Five Questions About Leadership and Legacies

1. What aspect of college dodgeball made you want to captain an NCDA team?
Well, I really did not plan on starting a dodgeball team at first. I just got out ofthe United States Marine Corps and started school at SVSU. I had about 2 weeks to get adjusted from military life to college life. During this time I went and played a dodgeball game at a church with Ben Murphy, who was the Captain of Delta College dodgeball team. I was like, "Wow this is pretty cool" and started to look into college dodgeball. Then I went to the Michigan Dodgeball Cup at Michigan State and I was like, "this is awesome." The day after the MDC I went to the Student Life Center at SVSU to get some paperwork and started recruiting a team. 

2. What are the main principles that you emphasize to your team?
The main principle I try to push on the team is team camaraderie. I think the closer the team is, the better they will do and that friendship is the most important. Also, just like any other sport, everyone is so competitive, so I tell them to be honest and just go out there and have some fun.

3. How do you want your team to remember you after your captaincy is over?
Simple: I hope that they remember me for being a good friend.

4. What characteristics will you look for in your successor?
Someone that is not afraid to stand up for the team and has a positive attitude. Someone who would keep the team camaraderie up and help with the new players coming in, and a person who will keep Saginaw Valley Dodgeball headed in the right direction.

5. As a captain, what's your biggest priority for the league going forward?
First is to keep Saginaw Valley Dodgeball from fading out and try my best to get other schools familiar with the NCDA. A ton of schools already have a club dodgeball team but do not know the NCDA exists.