Aidan’s Spring Training Experience

Looking back on the week I spent on the Spring Training experience has made me realize how far I’ve come, how fortunate I am and how much more I have left to do.

Simply applying for the program is something I am proud to have done. I remember hearing about how it was going to return for 2023 and thinking about how cool it would be but still being apprehensive about the whole application process. “Am I even good enough to be considered?” I would ask myself. Eventually I came to the realization that you don’t know what opportunities await you if you don’t put yourself out there. I applied and sure enough I was selected for an interview; I found out soon after that I had been accepted to the program.

I began to get a similar feeling as the big week approached. I had a plan and I knew what it was I had to do but I once again questioned whether or not I was able to do a good job. Sunday morning came and it was time for me to head off. As I was driving to my first game of the week in Lakeland my confidence grew. I found myself ready to take on everything that was ahead of me.

To say this experience has been a confidence booster is an understatement. I had the aptitude to do the work I did throughout the week and even found it highly enjoyable; from taking b-roll at each game I went to for my ballpark review video to writing and tweeting game recaps to simply driving from town to town watching as much baseball as my heart could handle. You have to love what you do, and I loved what I did that week every step of the way. I am certainly able to see myself making a career out of this line of work, which is one of the most valuable takeaways from this experience. That and the ball I got signed by Yandy Diaz. That was pretty cool too.

I ended up not getting credentials for any of the games I had requested, but it didn’t bring me down at all. It doesn’t make me any less proud of all of the pieces I worked on and it doesn’t make me wish my week would have gone differently. Just being able to go on this trip at all has been such a great opportunity.

When I made it back home at the end of the week and got all of my pieces ready and submitted, I stopped to think about just how much I had grown professionally and personally in just one week. I am much more willing to take chances, seek out opportunities, travel and test my skills than I ever was before.

Finally, I would like to present some words of advice toward those interested in applying for this experience:

• Go to as many games as you can, even if it’s teams you don’t like.
• Get out of your comfort zone and see where curiosity takes you.
• Don’t get too hung up if things do not go the way you had hoped, but have a plan B.
• Make the absolute most out of your time and resources.
• Think outside of the box; there’s more happening at the ballpark than just the game.
• Don’t listen to self-doubt.
• I cannot stress this enough but bring plenty of sunscreen.

Thanks to everyone who followed along and special thanks to those who helped make this happen. I’ll see you all at the Rays’ World Series parade later this year!