2009
09.01
My name is Shauna Reynolds. I am a travel agent and I hail from the Derby City…Louisville, KY. Yes, I was born and raised in a city where basketball is the king, yet football became my passion.
Growing Up
At a young age I became quite the athlete playing golf and participating in dance and gymnastics all by the age of 3. My dad was a high school basketball coach, so I guess you could say sports was in my blood. By the age of 10 I had added swimming, diving, basketball, cheerleading and tennis to the list of sports I participated in. It sounds as if I was a tomboy, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. Being an only child, I became my mom’s princess and my dad’s athlete. Essentially having the best of both worlds.
High School
Once in high school I narrowed the field down a bit. I played varsity tennis, golf, swimming and diving. I cheered only one year because I decided I liked the more competitive edge and wanted to focus on the other sports where I could achieve that. I graduated high school a semester early and began my college career. Little did I know where that would eventually lead.
College
I attended the University of Louisville, where I became a student athletic trainer. I worked mostly with men and women’s soccer and women’s basketball. I graduated with a degree in Physical Education and later received my Master’s degree in Sport Administration.
My Passion for Football
My love of football started while I was attending the University of Louisville, but it didn’t begin that way. During my undergraduate years at U of L, there wasn’t much to cheer about. Then coach Ron Cooper was struggling as a head coach (although he has gone on to do very well as a position coach) and the Cards were headed downhill. I attended all the games as more of a social event, as many college students do. I was friends with many of the football players because we all lived in the same apartment complex. Their game planning always intrigued me, but that was as far as it went. I still didn’t see how you could spend that much time planning to just knock your opponent down or throw a ball to the end-zone. I did know the common football terminology. My senior year a new head coach was named. A man by the name of John L. Smith…most thought he was more of a cowboy than a coach when he arrived, but he proved he knew football, knew coaching and, most importantly, he surrounded himself with many extremely talented assistant coaches.
As I began graduate school, I took a internship position in the U of L athletic ticket office. I was required to work the football games then. Since John L had taken our 1-10 team to 7-5 there wasn’t much time to watch the games because we stayed busy in the ticket office until after halftime every game. My last year in graduate school the team was Liberty Bowl bound and if I worked the fan appreciation party I could have a hotel room at no cost. Hey, I thought…it’s Memphis, why not visit Beale Street. Little did I know, I’d never look at football the same again.
After I finished my duties for the evening at the fan appreciation party, I headed up to my room for a few minutes. I passed this guy in a pullover on the escalator and a friend of mine told me he was a coach. The title suited him…he had his game face on. I even thought he looked really mean. I headed back down to the party, talking to many people. While talking with some of my friends this stranger walks up knowing my friends, of course, and chimes in the conversation. At the exact same time we both began to introduce ourselves. Weird! The coach I though was so mean and serious was standing in front of me and was the complete opposite of my first impression. We began talking about our passion for sports and soon became fast friends. We developed a unique bond and a deep friendship that still exist almost 10 years later. This man is the one who taught me everything I know about football. He taught me about game planning, recruiting, studying the tendencies of your opponent and many more aspects of the game. Once I actually understood football and appreciated it…I loved it! This particular coach left U of L and went on to coach on a National Championship team, the NFL and is now back at the college level where I feel he was born to be. The dedication he has while shaping these young men’s lives coaching amazes me and inspires me. I never would have had the knowledge to write this blog without his teaching. He knows who he is and I thank him for his inspiration. Best of luck this season!
Touchdown
To the rest of my readers, I look forward to sharing my knowledge…learning from you, and most of all, sharing my passion and love of football to all who read this blog. May the 2009-2010 college football season be one of excitement, suspense and fun for us all. Good Luck to all the athletes, coaches and staffs across the country. I know the countless hours you put in and it truly is appreciated. I am amazed by each and every one of you!
Keep up the good work girl! I’ll be on this site every week.
I look forward to hearing all of your insightful post! Thanks Brien!