Here at the Scout, the past few weeks have been full of goodbyes and the realization that a new staff is coming into the office.
But the lovely staff in the sports section isn’t going anywhere, so the tears and emotional graduation columns will have to wait another year.
There are, however, a few things we must say goodbye to: the 2013-2014 Bradley athletics year and one irreplaceable sports communication professor.
Let’s start with what happened outside the classroom.
It’s been an eventful year in Bradley athletics. With a women’s golfer winning the Missouri Valley Conference player of the year, a new mascot, a disappointing men’s basketball season and a women’s basketball team that won a total of eight games, every season seemed to bring something different.
Our athletic teams have produced some exciting moments this season, and I’ve been fortunate to have a front row seat for most of them.
In my opinion the good moments this season have outweighed the bad moments by a landslide.
Coach Jenny Maurer and the volleyball team returned to the postseason for the first time since 2005. Coach Jim DeRose and the soccer team captured a MVC tournament title and beat the then number one team in the country.
While our men’s basketball team did disappoint, the signing of a national top-100 recruit for the first time in more than 30 years signals excitement for the upcoming season.
Despite the downs that occurred this season, the athletic teams on campus are on the rise and in the coming years more championships are on their way.
Now on to something I’ve dreaded writing all semester long.
There is one person leaving Bradley who has a direct connection to all of us in the sports section and has influenced on me during my two years at Bradley.
Angela Pratt, assistant professor of sports communication, will leave the university after five years at Bradley to take a larger teaching role at Clemson University.
Pratt has done so much for the Department of Communication that it’s impossible to list everything. The short version is that she has helped bring a once novel idea of a sports communication program to a place that institutions such as NBC and ESPN are noticing.
She has done so much for the department, and I hope future sports communication students speak of her legendary teaching abilities.
On a personal level, Pratt has led me to find appreciation for what I study everyday. I sat in many of her sports communication classes these past two years and quickly noticed the passion she brings to class everyday. The fact that she wants nothing more out of her teaching than for us to be successful and find the perfect job once we graduate has inspired me.
Isn’t that what we all want when we come to college? A professor we are able to connect to and help you realize why you chose your major?
I found that with Dr. Pratt, and to be honest I was pretty upset when I found out she was leaving.
But, as I’ve quickly found out in life, and especially in Bradley athletics, we must turn another page and look to the future while remembering the past.
Dr. Pratt, thank you for believing in a student that only dreamed of doing what I am today.
The Bradley Scout’s sports staff thanks Dr. Pratt for her contributions to Bradley and wishes her the best at Clemson.
