When you first walk onto the court of the San Antonio Spurs, you’re going to have butterflies in your stomach. It’s going to be amazing. And then you find out how everybody has a part in making the game happen.
Dozens of kids got to have in-game experiences with Spurs Sports & Entertainment employees for Silver & Black Give Back night. We had Future Greeters, Future Silver Dancers, Future Bill Land and Sean Elliott, and even a Future Dancing Usher.
I’m Natalie Deanda, a senior at Warren High School. I’m a Future Journalist.
For me, Tuesday’s Spurs win was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I sat in on coach Gregg Popovich’s pre-game press conference. I watched Tim Duncan and Tony Parker warm up from the floor. And we got to meet all the people who work behind the scenes at AT&T Center and see a different perspective on possible careers.
Ten-year-old Hailee Martin shadowed a Silver Dancer and said, “I never thought I would have this opportunity.” Like a lot of us, Hailee had no idea what to expect. Sydni Garber, 11, said that the Silver Dancers made her feel like she belongs, because she could be able to relate to a dancer. They made her passion for dance multiply, knowing that someone in their career is guiding them to success.
Elma Castellanos, a student at Highlands High School, actually wants to become a registered nurse. But she was able to shadow her second career choice, a photographer.
She said that her experience has been a “crazy adventure, being taught all the tips and tricks” in photography. Enjoying her role in being a Future Photographer, Elma said it is a passion that she will carry out for the rest of her life.
Daniel Ross, 13, said being a Future Sportscaster is “a routine he has experienced” as a child actor, but in a completely different level. He was a little nervous at the beginning being live in front of 18,000 people, and then realized it wasn’t much different from acting.
While we were all around the arena, there were some grown ups working, too. I met SS&E administrators, sales executives, game operations and sponsorship employees. I realized that they have a time-consuming and intense job, but they get to be a part of the team for a living. It’s crazy how much goes into a game. Everybody has to cooperate together, or I don’t even know if there would be a game that night.
San Antonio Express-News beat reporters Dan McCarney, Jeff McDonald and Mike Monroe took me through their jobs as well, and all I could think was “man, those hours.”
They have these crazy ridiculous deadlines, where they write full stories right after the game, and I don’t know how they do it. Every minute counts, and the reporters make it count.
We were able to see how our mentors’ jobs are actually done, without the sugar coating. The majority of the jobs had us running around, either if it was taking a photo or doing interviews.
It was hectic, but a good hectic. We were so busy that we didn’t even notice general manager R.C. Buford telling us, “good job” at the end of the night.
Silver & Black Give Back night opened up new doors for us, helping us find out what we want to be when we grow up.
So watch out, San Antonio. The future’s so bright, you gotta wear shades.
Click here for more photos from SBGB Night.