A Day in the Life, Volume IV

That said, a tennis camp was in session, aspiring JV and varsity athletes were working out on the Karen Doxey Field under the guidance of sports performance coach Justin Brown (and watchful eye of trainer Tara Tate), Director of Athletics Andrew Stanley was directing traffic around a newly paved stretch of road, and the good folks on the physical plant crew were going about their duties with their usual good spirit.

 

Near the maintenance building where I parked my car, I encountered Bryan Voltz sharing a moment with his colleagues as they attempted to cool off during their break time.

What does the day look like for you? I asked.

 

“Right now,” he replied, “I’m taking a gator and picking up a gator.”

 

Bryan wasn’t speaking of reptiles, of course. Gators are heavy-duty work vehicles out for routine maintenance at James River Equipment on Rt. 10 near Hopewell, and my friend and longtime colleague explained that he was picking up the one assigned to the athletic department and delivering the one used by the grounds crew. I know the one he was bailing out of the shop quite well. Since 2001, it’s been my vehicle of choice to tend the cross country course, especially the trail system.

That gator’s pretty old, I said.  Ancient, actually. Got a lot of miles on it. Did they find much wrong with it?

 

“Everything,” Bryan said, “but they didn’t do any body work at all.”

 

I’d hate to see them do body work, I responded. That gator has character. Most of the dents and cracks and orange paint are my handiwork. I’ve banged it off more trees back in the woods than I can count.

 

Everybody laughed, of course, because they knew that was true.

 

Chastened (but not really), I turned the recorder in the direction of Jesse Garrant, who’s spent many a hot summer day atop a mower in the open fields.

What’s it been like for you, other than really toasty? I asked.

 

“Crazy,” he said with his trademark smile.

 

What does “crazy” mean? I asked.

 

“We have a whole lot of things on our list to do,” he said, “like cut grass, fertilize, aerate.”

 

 

“You have to cool down, stay hydrated, drink water and Gatorade,” he replied, “and keep something on your head.”

 You’ve been doing this for a lot of years, I said. You’ve been through hot weather, cold weather, rainy weather.

 

 “We’ve done did it all,” my friend replied.

 

 ‘Yeah,” he said with a laugh. “Waiting for the fall.”

 

Next up was Brian Nicholas, the rookie of the crew who’s nearing eight months on the staff.

What’s your summer looked like? I asked.

 

“Summer’s been good,” he said. “Other than the heat wave, which hasn’t seemed all that bad. Really busy. Been ranging back and forth between here and the School campus. Been mainly out here mowing all the sports fields.”

That’s a lot of fields, I offered. Nine, actually, plus baseball and softball. What gives you joy about doing that, especially in sauna-like conditions?

 

“The end result,” Brian replied. “The pretty picture. Making everything look good.”

 

When I was signing off with Brian, A.J. Johnson appeared on the scene. In a couple of months, A.J. will celebrate 40 years at Collegiate. Suffice it to say, he knows the Robins complex as well as anyone. As with the others, I inquired about his summer.  

 

“A lot of weeding and grass cutting,” he said, “and trying to keep cool. Drinking plenty of water.”

 

 

“Basically,” he said, “I just deal with it and work mostly in the cooler places. When the sun shifts around, I shift around.”

 

Good advice, I said, and regardless of the weather, you just keep on keeping on. Right?

               

“I don’t mind hard work,” A.J. said, stating a fact which his colleagues have known since he arrived. “I just do it. Concentrate on your work. Keep on smiling. Keep on doing what you’re doing, and it’s going to get done.”

         

About that time, Mike Snow, who’s driven Collegiate’s vehicles since 2006, stopped by the maintenance building between his assignments: delivering campers from Centennial Hall to the tennis courts and taking a bus to Sonny Merriman Inc. in Ashland to be inspected and picking up another which has already been inspected.

 
What keeps you coming back year after year? I asked after he had shared his morning itinerary.

 

“Because I love it,” he said. “Everybody here is so friendly. It’s a nice facility. The kids are well behaved. I know the coaches, and they know me. I enjoy driving for them and going to games.”

 

As I was heading out, I ran into Wilbur Athey, who’s in charge of uniforms, equipment, and transportation for the athletic department, and asked him about his day.

 

“The day is getting things done,” he said. “Waiting for fall sports to start. Moving soccer goals from the main campus where they used them for summer camp back to the Robins Campus.”

A soccer goal is big and cumbersome, I said. How do you move such a thing?

      

“Used to put it on a trailer,” he said. “Now we break it down and transport it on a truck and put it back together.”

It’s still July, I said. Soccer doesn’t start out here for another month.

      

“I try to be on top of everything,” he said. “I always like to be a step ahead. When the kids come back, we want to be ready for them. That’s why we’re here: for the kids and to give them what they need.”

~Weldon Bradshaw