If Uncle Rico had a son, it would be me (minus the mustache). I always thought that the Phillies would give me a call to play second base after Mickey Morandini left but they never did. After the loss of the 1993 World Series, I gave up sports… or at least I tried to. I have always loved athletics and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that the relationship between athletics and education is an essential tie. I have learned some of the greatest lessons in my life from the sidelines and I have been taught the most important life skills through the children in my classroom.I would be lying if I said I didn’t love the grind. I have been a part of schools that have been rated the lowest in the district and I have worked my tail off to help them improve. I have also worked in a 2x Blue Ribbon winning school and learned very different but equally valuable lessons about what it takes to succeed. I’ve coached an unlikely group of misfits to beat two undefeated basketball teams when every single odd was stacked against us. I have felt the loss of a small college championship as it slipped narrowly through my fingers. Each time, I have been gifted with fundamental experiences that have shaped my personal philosophy. Sports and education are my bread and butter. Show me a successful program and I will show you the coach or teacher working overtime to instill life skills and knowledge into their student-athletes. Grinding is defined as performing repetitive action over and over to achieve a goal. I am always grinding, whether that is in the classroom or working in athletics as an aspiring athletic director.