Georgetown Manager Jordan Blackwell's Senior Reflection

Team managers are often the forgotten guys on the bench, but they are no less dedicated to the school and program than the staff and players.  At the Hoyas Men's Hoops Banquet last week, team manager Jordan Blackwell delivered his Senior Reflection, and he has been kind enough to share it with us below: 
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(For about half the team, this is probably the first time you're hearing my voice.)

I'm not a big talker, mainly because of the simple fact that I like to listen.  And being a part of this organization, I quickly found that there is a huge store of wisdom to keep my mind occupied.  Like many of us, I found the main source of this wisdom in the words of Big Coach, Coach Thompson, Jr.  So really quickly I want to highlight a couple of the things that have resonated with me.

One thing Big Coach frequently mentions is how at any given point in a game, there are nine guys playing who don't have the ball.  And the trick to being good is to learn how to play off the ball.  And so after listening to that I thought of how that could be transposed to other areas of life.  And what I got from it was that there will always be somebody in the spotlight, at times it will be you, but chances are you'll be one of the nine without the ball.  And the key isn't to lament your position but to embrace it and help the team in the ways that you can.  So with that I first want to say thank you to Ms. Lorry Michel.  From the first time we spoke I could see how much you cared for this organization and how much you've contributed to its growth.  I can't think of anyone who more embodies what Coach says about playing off the ball, being out of the spotlight, and still leaving such an indelible mark on this institution.  Thank you for being an example for me during my time here.

Another Big Coach quote I reflected on was when he said that when people try to show you what they can do, they also show you what they can't do.  After listening to that, I agree with you Coach, but I also think that when people are showing you what they can do, they're showing you what they care about.  And these past two years I can say that Ms. Robyn Curry cares for this organization as much as anyone.  From filing all that paperwork that no one ever sees to the planning the entire day of festivities for the Thompson Center groundbreaking, Miss Robyn, you showing what you could do has benefitted this organization in more ways than it can count.  And on a smaller scale, I don't think I could've made it these two years without your help.  From your help with work study issues to internship applications, I can only hope that I've helped you half as much as you've helped me.  Thank you.

Finally, the wind blows hardest at the top of the mountain.  This quote resonated with me as I thought of the men that I've seen almost every day for 2 seasons.  I want to thank the coaches and players for the examples you all have been.  You have people who both literally and figuratively look up to you and with that comes a lot of responsibility.  Nobody is perfect and no organization is perfect, but what I could tell as soon as I joined this organization was that you all were a family.  And so I thank all of you for giving me the opportunity to call this family my own.

-Jordan Blackwell