I was introduced to sports at a young age. Both my mother and father were diehard Braves fans, and my father grew up rooting for the 1980s Celtics and the Dan Marino led Miami Dolphins. Day in and day out, there was always a game on television, and as I watched along with them I learned more and more about the game. Once I got older, I started playing sports myself, with baseball being my game of choice. I also dabbled in basketball, which I wasn’t nearly as good at.
Once I hit 14 years old, my relationship with sports changed. When I was younger, I saw myself more as a player. Once I hit high school, I started to focus more on covering sports as opposed to playing them. I still played recreationally, but I got more and more interested in how front offices worked, what the luxury tax meant, and how things like scouting profiles were put together and what made prospects desirable. That’s how I ended up at Valdosta State University, due to their sports broadcasting certificate and wonderful studios.
I had a very simple mission when I decided on this project: tell Coach Helfer’s story. People in sports who stick with one team, program, or organization for an extended period of time have always been my personal favorites, and seeing a coach who did that at a lower level of the sports ladder was an inspiration. So, I wanted to learn about Coach Helfer’s life as much as I wanted to share it with other people who find it as interesting as I do.