3x3 Photography
Finding purpose is tough. Holding purpose is challenging. Redefining purpose is scary.
This year, in addition to my press duties for the Great Britain Softball Women's National Team, Gary Anderson and Tara Henry also trusted me to be the team's Ops Manager, looking after the squad at the 2024 European Softball Championships in Utrecht, The Netherlands. From washing laundry to writing game stories, arranging Hall of Fame presentations to meal deliveries and everything in between, it was quite possibly the busiest two weeks of my life.
I am so, so grateful that I got to do it. To give all of yourself to a task is a gift in itself; to spend two weeks devoted to the team and performance process was unbelievably rewarding. As I sat on the bus home - incidentally the best birthday I've had in years - I was content that not only had I done the tasks assigned to me, but they had brought me joy.
I was told often that team ops is an unappreciated job, that it’s often thankless and yet that couldn’t be further from the truth with this team. My role was acknowledged frequently and appreciated fully by players and staff alike.
In the meantime, despite the additional role, I used a combination of new techniques and a heavy emphasis on video to take the team's social media to its highest-ever level, engaging more than 418K accounts on Instagram alone - the most ever by a Great Britain Baseball or Softball team.
Of course, I couldn't have done it alone and have to thank the wonderful Alan Dean for being both a mentor and friend during the whole process, as well as Dave Inman and Katy Gould for their support and friendship along the way.
As the journey to LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games continues, with European Silver at the first pass, I am so lucky to play my small part in making the team successful. When I moved to the UK, the goal was always permanent residency, but now my motivation for obtaining a passport and citizenship is two-fold. As much as I want it for myself and my family, I can't wait to celebrate Great Britain's on-field and off-field success as a citizen of the United Kingdom, to share their journey to LA, and to support them however I can, for as long as I can.