I spent the last four weeks in my home state after not being there since last Christmas, and I wanted to put a few thoughts down to share.
Grand Haven
My Mitten State stay began in Grand Haven, where the inaugural Folds of Honor Collegiate took place. I have spent hours, days, and even weeks in Grand Haven at least once every single year of my life, creating memories at my grandparents’ 10 acres that helped shape who I am. My time there last year began building what this trip would mean.
2021 gave me so much to think about; graduate school graduation, moving back home to search for my first full-time job, moving far away from everything I knew for that job, everything that the new job had waiting for me, and the most impactful moments of my life come Thanksgiving weekend. I had never missed Thanksgiving surrounded by my family before 2021. Most of those holidays were spent in Grand Haven, including this one without me, so the least I could do was say hi to everyone via FaceTime. Thanksgiving has grown into my favorite communal holiday because of everything it represents, so I was very much looking forward to doing what I could in my new environment.
I got to share typical “how’s life?” chatter with each family member, including my grandpa. I had recently moved over 1,000 miles from home to immerse myself in the sport of golf, one of his lifelong passions and a game he and I spent many hours in his 150-yard pasture working on. Just the day before our Thanksgiving Day conversation, I was in San Antonio, TX for a golf tournament at a distinguished course where some of the game’s greatest have stepped foot. I have many people to thank for that, but I was most looking forward to telling Grandpa about that experience. With a smile on my face, I got to, which brought a smile to his. That moment will be with me forever.
I told my boss about this conversation the next day. I told him that Grand Haven is a second home for me and that I grew up with golf in Grand Haven because of my grandpa, and my boss said that “we’ll have to have him with us as a volunteer then: how does that sound?”
Grandpa passed away 24 hours later. Above all the laughter, newest family topics or usual frustration surrounding beloved Chicago sports teams we shared, I would want him to truly know how much his personality and charisma have rubbed off on not just me but everyone that knew him. He was and will continue to be there with me.
2022 Folds of Honor Collegiate
The brainstorming for this event began in May 2021, five months before my hiring at the Golf Coaches Association of America, so this event (hosted by Michigan State) had me written all over it before I knew anything about it. The GCAA, whom Michigan State Men’s Golf coach Casey Lubahn came to first with the idea for the Folds of Honor Collegiate at American Dunes Golf Club, ran tournament operations and will continue doing so for this tournament moving forward.
(Graphic courtesy of Michigan State Men's Golf. Photo by Alex Gelman)
(Not sure about you, but I'm a big fan of the above shade of green)
In Year 1 of this transformative event for collegiate golf, the feedback given to us was overwhelmingly optimistic! American Dunes Golf Club, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course that is a tribute to the military and commemorates the birthplace of Folds of Honor, gives a scale of challenges to even the best competition. I got to play it twice, and damn. Multiple non-play hiccups occurred, including what can only be described as Michigan weather, but those hiccups are important in getting this event equipped to grow how we think and know it can.
(Tom Izzo speaking at the Folds of Honor Festival on Saturday, September 24, 2022, at Lynne Sherwood Waterfront Stadium.)
(Tom Izzo speaking at the 2022 Folds of Honor Collegiate Opening Ceremonies on Sunday, September 25, 2022, at American Dunes Golf Club. Photo by Alex Gelman)
(Tom Izzo speaking at the 2022 Folds of Honor Collegiate Opening Ceremonies on Sunday, September 25, 2022, at American Dunes Golf Club. Photo by Alex Gelman)
Hall of Fame Michigan State head Men’s Basketball coach Tom Izzo did go from East Lansing to Grand Haven and back two different times in the span of 24 hours, including the grand entrance of the private helicopter carrying him and Folds of Honor Founder Lt. Col Dan Rooney landing on the 10th fairway before the opening ceremony, to be with us in military appreciation. The American Dunes staff, including a longtime family friend whom I hadn’t seen in a while, were hard-working, gracious, and a blast to work with. It was special to celebrate with many of them at the Grand Haven Armory after the completion of the tournament to celebrate the moment. The 18 teams that participated; Air Force, Arizona, Army, Central Michigan, Clemson, Eastern Michigan, Florida State, Grand Valley State, Illinois, Kansas, Liberty, Michigan State, Navy, NC State, Oregon State, Texas Southern, UCLA, and Virginia Union, each displayed passion and commemoration for what those moments represented, and it was a pleasure getting to know everyone as much as we could.
(Graphic courtesy of Illinois Men's Golf. Photo by Alex Gelman)
(Graphic courtesy of the ASUN Conference. Photo by Adam Mackey)
With the help of a do-it-all superstar creating and running the tournament’s social media accounts and photography needs, I managed media relations and wrote the tournament’s official press releases. Having the opportunity to be the point of contact with local, regional, and national media is always a treat and something few if any my age get the luxury of doing, but being able to work alongside friends, colleagues, past coworkers and even college classmates of mine made this experience that much more meaningful. I am already getting asked by media members about next year’s event, so I cannot wait to be as much a part of the external growth of the Folds of Honor Collegiate and Challenge as I can.
Most of all, my immediate family and grandma were able to stop by for multiple days and enjoy themselves as much as they could. I was really glad my grandma could make it to our Saturday night festivities, which included free food, live music by a fun cover band, speeches by Lubahn, Izzo, Rooney, and Hannah Davis, a Folds of Honor recipient and Michigan State graduate, and a never-waning performance by the Grand Haven Musical Fountain. I hadn’t seen her since last Christmas, so to be able to spend about 45 minutes catching up with her in her town meant the world. They all got to attend the opening ceremony, walk a little bit of the course, have dinner with me, and meet new people while in town.
This was only Year 1, and because of the above and lots more optimism, I am ecstatic about the potential of this event in Year 2 and beyond.
2022 Folds of Honor Challenge
The inaugural Folds of Honor Challenge, hosted at The Meadows Golf Club on the campus of Grand Valley State University, was played October 3-4.
This event was a first for me in multiple ways: I ran all tournament media, including content capture and media distribution; and I helped our other two staff members in any ways I could, especially making sure operational needs like food & beverage were taken care of. The golf course staff did all they could and I know that we greatly appreciate them for their long hours and hard work.
The tournament schedule consisted of a Sunday practice round, fighting the imminent frost, which delayed the beginning of the next two days, getting 36 holes in on Monday with about five minutes of daylight to spare, and the final 18 holes on Tuesday before everyone departed and we cleaned up. Our Monday of work technically started at about 6 am and lasted until about 10:45 pm, but everything worked out and we survived!
The Meadows provides a great balance of challenging yet beautiful golf, and with the praise that was given back to us from the 10 participating schools; Grand Valley State (NCAA Division II; the host and team champion along with their star, Charles DeLong, winning medalist honors), Findlay (NCAA Division II), South Carolina Beaufort (NAIA), Lee (NCAA Division II), Keiser (NAIA), Hope (NCAA Division III), Mississippi Gulf Coast (NJCAA Division II), Lawrence Tech (NAIA), Grand View (NAIA), and Muskegon (NJCAA Division II), the future of this event is really bright. The ability to bring top national talent from non-NCAA Division I schools is a pleasure to work with.
Home
After picking up a 2021 BMW 228i xDrive at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport as a rental, I drove home on October 5! It was my first time being home since last Christmas, the longest time I’ve ever been away from home, so this trip meant so much to me.
While at home (October 5-16), I got to spend quality time with family and as many friends as I could, refreshed my memories at familiar places, and relaxed a fair amount.
Reminiscence
A natural experience that has interested me for a while now is how nostalgic feelings factor into our lives, in both who and why we are. If I were to get back into the academic world, researching this topic would be a prime focus of mine.
“How many layers can a nostalgic memory hold? Where does the brain store these feelings? How do they know when to make themselves visible? How long can a memory of nostalgia live?”
These are a few questions that come to mind, be they for research or discussion. For example, I love to walk. As long as a path and entertainment, especially music or conversation, exists, count me in. On a walk around East Lansing, I jotted down that, “there’s something so peaceful about letting a trail take you the distance.” No matter if that distance is already known or not, my day gets a jolt of energy during the walk. A walk of some kind and distance happened every single full day I was at home.
Michigan State hosted multiple important events around campus while I was there, including Michigan State Madness, two football games, and homecoming festivities. Ohio State was in town for their October 8 football game, and while they did Ohio State things to MSU, I really enjoyed the day. I got to spend time at multiple tailgates hosted by friends, follow the marching band through their day, and watch the entire game from the press box. Spartan Nation is a family through and through, and that includes within the athletic department. Whether it was through my childhood, as a member of the Spartan Marching Band, working in the Athletic Communications and Spartan Ticket Offices, or now partnering with the athletic department to run important golf tournaments, much of my life has been lived through Michigan State Athletics.
That continued the next weekend for homecoming. It began with the MSU Homecoming Parade, an event I participated in as a child, teenager, and college student. It was cool to see everything from a spectator’s perspective again. Being from East Lansing, I also go/have gone just to see people I know. The next afternoon saw me at more tailgates, seeing more friends, and a confusing yet incredible Michigan State W! It was awesome being in the stadium and able to wave the “Chop Chop” towels that were handed out, adding needed energy to Spartan Stadium. Even though I didn’t make it out to these events, numerous other sporting events were held at Michigan State that weekend, including volleyball, hockey, and field hockey. Fall seasons are winding down, and there are things to be excited about, Spartans!
In Closing
Home is where the heart is, as they say. I lived on and off in Indiana while in graduate school, which gave me necessary experiences living on my own more than being a stone’s throw from home. That was 200 miles and a two-plus hour drive, though, a world of difference from living in Oklahoma. I feel that I’ve grown immensely in many areas of my weakness since graduating from undergrad in 2019. For example, as much as I’ve learned that patience is a virtue, so are independence and sightseeing.
Traveling via work as much as I do has opened doors for me and given me something few if any my age get the luxury of doing. Only through some sort of destiny, I ran into extended family members at the Denver International Airport terminal on my way back to Oklahoma even.
Those four weeks will live with me and I am excited about what the future holds!