Sports fans have been an important part of the explosive success both collegiate and professional athletics has enjoyed. In 2013 a recognition award show was created to honor fans and their contribution to the sports industry it's called the What A Fan Awards. Its been held in Orlando Florida but will be relocated to Los Angeles California in 2016. Over the coming weeks we're going to introduce you to some of the countries most devoted fans of all genres of sports in their own words.
Since I was seven years old, 21 years.
What triggered your passion for sports?
I am a passionate person in everything I do. Sports are no different. Sports is an important part of life for me. It teaches individuals life lessons starting at a young age. How to work hard, practice and commit to a cause. How to depend on and work with others. How to win and more importantly how to lose. It teaches each person how to interact with others from different backgrounds and different skill sets. It involves constant study and dedication and even then there is lots to continue learning. It is this that makes me have such a passion and love for sports. Sports changing peoples lives for the better and is an outlet that keeps people busy and active when there are many alternatives that are not as healthy and that do not provide experiences that contribute to improving ones self. I have coached basketball for over 12 years and have personally seen the impact sports have on individuals lives. It is not easy as a coach when you have kids and young adults struggling either on the court or off the court. I have had to have the tough conversations with both the athletes and their families. I have had to deal with many situations in which I was not looked at as the best friend, but I always had the respect of my athletes and their families. I never gave up on any of my athletes and I have seen individuals turn their lives around for the better as a result of sport. That is something that cannot be overlooked. Without sport; there are individuals I know personally that would be in a much worse situation today than they would have been if it were not for sport. How can you not have passion about that?!
What was your favorite sports moment?
Sports continuing following the 9-11 attacks. It was baseball that was the first game I watched following the attacks and to see sport being the country together following a time of mourning and tragedy was very special and memorable to me. It means more than the game to me, but shows how powerful sport truly is.
Who would you like to meet?
I would have liked to have met Pat Tillman. A true leader and athlete that made the ultimate sacrifice of going from playing sport to defending his country. He paid the ultimate sacrifice and lost his life, but before that happened it would have been great to meet an individual that attended the same university as I did and had such a love for sport, but also the greater good and chose to leave sport for something more important. Just to meet and talk to someone with that type of mindset would have been an amazing and humbling experience for me.
What charitable programs are you involved with?
I am actively involved in my local community in many aspects. I work with the food shelters in the valley, I also prepare meals with my family that we then go downtown in Phoenix and set up on the streets and feed those in need that are not a part of a shelter. I also am involved with a local non profit called Moma's house in Phoenix that provides housing and programs to support women who are domestic violence victims as well as sex trafficking victims. Furthermore, I accept any requests for appearances within the community and all free of charge. I lead school academic assemblies, pep rallies, retirement community events, community walks and fundraisers and non profit events where they would like me to speak, emcee or provide support. Interacting in the community and giving back is my number one priority and something I learned at a very young age and that I continue to do today. It is also something I share with all those that I interact with an encourage the youth to always focus on giving back and doing for others.
How does your family feel about your passion?
They are so amazing! The passion is actually contagious. The biggest example of this is my mother. She was not a basketball fan at all and never watched basketball. Since becoming Mr. ORNG and her seeing the importance it has to me and the impact I have on the community, she NEVER misses a game now. On the road or home, she watches, texts me every game and we discuss the team and results. The entire family supports me and the impact I have on the local community and commitment and dedication I show to the Suns organization. I am a season ticket holder and attend 5-10 games on the road each season just to show my support for the organization. My family attends many of the community events that I take part in and also put on events themselves that I attend in support of their efforts within the community. I am just a fan, but to share my love and passion for sport and the team with others is priceless. The smile on children's faces when they see me, take a picture with me or ask for my autograph is truly special and humbling. Being able to leverage my fandom in order to make a positive impact on society and the youth is the absolute highest level of self satisfaction I can ever achieve. I take that responsibility very seriously and am proud to continue sharing that with others.
How was your character created?
This has been an evolution. It started back with me just wearing orange. A simple orange shirt and spray painting my hair orange. Once that caught on, I decided to make myself all orange and create the brand known today as Mr. ORNG. It started with me buying gardener gloves and orange spray paint and painting them orange. Finding orange shoes after looking at malls all over the state and slowly identifying better quality product that would allow me to look better. I immediate created the logo that would be the base of Mr. ORNG and made advancements to those each season a long the way. I had a customized suite ordered that was orange and had a local company embroider the logo onto the suite. I have a few different looks that I use depending on the game or event I am attending, but all have the Mr. ORNG logo included. The different outfits allow flexibility depending n the cause I am supporting in order to best fit the occasion. It is also something that the community values and looks forward to seeing "what Mr. ORNG will be wearing today."
Share something humorous about yourself.
Many would not view this as humorous, but I do because I have a love for the game. While I was in Chicago for a Suns game three years ago, Benny the Bull came up to me in the stands with 4 cans of silly string. We were losing the game and it was in the fourth quarter. Benny decided he thought it would be funny to spray me with all the cans of silly string. I was warning my customized suite and had a back to back in New York that I needed to travel to the very next day. The silly string stained onto my suite and needed an emergency next day one hour dry cleaning once I arrived in New York to be ready for the game that night. While it was frustrating that the suite was stained and cost a lot of money to adjust, the fans in Chicago obviously enjoyed seeing the Suns number one fan get doused in silly string at their arena. ESPN picked up the highlights and it was all over sports center that evening and the next day, which had the people back in Phoenix talking about it for weeks t o come. It was an unforgettable experience that had me on the laughing end, but I always try to maintain a positive and uplifting attitude in life, which does for sport as well.
Learn more about the What A Fan Awards by visiting www.whatafanshow.com and if you or someone you know are devoted, passionate and fanatic sports fans let them know they too could be Nominated for this honor! #Fans247 #whatafan #whatafanawards #SportsFansConference
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