The Milwaukee Bucks aren't just Owning the Future, They're helping their Staff make History.

When I was finally preparing to leave the world of academia at Carthage College, I can only recall a handful of my friends truly having any inkling of what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives. Like most people I found life to be a little too short, after all how was I going to win an Academy Award, be a Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper editor, serve in US Congress, and be the President of a professional sporting franchise within 100 years - so fate would have it that I would be a restaurant server and help run a tea store until life fell into place. 

As fate would also have it (not to mention the incredible amount of career research, and rejection I faced for a couple months), I would find myself at Toyota Park, in Bridgeview, Illinois at a sports networking fair. If you haven’t guessed from context clues, I decided to go the sports route.

There at the fair I met a bunch of people aging 18-80 that had every background under the sun who were looking to also find their futures in this incredible industry. I was privileged enough to meet Account Executive Matt Splan of the Milwaukee Bucks who talked to me about his opportunities and how the Bucks were the team you wanted to be with if you wanted to position yourself for a successful career in sports. So needless to say, I followed his advice and made sure that the Bucks' HR received my application. It was about 8 days later when I got the corny life changing phone call that quite literally would reshape my future.

Now it was no secret that I knew next to nothing about basketball, and truth be told I’m learning more from my teammates every day. I made sure to keep an open mind, crash-coursed the NBA, discussed strategy with my personal PR coordinator (my Mom), and I made sure that I didn’t stutter or use the words ‘awesome’ or ‘um’ too many times during the interview. To my surprise I found myself sitting in front of the new business, and retention managers about a month after that phone interview and asides from an insane amount of under arm sweat, the 4 hours seemed to go well – plot twist Jeff Lesko, and Wes Warne offered me a position and I wasn’t going to say no.

I knew from the moment I walked in to the front office that this was where I wanted to be but honestly I don’t know why. Maybe it was because I wanted to be in a place that overlooked a gorgeous ever-changing city, or maybe it was because there were people throwing footballs across the office to each other and laughing about something crazy that happened to them that week. Regardless, this was where I wanted to start my career. 

Fast forward to the here and now 2 pre-season games into the year and just over 2 weeks until the Home Opener, and I’ve never been more in love with this organization. Every day we all face challenges that will change the course of one thing or another for ourselves, or the organization or the city and we problem solve with seamless solutions (most of the time) and we prepare for the next day with ease (but yes, some days are easier than others, this is sales after all). 

If you asked me if this is what I would be doing when I graduated college I would say no, but hindsight is always 20/20. To look back on where my 17 classmates and I were just 5 months ago when we started with this organization to today is remarkable. The personal accomplishments of my peers push me to be better every day. But for me this journey has been anything but easy, but the Milwaukee Bucks have had my back, and promoted my success and my desire to change sports. 

So why is this prevalent to anything?

Tomorrow, October 11 is National Coming Out Day, and I’m timing this article because while I’ve been out for nearly 6 years as a gay man, I’ve never realized how many obstacles I’ve had to overcome to be sitting here in the front office of the Bucks.

As a new associate (a month into selling to be exact), I had the privilege of sitting in on a meeting with my colleague and friend Rachel Toman and President of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Jason Rae. Rachel was kind enough to let me take an active role in the discussion, and the 3 of us left with a big idea: a partnership to present the 1st Annual Milwaukee Bucks Pride Night. 

Sports have been a huge part of my life – my Nona raised me on the Chicago Cubs and “her” Sammy Sosa, while my Dad and his father raised my brother and me on Blackhawks hockey. What’s incredible about the world of sports is the notion that it doesn’t matter your sexual orientation, your race or ethnicity, your income, your level of education or any other sub-category because for the moments you’re there to support the men and women who don your city’s colors like super heroes, you’re part of a greater system. Some of those men and women fall in the LGBTQ+ spectrum and they’ve been my idols (in fact Robbie Rogers sent me a signed LA Galaxy Pride scarf for simply supporting him and their first Pride Night online).

The Milwaukee Bucks, the NBA, and most importantly the friends who have become my support here in this city accept me for who I am, they challenge me and push me to be my best, they pick me up when I’m down and they help me correct mistakes for the next day because they’re great accepting and loving people. Allies like Rachel and our teammates here are essential champions who will help change the views of acceptance and inclusivity in sports. The support that we’ve been given and the excitement of those who are supporting our first Pride Night reminds me every day how privileged I am to be in this position. We may be developing downtown Milwaukee to be an even greater place for entertainment and sports come 2018, but I look forward to January 28, 2017 when the Bucks take on the Celtics and I can look around the arena and see that change of unequivocal acceptance. 

Dear 14 year old Nick, it gets so much better, I promise.