To the Millersville University Athletic Communications Department and all others of which this letter may concern:
Thank you.
This is a letter I always had intent to write, albeit maybe a month or two from now but the circumstances are telling me that it’s best I get this over with now. There’s plenty of good in this letter and we will get to it but first let’s get all the bad out of the way.
The news we all received on that Friday hurt with a special kind of sting. Knowing that we wouldn’t broadcast another game for the rest of the semester meant an abrupt end to my career with Millersville Athletics. While the PSAC 110% made the correct decision, I think it is safe to say we were all looking forward to another exciting spring sports season at the Ville. I can only imagine the pain my fellow seniors on those squads are feeling at this time.
But probably what hurt the most was knowing that I could no longer participate in what made my time at Millersville go from great to fantastic. Since the live-stream program started back in 2017, I looked forward to each and every broadcast on our schedule. I can say with the fullest confidence that working for Millersville Athletics helped me become not just a better broadcaster, but a better employee, student, and person. Obviously, these streams would not be possible without a world-class team of people giving their all on gameday.
First and foremost, I wish to thank Ethan Hulsey for making this whole program possible. Thank you for putting this whole operation together and allowing us to introduce our ideas, learn the new programs, teach new members, and so much more all while keeping things loose and trusting us to get the job done. I consider myself extremely lucky to have you as my boss for the past 3 years and good luck with everything in the future.
Second, I want to thank the broadcasters that came before me, Kevin Gehl and Bryan Kast. Kevin, thank you for sharing the broadcast booth with me back in my sophomore year. To work with a professional such as yourself while also helping me slowly turn my dream career into a reality by helping me obtain my internship that summer along with so much more advice and insight down the road. Bryan, sharing the booth with you was also a lot of fun. Your insight into how the local media works along with your vast connections helped give me a greater understanding as to what I was getting myself into. You’ve also been a valuable member of the team these past two years and have always been a huge help.
Third, I want to thank all the hard-working GA’s from both the past and present. While I can’t say I’ve ever really been in your shoes, what I can say is that you all have been some of the hardest working people I have ever seen. Dedicating what can seem like endless nights and days, hours before and after games, the grind truly never stops with you. While I may not have been able to interact with all of you, I will always remember what each and everyone of you have done for Millersville Athletics and appreciate all you have done to assist the live-streams.
Last, and certainly not least, I want to thank all of my co-workers I’ve had in the past 3 years. You can’t spell “live-stream” without “team” and the effort all of you gave to make sure our broadcasts ran as smooth as possible was second to none. We shared in the frustrations of technology not working along with the triumphs of great games delivered even greater by our collective work. Quite simply without you, we wouldn’t deliver the quality broadcasts that have become the standard for us. I also want to make a special note to the next generation of broadcasters. Jordan and Kevin along with anyone else who wants to hop on the headset. Sharing the booth with you guys this season has been an incredible experience. Whether it was reveling in a championship soccer season, or feeding off the energy in Pucillo gym, you guys helped add fresh voices into the broadcast booth and represent the new wave of what is going to be a great, flagship program. Thank you for being patient with me and allowing me to teach you what I know. I wish you all the best of luck in the future and look forward to tuning in next year, hearing your commentary.
Of the many slogans that I have heard in my time here, there has been one that really resonated with me. “Make it yours”, a slogan from the NCAA directed at its student athletes I feel perfectly describes my time with Millersville Athletics. I made it mine and I urge everyone else to do the same. I will forever cherish my time spent with Millersville Athletics and no matter where I may up at the end of the semester and beyond, Millersville will always be known as the concrete foundation of my career. Thank you to everyone at every step of the way. I wish all of you nothing but the best and maybe one day we can share a proper send off but for now goodbye and,
Thank you for everything.
Sincerely,
Ben Schad