“Every year on July 4th, I am reminded of how much I associate the spirit of our Independence Day with baseball. I began playing baseball at a young age as my older brother brought me out to play morning, noon and night,” says Doug Glanville, a faculty member in Neag School of Education’s sport management program.

Andrew Girard MA ’19 has been preparing for baseball’s opening day since this past September. As the stadium operations manager for the Hartford Yard Goats, Girard oversees the maintenance and facility enhancement projects at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford, Connecticut. When he learned that the season start date would be delayed due to COVID-19, he and his team began creating systems to ensure that fans would feel comfortable and safe when they were able to return to the park.