some big things in store. Every day is a great day to be a Hawkeye, some are just a little bit better than others. Thank you, John and Hawkeye Sports Properties.
SOLIDIFYING MY PURPOSE
After baseball season concluded, the dog days of summer arrived. Much like I have written before in this blog, it’s pretty clear to me that I am not wired to sit around without anything to do. It’s interesting what summer and the offseason feel like when I’m not worried about what my next job is going to be. I had a feeling something was up when I got a text from one of my bosses, asking randomly if I had a passport. Luckily, I did and confirmed that to him. Hmm… I wonder what that could be about? A few days after that text message, I was told that I would get the opportunity to travel with the men’s basketball team on their European tour in August. The trip was one of a lifetime and all of a sudden, my job had taken me to places like Paris and Barcelona. The relationships I made on that trip were once again the highlight. I’m still thinking of how I deserved to be included on that trip. In the meantime, thank you Weitz and James.
Life has a way of writing your story for you. This may seem like a strange time to write this blog, after an entire year has gone by, but I think it has taken me awhile to understand the changes in my life because of this job. Earning my first real job is a significant milestone. It’s a paycheck. It’s recognizing that someone sees value in your craft. But for me it started with the fact that I had a purpose, a reason to get out of bed and do something. The job allowed me an opportunity to pair my purpose with my passion for the Hawkeyes, and I can confirm that every day is, in fact, great to be a Hawkeye. I get to wake up and go into an office full of driven individuals that want to win their weeks, people that have a desire to improve every day. Whether I am working in the sports information office or putting on the headset before an Iowa baseball game, my purpose is to connect. That could be a connection to me, it could be a connection to the teams I get to cover and promote, or it could be a connection to emotion. I find it necessary to share these stories and happenings of my life, not to brag or show off. But instead, this is how I allow people into my life. To feel what I am fortunate to feel, to see what I get to see. My calling is being solidified as a story teller. And what greater honor is there to me than to tell the stories of Iowa’s successes and accomplishments?
Keep watering what you plant. Be patient, but don’t be afraid to go to the garden shop and plant some new seeds. You might be surprised how great of fruit it could produce. Thank you for listening, reading, sharing and supporting.
Anyways… we’re on to Utah State and year two with the Hawkeyes.